New and Nervous!! HELP please

[Hopin4raon]

I went thru this last fall. I bought a cheap tiny incubator and it stopped working a week before hatch. I tried to make one... I had no way to monitor humidity. The hatching of that duck was the nightmare scenario. It shrunk wrap. I then tried to get it out, by doing that, it did NOT absorb the yolk. Maybe had it just had time to absorb the yolk.... I actually gave that baby mouth to beak respiration. It gave him an extra hour to live but it did not. I now..right now, have 3 eggs in the incubator pipping from the same duck. That mama duck died (don't know why) so I feel I REALLY owe it to her to get these babies to hatch. I have a GQF incubator this time and I put a humidity reader in it from Petsmart to see what its at. I am trying to stay calm this time... I keep reading it takes A LONG TIME FOR DUCKS... as long as they can breath and the humidity is up I hear its ok to take a long time.... still though. I am nervous....

Oh no!! I’m so sorry about the baby you lost. Heart breaking

I really hope your current batch goes better!!

It DOES take such a long time. The one that hatched this morning took 35ish hours from first EXTERNAL PIP to being out.

It is so hard to be patient and being new at this is terrifying

I really hope your batch goes great this time!

 

[Hopin4raon]

Do you still see veins on the inner membrane? Is the duckling making a yawning or chewing motion?

The inner membrane looks like it has tiny veins running through it. Nothing like the example picture in the link you sent me where the baby looked covered in blood. Just little bitty veins..... but it does seem to do something unusual with its mouth every so often. I think it must be the chewing you are talking about.

 

[Hopin4raon]

I just went to check and the veins actually seem like they are gone since when I helped open the air cell 2 hours ago. I did notice it is still opening it’s mouth kind of funny... a lot like a yawn.

Also, it seems like it has its foot over its head.

 

[Jennifer Cappi Williams]

The one egg that is pipping now first started either early yesterday morning or late Saturday night. Sunday was a blur because my goose lost the ability to walk (I have a long post about it, vet said calcium shots were needed). So from what I remember, Sunday morning the pip had just barely pushed a little crack but it was not opened to the air until Monday morn. Tonight the hole is still smaller than bullet hole (all I can think to compare it too). It rocks when I talk to it. I have not opened the incubator this time. I have 2 other duck eggs I put in when I got them from someone who was going to eat the eggs until they found out mama duck died. (they had them in a cold garage) I put them in the incubator and those are due in three more days. I am turning them by sticking a wire coat hanger in the air hole of the incubator and rolling them and then putting the cap back on the incubator. I just had 3 chicks hatch in there on Sunday and I got them out before the external pip of the duck egg was open to the air in hopes it would not cause shrink wrap this time... nerve wreaking...

 

[Jennifer Cappi Williams]

Just be careful and let it absorb the yolk. That is where I think I went wrong. I assisted with the shrink wrapped one last year but I got it entirely out. I should of got it only out enough for it to breath good and let it do the rest.

 

[Pyxis]

View attachment 1378598 I just went to check and the veins actually seem like they are gone since when I helped open the air cell 2 hours ago. I did notice it is still opening it’s mouth kind of funny... a lot like a yawn.

Also, it seems like it has its foot over its head.

Yep, foot over head, which would be why it never externally pipped - it couldn't.

Veins look good but it's probably still absorbing yolk if it's doing some chewing. It should be able to just push itself out of the air cell now when it's ready.

 

[Hopin4raon]

Yep, foot over head, which would be why it never externally pipped - it couldn't.

Veins look good but it's probably still absorbing yolk if it's doing some chewing. It should be able to just push itself out of the air cell now when it's ready.

I can not thank you enough for the help last night while I was stressing about the little duckling. Seriously thank you so much for the advice and reassurance!

I woke up this morning to the best surprise ever!

The one we helped last night hatched and is doing great!! Also, another 2 ducks hatched last night.

We have 5 ducks total so far!!

And of the last 5 eggs- 4 have now pipped. It won’t be too long now.

Again, Thank you so much for the help!!

 

[fightingbunny]

Wow, I hope you are getting enough rest!

 

[Hopin4raon]

Wow, I hope you are getting enough rest!

Not hardly enough

Oh it’s so worth it though. They are the sweetest things ever!! And my kiddos are so in love with them.

 

[Jennifer Cappi Williams]

My duck egg now has a wing out... so I am thinking I will have one soon. The other two are due in the next 3 days. (staggered hatch)