Is it too early to help ( Update)

[sandracollins]

A friend hatched 4 of my call duck eggs for me, once she could see that they had pipped the airsack she broke the shell at the air sack and helped them out. One of them lay on it's side for nearly 24 hours it is now running around and so are the other 3 so give the little one time it will be fine,

 

[pax12]

I did help it a little

 

[pax12]

last night before I went to bed I was very depressed because I though they are too weak to live, but when I woke up and thought all hope was lost, I see two ducklings running around

 

[cheyfrie26]

Well that could be why

 

[bibkel]

we had our very first ducklings hatch.....4/20, and the first one had pipped, then had the hole for 24 hours....while we diligently sprayed it to keep the membrane moist. very little progress the whole time and I was concerned. So we started to peel the shell away a bit at a time, but kept the membrane there and wet. we double and triple checked the membrane to ensure it was NOT attached in any way....then snip and ripped it off....Knowing it would be out that evening we got a heat bulb (mine was missing) and while I was gone my teenager recorded her "assistance" and she finally popped out.

She was exhausted but looked well. So I put her under the heat lamp at 1 am, and the next day she was fine!

The second one, now named Nemo, was born with a gimp wing and walk, but she came out like gangbusters.....she went from pip to zip in less than an hour, my daughter brought her in to show me the zip and 2 minutes later, with the egg in my hand she shoved the shell off her. So flippin CUTE!

#3, she was pipped...I dragged my DH out to see the pip, and explain how it works....I dug under the broody chicken and found two that had internally pipped, so I dug a bit deeper.....and no egg?!?!?!?

Little bit deeper and **BAM** there was a wet duckling! SO we got one per day, all late at night, and only one we had to help. The other two? internal pip only, Trying to be patient.

So one looks like Cayuga or black swedish, Cheechee for now (cheech and chong, 420...get it?) and #2 is GH-300 looking, Nemo... and the #3 looks like blue swedish (came out silver, beautiful) She is Lightning for now.


I am wondering myself if I should help the last two, it has been 34 days and they are NOT muscovy. A bit worried now. The first one was 31 days.

Pictures soon....
Nemo, hatching in my hand

here she comes!

Nemo is yellow and Kiwi, formerly known as Cheechee is black

And here is the last successful hatched, Lightning...Bam, she was there!

 

[bibkel]

Oh and it is soo cute! They will nibble on whatever, my hand, my lip (ouch) my hair, whatever, and then ***snore**** head lolling to the side, and sound asleep!

 

[bibkel]

so, last night I got brave, and pipped the egg that I could see the beak....since there was no movement or sound, and as I held it looking it was not retaining the heat like the others did. Sad to say, it looked like Nemo, but it failed to absorb the yolk. Interesting to look at from a scientific aspect, but sad that it failed to develop. Clearly it would not have made it, which makes me feel a bit better.
However, from an expectant mother point of view, I am sad. It

I will try again with the group of eggs we placed under the next broody chicken we have, a Speckled Sussex named Midnight. (ok, my daughter's best friend picked her out and she was black as a baby.)

 

[pax12]