Magpie broke eggshell - duckling still alive!

[Fred4761]

Help! While my Swedish Blue was off swimming and eating a magpie flew in to her nest and was pecking at her eggs. I heard the commotion when she returned to the nest and chased off the magpie. She kicked out one of the eggs that was totally broken open and one of the eggs that had its shell broken a bit. The first duckling was dead but when I picked up the 2nd egg I could hear it making little peeping sounds. The shell is broken at the air sac end. It is somewhere between day 25-28, I am a bit unsure because our duck began sitting once she had 7 eggs, but then when I checked a few days later she had 10 eggs so obviously kept laying though she had starting sitting. It hasn't internally pipped. Anyway, I have laid the egg in a container with a heat lamp at 37 degrees and have put a wet cloth in for humidity but don't have anything to record the humidity levels. Is there anything else that I could or should be doing to help this little fighter? I understand that it might not survive but I couldn't just leave it outside to die

 

[sylviethecochin]

The wet cloth should not be touching egg--near, but not touching. Try a clear glass or plastic bowel, put the egg in there beside a thermometer, and drape a wet towel over the top with one end in some water to refresh the humidity when the towel dries. Put the heat lamp over it.

I'm pretty sure your egg is almost ready to hatch--broken eggs bleed a lot when the veins haven't shrunk in preparation for hatching. He has a pretty decent chance. You may even be able to re-integrate him under Mum tomorrow night.

Good luck.

 

[Fred4761]

Thanks for the tip! I have rearranged the egg and cloth as per your suggestions. There was no bleeding at all that I could see so that makes me feel better. I am hoping too that if all goes according to plan I will be able to put it back under Mummy duck, especially if the other eggs she is sitting on start hatching.

 

[Percheron chick]

You can sterilize an egg shell in the microwave then superglue a piece over the opening.
Hate magpies.

 

[Fred4761]

You can sterilize an egg shell in the microwave then superglue a piece over the opening.
Hate magpies.

Just another used duck egg shell? How long does it go in the microwave to steralise it? Does it have to be any special type of non toxic superglue or is any superglue ok? Will it cause issues when the duckling tries to hatch? Thanks

 

[Percheron chick]

Chicken egg shell is fine. Rinse it then pop it in the microwave for 30 sec. You want it dry. If you don't want to use glue, seal the patch with candle wax.

 

[chickens really]

How are things going...?

 

[chickens really]

@WVduckchick

 

[WVduckchick]

following..

 

[Fred4761]

Duckling hatched yesterday evening. It just needed a bit of help kicking off the last bit of the shell - one of its legs was a bit stuck and it is walking with a bit of a limp. Well, it will walk normally for a few steps then do a funny little hop while holding the injured leg up, then will continue to walk normally a couple of steps. The duckling was able to put out with Mum and she happily took it under her wings.