NEWBIE Abandoned Muscovy eggs (Incubating the last 7-10 days) they sat under another Muscovy until her eggs hatched 2 weeks ago.

[Hallenback1]

NEWBIE Abandoned Muscovy eggs (Incubating the last 7-10 days) they sat under another Muscovy until her eggs hatched 2 weeks ago.

HI total newbie here. Had a sweet Muscovy lay her eggs in our back yard and also a very young Muscovy abandon her eggs. I put her eggs in the nest with the Muscovy who was a great mom and after hers hatched she left the 6 others behind. 4 were viable. This was about a week ago. They are being incubated. Crash course in what to do. I circled the air sacs. They are no longer rotating. I see one today has broke into the airsack and I can hear crunching. I am leaving them be. 3 seem to be due soon and one is way behind.

? DO I MIST THEM?

I was able to watch the last ducklings hatch naturally as the mom is very tolerant of me. I did see the air hole made by the ducklings in the shell and it was about 72 hours until they hatched.

I would really appreciate some info on the things I should be concerned about. I am not sure they are positioned well since they were being turned until a day ago.

Really appreciate your help. Thank you, Jen

 

[Gigachad poultry]

NEWBIE Abandoned Muscovy eggs (Incubating the last 7-10 days) they sat under another Muscovy until her eggs hatched 2 weeks ago.

HI total newbie here. Had a sweet Muscovy lay her eggs in our back yard and also a very young Muscovy abandon her eggs. I put her eggs in the nest with the Muscovy who was a great mom and after hers hatched she left the 6 others behind. 4 were viable. This was about a week ago. They are being incubated. Crash course in what to do. I circled the air sacs. They are no longer rotating. I see one today has broke into the airsack and I can hear crunching. I am leaving them be. 3 seem to be due soon and one is way behind.

? DO I MIST THEM?

I was able to watch the last ducklings hatch naturally as the mom is very tolerant of me. I did see the air hole made by the ducklings in the shell and it was about 72 hours until they hatched.

I would really appreciate some info on the things I should be concerned about. I am not sure they are positioned well since they were being turned until a day ago.

Really appreciate your help. Thank you, Jen

I don't know much about duck eggs, but I do think that it might be a good idea to mist them. I'm not sure if who else to ask for help, but I think @swampfox440 might be able to help with what to be worried about.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Hi, and !

At this point, make sure the incubator humidity is high, like around 70% high. This will help soften and prevent the inner membrane from frying and sticking to the duckling.

Yes, they take a while to hatch. If you've noticed an internal pip but no exterior one after 24 hours, make a pinprick hole in the airsac part of the shell, then let it be.

 

[Gigachad poultry]

Hi, and !

At this point, make sure the incubator humidity is high, like around 70% high. This will help soften and prevent the inner membrane from frying and sticking to the duckling.

Yes, they take a while to hatch. If you've noticed an internal pip but no exterior one after 24 hours, make a pinprick hole in the airsac part of the shell, then let it be.

I couldn't tell if they were in an incubator or under the other mom hatched the first ducklings.

 

[Hallenback1]

Hi, and !

At this point, make sure the incubator humidity is high, like around 70% high. This will help soften and prevent the inner membrane from frying and sticking to the duckling.

Yes, they take a while to hatch. If you've noticed an internal pip but no exterior one after 24 hours, make a pinprick hole in the airsac part of the shell, then let it be.

Thank you so much! I have a cheap incubator. I don’t have an option of setting it. I do have it filled to the limit with water. I put a wet paper towel in there as well. I can hear it peeping as well.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Thank you so much! I have a cheap incubator. I don’t have an option of setting it. I do have it filled to the limit with water. I put a wet paper towel in there as well. I can hear it peeping as well.

For now then, there isn't much else to do. You can point the aircell upwards, but once they start hatching then the eggs may roll around or be knocked about by the newly hatched babies.

For the one that seems way behind the others, were you able to see veins and movement? It may have died.

Finally, do you have a brooder set up for these new babies? Is the mom wild/feral?

 

[Hallenback1]

I couldn't tell if they were in an incubator or under the other mom hatched the first ducklings.

They were under another mom until her eggs hatched recently and I then took the remaining eggs that were not hers and out them in an incubator. I put a paper towel in to help raise the humidity. I can hear it pipping and peeping.

 

[Hallenback1]

For now then, there isn't much else to do. You can point the aircell upwards, but once they start hatching then the eggs may roll around or be knocked about by the newly hatched babies.

For the one that seems way behind the others, were you able to see veins and movement? It may have died.

Finally, do you have a brooder set up for these new babies? Is the mom wild/feral?

Yes the one behind is viable. I can try and attach a video. I am going to attempt to see if the “experienced Mom” will take the 3 due to hatch this week. I plan on raising them semi wild if she doesn’t on the side of our house with in a safe barrier. (Taking them in at night.). The ones that recently hatched with the experienced mom were out foraging and swimming the lake at 1 day old.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Yes the one behind is viable. I can try and attach a video. I am going to attempt to see if the “experienced Mom” will take the 3 due to hatch this week. I plan on raising them semi wild if she doesn’t on the side of our house with in a safe barrier. (Taking them in at night.). The ones that recently hatched with the experienced mom were out foraging and swimming the lake at 1 day old.

They'll need some form of heat until they grow feathers. In nature, when the mother is raising the young, if they get chilled she will warm them underneath her. We mimic that with a brooder that has a heat source at one end so the babies can go to it if they are chilled, which is more likely without a mother.

Newly hatched chicks and ducklings actually stay under their mother for a couple of days in most cases. They don't need food or water yet as they have plenty of reserves from absorbing the yolk sac just prior to hatching. It's a critical time for them as they get chilled very easily.

Hopefully the mother with babies will take these on. Some do, some don't. The best time to introduce new babies is usually at night when they are sleeping on their nest. I don't know if this will be an option for you.

Have you picked up duckling-specific food for them?

 

[Hallenback1]

They'll need some form of heat until they grow feathers. In nature, when the mother is raising the young, if they get chilled she will warm them underneath her. We mimic that with a brooder that has a heat source at one end so the babies can go to it if they are chilled, which is more likely without a mother.

Newly hatched chicks and ducklings actually stay under their mother for a couple of days in most cases. They don't need food or water yet as they have plenty of reserves from absorbing the yolk sac just prior to hatching. It's a critical time for them as they get chilled very easily.

Hopefully the mother with babies will take these on. Some do, some don't. The best time to introduce new babies is usually at night when they are sleeping on their nest. I don't know if this will be an option for you.

Have you picked up duckling-specific food for them?

Yes, I picked up water fowl crumbles. The experienced mom seems to move around where she sleeps, but stays close to our house. It’s nearly 100 degrees here during the day but at night will go down a bit. I will set up a brooder even if just for a couple nights. . She comes to feed every morning and stays for awhile under a tree. She also aimed back at night to feed. I am hoping to add the duckling then. The ducklings are a week old today that she has. Keep your fingers crossed.