Never Hatched a Duck Egg Before. Egg pipped along time ago. Many ??s.

[lowillobe]

We let my broody hen sit on bantam chicken and duck eggs on June 8.

It has definitely been 21 days but no chickens have pipped; however, my lone duck egg has pipped yesterday around 10 pm. Now the the pips outer shell is gone but the membrane is still there since the around 1 this afternoon. Is this normal to take so long and hatch so early? I can hear him cheep and he moves like crazy.

We also have a humidifier going on in the room to make it more humid.

I have read a bunch of places that ducks take forever to hatch. Is that true? Also, they need help usually, I think its strange that he pipped so early. Perhaps he really is a chicken and the eggs I bought were mislabeled.

On the 19th day the broody hen's (Paula Dean) water spilt in pen. (i found it early) On another post, someone told me that the eggs might hatch a little late.

???????

 

[lowillobe]

Oh yeah, we bought them off ebay and the seller sent a surprise egg. The DUCK!! It is a greenish gray color egg. What could it be?

 

[duckluck]

It could be a BEI...I'd try to gently rip the membrane if all the shell is gone...try to get it somewhere in the area of where the bill is. The duckling needs air and to get out of the membrane, if I am reading what you posted right.

 

[lowillobe]

The pip is on the large side of the egg and whitish.

I would I remove the membrane without hurting the ducKling?

 

[lowillobe]

Ok I removed a little part and can see his bill!!!!!!!!!

 

[teresa-78]

come on little duckling

 

[dumb_cluck]

greenish greyish? Probably mallard.

 

[Birdcrazy]

Oooh post some pics

Hope he goes ok through the hatch!

 

[FenDruadin]

I'm confused--if it's day 21, it can't be a duck unless it was incubating before you got it... ducks take 28 to 35 days, depending on breed... they will sometimes hatch a day or two early, but not 7 days early...

How confident are you of your numbering? If it's been 28 days and your chicken eggs haven't hatched, then they probably will not make it. If it's been 21 days and your duck is hatching, then something's really screwy.

My ducks take up to 48 hours to go from first pip to hatch, but your situation sounds very strange to me. Did you say that the ENTIRE outer shell is gone? Just the membrane left? Or do you mean that the shell is gone in a circle around the top?

I wouldn't recommend that you rush into anything in terms of helping, but I can't offer much advice beyond that without a little more information. Unless I'm misunderstanding you, it's a very strange situation. Good luck, anyway! Hope the little one makes it, whatever it is.

 

[lowillobe]

Only the shell around the pip area. And the inner membrane was showing.


It is definitely a duck because now I can see his wing and foot and bill. He has chipped off a decent area but I'm afraid he is becoming shrinkwrapped. So, earlier I took a q-tip with warm water and dabbed the inner-membrane that is exposed.

He is cheeping and yawning and wiggling. and seems fairly active.

I think he must have been incubating before I got him the mail.

I know it is really weird. Late last night we had a chick pip!!!!!