Muscovy hen trying again

[horsemom1326]

It's day 37 and I can hear a very weak chirp at times. One egg had almost been pushed out from under Mama. I was able to get a flashlight on it and it looks like it is trying to push his head into air cell but can't make out a shape of bill. Just looks like pressure at times. Mama is pretty fidgety and repositioning eggs quite a bit. The sounds are not as pronounced as on her first go around. I feel like I'm just sitting here watching it/them die.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It's day 37 and I can hear a very weak chirp at times. One egg had almost been pushed out from under Mama. I was able to get a flashlight on it and it looks like it is trying to push his head into air cell but can't make out a shape of bill. Just looks like pressure at times. Mama is pretty fidgety and repositioning eggs quite a bit. The sounds are not as pronounced as on her first go around. I feel like I'm just sitting here watching it/them die.

Have you read this? can you candle really good candle? if so you could put a very small hole where you are seeing pushing, just enough to give duckling air, but it will have to be in air cell or it won't matter, I know this is very stressful and other than going in both feet first and chipping the egg shell back lilttle by little not much else you can do, and if you see blood vessels then you can't continue or you could rupture one and cause the duckling to bleed to death,. your call, please keep us updated. Tough decision. for sure. and you have to be so careful because once you begin helping you have to continue to help and make sure membrane between duckling and shell doesn't dry out. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...days-ago-but-no-external-pip-yet#post_8686492

 

[horsemom1326]

Oh Miss Lydia, you just don't know how much I appreciate your response! I pricked a hole and got his bill exposed and put him back with Mama. It was just a few minutes before she pecked at the hole, made it bigger, and tossed him out. He is still on the straw but not on the nest. I have a heat lamp on him and have sprayed as close to the shell as possible with warm water. He is making no effort to unfold but his chirps are very strong. I know he needs to get out of the shell on his own, but it seems that he will need more room if he does decide to try to turn. Mama has come off her nest and is checking on him now.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh Miss Lydia, you just don't know how much I appreciate your response! I pricked a hole and got his bill exposed and put him back with Mama. It was just a few minutes before she pecked at the hole, made it bigger, and tossed him out. He is still on the straw but not on the nest. I have a heat lamp on him and have sprayed as close to the shell as possible with warm water. He is making no effort to unfold but his chirps are very strong. I know he needs to get out of the shell on his own, but it seems that he will need more room if he does decide to try to turn. Mama has come off her nest and is checking on him now.

How are things now? the duckling/egg needs to be under mama duck, if not the membrane will dry out and he will not be able to break through, Sounds like you may have to intervene on this one.

 

[horsemom1326]

Oh Miss Lydia, that link was absolutely wonderful. Our stories are pretty much identical. Thank you so much! It was so helpful, and after reading through most of the first page, I knew I had to do something. I lost the first one, unfortunately, but I'm telling myself I was his only hope anyway, so at least I tried. I've known Mama was sitting on a bad egg for quite a while, so I figured I'd try to retrieve it. When I sat down beside her, she let me get the bad one, and please don't laugh, but she actually rolled 3 others out and rolled them towards me. To make a long story short, I am nursing 3 open eggs. One I'm surprised is still breathing. The other 2 are alive and make occasional noises, one considerably louder and stronger seeming than the other. They are under a heat lamp in a dish pan surrounded by wet paper towels. The stronger one is positioned with a foot over his face, and it seems to be tickling him, but there's no where for it to go without chipping more shell. Mama is like a different duck now that she's passed on some of the responsibility. I have 3 and she kept 4 for herself. I am completely at peace letting her continue to sit on her 4 unless she starts burying them like the first time. I know without a doubt my 3 would not be here now without intervention based on their condition when I chipped the shell. If they should happen to make it, I will be overjoyed. If not, at least I know I tried. The 4 she kept, she must feel pretty good about. I don't live on my farm so my available resources are pretty much electricity and water. I never dreamed a Q-tip would be so critical. I'll have to try to figure something else out. Thanks again for the wonderful advice and information. As long as these babies are breathing, I'll be sitting on this bucket beside them. Mama just waddled off her eggs long enough to peek inside the pan to check on my 3

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh Miss Lydia, that link was absolutely wonderful. Our stories are pretty much identical. Thank you so much! It was so helpful, and after reading through most of the first page, I knew I had to do something. I lost the first one, unfortunately, but I'm telling myself I was his only hope anyway, so at least I tried. I've known Mama was sitting on a bad egg for quite a while, so I figured I'd try to retrieve it. When I sat down beside her, she let me get the bad one, and please don't laugh, but she actually rolled 3 others out and rolled them towards me. To make a long story short, I am nursing 3 open eggs. One I'm surprised is still breathing. The other 2 are alive and make occasional noises, one considerably louder and stronger seeming than the other. They are under a heat lamp in a dish pan surrounded by wet paper towels. The stronger one is positioned with a foot over his face, and it seems to be tickling him, but there's no where for it to go without chipping more shell. Mama is like a different duck now that she's passed on some of the responsibility. I have 3 and she kept 4 for herself. I am completely at peace letting her continue to sit on her 4 unless she starts burying them like the first time. I know without a doubt my 3 would not be here now without intervention based on their condition when I chipped the shell. If they should happen to make it, I will be overjoyed. If not, at least I know I tried. The 4 she kept, she must feel pretty good about. I don't live on my farm so my available resources are pretty much electricity and water. I never dreamed a Q-tip would be so critical. I'll have to try to figure something else out. Thanks again for the wonderful advice and information. As long as these babies are breathing, I'll be sitting on this bucket beside them. Mama just waddled off her eggs long enough to peek inside the pan to check on my 3

Well I have to hand it to ya you have your work cut out for ya. I hope they make it out too and commend you for trying to help, And how precious that mama trusts you that much. Sorry about losing the one, this will be a miracle and look forward to updates as they progress. I'll be praying..I used a spray bottle with warm water and misted the menbrane to keep it moist till the duckling broke through then I would very lightly spritz and peel a little till she got out on her own. took from Friday till Monday morn but she made it.

 

[horsemom1326]

Oh Miss Lydia, I'm in a mess. One duckling just unfolded and is wiggling like crazy. Trying to be sure he doesn't wiggle out of the bottom of his shell, but I have no idea how to tell when the yolk is absorbed. He wants out really badly. I have tried to position him so that his head is slightly higher that his bottom but I'm afraid it's not helping. I've tried to upload a couple of pictures, but it's not working. He's going to wear himself out. He's been at it for 20 minutes.

 

[horsemom1326]

So far, so good. Baby #1 came completely out of his shell at 10:15 last night and has been very active. He opened his eyes at 1:15, and now at 4:00, he's almost dry. Baby #2 has just been sleeping since I opened his shell about 14 hours ago. Everything is gone but the bottom part. Complete opposites already.., one hyper and one lazy. I think one is full Muscovy and one is 1/2 Pekin. I knew there was no way Baby #3 could survive. I never could even figure out how he was positioned. I'll check Mama and her 4 eggs when the sun comes up. If these 2 will eat and drink afterwhile, I think they may be ok I just can't thank y'all enough for reading all my junk,sharing your knowledge and experience, giving such helpful advice, and praying with me for these little things. I would love to share pictures, but no luck so far.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So far, so good. Baby #1 came completely out of his shell at 10:15 last night and has been very active. He opened his eyes at 1:15, and now at 4:00, he's almost dry. Baby #2 has just been sleeping since I opened his shell about 14 hours ago. Everything is gone but the bottom part. Complete opposites already.., one hyper and one lazy. I think one is full Muscovy and one is 1/2 Pekin. I knew there was no way Baby #3 could survive. I never could even figure out how he was positioned. I'll check Mama and her 4 eggs when the sun comes up. If these 2 will eat and drink afterwhile, I think they may be ok

I just can't thank y'all enough for reading all my junk,sharing your knowledge and experience, giving such helpful advice, and praying with me for these little things. I would love to share pictures, but no luck so far.

Yay couldn't be happier for you that you got 2 out of this trying time, so sorry you couldn't save the 3rd, but you have done great. Remember they probably won't eat or drink for a couple of days living on that yolk sack, are you going to give them back to mama? and hopefully she has had some hatch since yesterday too. Let me know.

 

[horsemom1326]

I just pray that mama will take them. None of the other 4 have hatched yet, but I do have one outer crack. No hole yet. Haven't tried checking for internal pips. Should I just put them under her while she is still on the other eggs and watch them? I never dreamed ducks could be stressful. What would you suggest? You must love ducks and people to be so kind and helpful. You just don't know what a help and encouragement you have been. Thank you so much!