Late hatchers, when to help?

[ChickenfootDuckbutt]

I just recently hatched out 16 mixed ducklings from my flock, I have a brinsea 20 echoe with autoturn which does all the work for me, 14 of the 16 hatched out on the 31st, and 2 more hatched out on the 1st. there are 2 eggs left in the incubator I was going to pitch on saturday when i went to pick one up it peeped!, well that night both had pipped, but they still haven't hatched today and are pretty much where they were 2 days ago. the outer membrane on both eggs is terribly dry and stiff, but the inner sac thing the ducklings are in are still wet. I peeled back some of the dry membrane on one of the eggs and there was a little bit of blood but not alot. but heres the thing, one duckling has a good sized hole but it's not really in pipping postion it's still curled up, the 2nd is pecking at the inside of the shell but away from the small hole it's already made, but the membranes are kinda wrapped around them but not tight like shrink wrapped, I'd really like them to hatch because these ducklings are the grand-lings of one of my favorite deceased hens whom I'd had since she was a duckling hatched at a friends how 6 years ago, until a fox got her on her nest last year.

if they haven't made progress by tonight or tomorrow morning should I slowly help them or let them be? both ducklings seem healthy and strong so i see no reason to just let them die.

any help is greatly thanked!

 

[nivtup]

If you are going to help, there is a limited window of opportunity.

Keep checking to see when the veins in the membrane start to die back.

I would say that today is the day if you are going to do it, if you let them go too long, they will pass.


Good luck.

 

[The Duck ABC's]

If you see one large hole and not a zip line then it is stuck in position. You need to help them. Just work along until you hit blood, stop for 4 hours, and continue. Do not pull the duckling out, just work it down to the half mark and from there they will do it by themselves.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

The Duck ABC's :

If you see one large hole and not a zip line then it is stuck in position. You need to help them. Just work along until you hit blood, stop for 4 hours, and continue. Do not pull the duckling out, just work it down to the half mark and from there they will do it by themselves.

You can also use a little warm water in a syringe and keep the membrane from drying out. Just keep the water away from the head area.

 

[AllCoop'dUp]

Well...sad new on this front. I had 12 eggs in the incubator due to hatch on Saturday. I saw several pitched cracks like they were going to pip then hatch, but nothing all day. Woke up Sunday morning to 4 very cute little ducklings. Out of the 8 eggs left 4 more of them had the little pitched cracks but no pips. Now it's Monday afternoon and nothing...I think I lost the rest. Should I have helped? I have 8 more duck eggs due this Saturday. If it happens again and I get the little pitched cracks, but no actually pips, should I pick it them and help? This is my first time incubating duck eggs and only my second time with chicks. I did get 6 of 7 of the chicks out, but one died yesterday.

 

[DuckyMom]

Usually help after twelve hour's from the external pip. I use tweezers and peel away small peices of shell starting at the pip. It isn't always nesasary to break the membrane. i go alittle more then half way around and always stop itf ther is blood.
One other trick is to put another duckling in with the hatching duckling once mostly free. Often by this point they will be exsausted and may have difficulty untangling themselves. NEVER help with this part! But if the baby is really struggling another duckling will often come to their siblings aid.

Good Luck and be careful!
Emily

 

[DuckyMom]

Keep the membrane damp and keep working on it! (I am totally pro helping.) But be sure you dont hatch the eggs of a duck who needed help hatching.

Emily

 

[duckyfromoz]

Twelves hours may be too soon- after the external pip- it can eaily take them a further 24 hours before they start to unzip even under perfect incubating conditions. There is a complexed set of events that need to happen in order for the duckling to hatch- and while I know everyone gets nervous and wants to help - sometimes waiting- and just wetting the membrane is enough to save the duckling. Chickens are often faster than ducks to hatch- which is maybe one reason people who have hatched chickens get so worried about the time it takes.

Duckymom- you say you stop if there is blood - but if you wait longer than 12 hours- the ducklings may be able to get out of the egg unaided in some cases.

Keeping the membrane wet is the best option- peeling only the egg shell from around the aircell will not result in bleeding as you are not tearing the membrane at all causing any bleeding. The ducklings have a little more room to move once the yolk is absorbed and can start to move themselves in order to break the membranes themselves. Often - even when the membrane is dry shrink wrapping the baby - there can be something else wrong with a duckling. Helping them to hatch is not always the best thing. Sad to have them die when they get so far- but even when they look normal on the outside- something could be wrong internally making them too weak to hatch on their own.

 

[AllCoop'dUp]

But is just the pitched tent on the shell considered a PIP? I thought the PIP had to actually have broken through the shell. Now I'm sick to think that I could have had more babies and I let them die in their shells. I don't want to make the same mistake with the next group.

 

[duckyfromoz]

The " pitched tent" is a pip- In most cases there will be a small hole in the membrane underneath- and enough of a crack to allow air exchange.