Incubating duck eggs- advice pretty please.

[xx_li_xx]

Well, I’ve woken this morning and all but one now has externally pipped. Our dear number 4 hasn’t managed to and no longer seems to have any movement, I’m really gutted as I had this feeling last night he was going to struggle and run out of air but I was too scared to open the incubator and help. I still am.

What should I do. Do I quickly remove the egg and check it, the temperature in the uk has dropped a little, not freezing but much colder, will it be ok to open and grab quick? Should I just leave it. I am pretty sure the poor baby is gone.

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

DON'T OPEN IT!!

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

Sorry thought I'd type that quickly. If you think its already gone, its not worth risking the shrink wrapping of others. The most important reason to not open the bator isn't the temp, its the humidity. Humidity can escape very quickly, and if it does it can cuse the other eggs membranes to dry out and the ducklings inside to become stuck

 

[Slash3]

As the ambient humidity in the UK at the min is 97% (well here in the lake district it is) I think you would probably be ok to reach in and grab that egg if you are worried. When my last 5 hatched humidity was about 65-70 outside the inc. I had to help one who was malpositioned and it didn't bother the other 4 at all. They hatched fine on their own ( over 3-4 days!!) In the end its your decision, do what you feel is right.

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

Arr yes different continents. Glad a local could jump in

 

[Slash3]

I'm going to be checking every 10 mins now for updates!! good luck with the hatch!

 

[xx_li_xx]

I'm going to be checking every 10 mins now for updates!! good luck with the hatch!

Well we reached in and got it out quickly, moved it around, listened - no movement , no sound. Nothing. I gently chopped a bit of the shell and still nothing- so of course I thought well this is sad but maybe time to learn and chipped away some more ... well what a mistake that was , suddenly the baby started moving. Not much but it did so I quickly in a panic popped it back int the incubator. It doesn’t even look like it’s internally pipped. It did try push its beak (certain it’s the beak although it wasn’t there at first when I returned him/her to incubator) once or twice on the inner membrane but nothing and once again it’s back to barely moving. I didn’t even moisten the membrane as I was so shocked it moved as I was so certain it had passed.
What do I do now. There’s the clear membrane and veins then a white membrane which is around the duckling.

Whether the duckling is alive or not I’m not sure it’s the strongest as like I say it barely moves so I definitely don’t think it was just resting. I took it so slow as well - so mad it let me break so much away before it moved. So mad at myself for not waiting. (Head banging the wall)

I’m too scared to go in again and risk the other 7 but also don’t want to be the reason this baby dies - although My husband reckons it wasn’t going to make it either way.
He just says I am too much of an emotional person for this incubation business.

 

[xx_li_xx]

I didn’t chop I chipped. Silly phone

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Slash3. I don’t use an incubator so I rely on others to help in this department hope someone will be on soon to help. But please don’t beat yourself up.

 

[Slash3]

I would moisten the membrane with Coconut or similar oil, and wait. if there is still strong visible veins, baby isn't ready yet so it really is just a waiting game. If you feel it's really struggling and likely going to die there is no harm in making a very small hole in the membrane to let air in Last resort only! good luck x