Incubating duck eggs- advice pretty please.

[Miss Lydia]

A pic may be helpful too.

 

[xx_li_xx]

I will upload a pic but don’t jump on me please. I feel so mad at myself right now - I told myself I would not intervene and yet I have so I’m really just ahhhh!
I honestly though the baby had internally pipped shortly after lockdown Wednesday and had failed to externally pip and passed, as i said I didn’t move when taken out, when candled, I couldn’t hear it and it didn’t move until I got this far with the shell (in which I took my sweet time) ... it still isn’t moving much but it’s moving. I couldn’t see the beak at first either but now i can. It hasn’t internally pipped either so what I saw Wednesday must have been it pushing the membrane. Still veins there too.

When it moved it was only a bit but I was in such utter shock (I literally jumped) I just stuck it back in incubator as quick as I could so I have done nothing more to it.

I most certainly will never make this mistake again but until then , any help appreciated, with the duckling and my sanity.

 

[DuckyDonna]

@WVduckchick is the expert in this. She helped me so much this spring with a very difficult egg and it worked. She recommended vaseline on the membrane, said it lasts longer than coconut oil. Hopefully she'll see this tag and get to you.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I didn't see your pictures before my last post to you. Don't feel bad, it looks like you chipped it in the right place. Let the little one rest. I don't see any bleeding either which is great! You do need to get some vaseline or something on the membrane though! Use a q-tip to gently do it.

 

[xx_li_xx]

I’m too scared to open the incubator again. I’ve already opened it the once to get it out and put it back (so twice really) and all 7 others were pipped externally so I’m now stressing about this one and that I’ve now shrink wrapped my 7 others.

I’ve been watching this one all day, is still moving and I swear it’s the one chirping too, however I’m not convinced it’s the beak I see or the yolk sack and it’s malpositioned.

I thought it was the beak earlier as it pushed against the membrane but I haven’t seen it do it again and if it is the one peeping it sounds like it’s not that close.

X

 

[Slash3]

I'm almost as anxious as I was hatching my own! keep us updated

 

[DuckyDonna]

I just shot a private message to wvduckchick with a link to your thread. Hopefully she will see it soon and give you good advice. I know when I was doing mine I had that egg in and out of the incubator about 50 times that day. It was VERY stressful but worth it. The little duck made it too! He was facing the wrong way.

 

[xx_li_xx]

Best pics I can get of the little guy ... he’s still moving at present but I literally have no clue and all I keep thinking is do I help him and risk the others or leave him and hope I haven’t already hurt the others opening it earlier .... I have had fab help from slash3 but I’m just too nervous to do much of anything ... I actually fell asleep an hour from stress I reckon.

I’m guessing the white is the outer membrane and the small clear but I see is inner membrane x

 

[xx_li_xx]

I don’t know if it helps but I’m using a brinsea mini eco 2 but don’t have any way to check humidity right now.

 

[WVduckchick]

Thanks @DuckyDonna for the kind words.

@xx_li_xx At this point, a dry membrane will lock the duckling in, so it really needs to be moistened. I see you are using a Brinsea Mini (love mine!) so I know it will recover humidity quickly. You can also clip a small piece of sponge and have it wet and handy to throw in, but its really not necessary.

Carefully....Tilt the lid enough to get that egg out, close the lid.

Then moisten that membrane with a q-tip and Vaseline, or coconut oil. Then put it back. When you moisten the membrane, the veins will show and we will be able to see how much work is still needed. Take another pic and post, please.