Open During Lockdown?

[littleturkey]

Our 2nd grader is doing his science project on hatching eggs. We started the turkeys and ducks a week before the chickens, hoping they would all hatch on science-fair-day (Tuesday). Lockdown started yesterday. Unfortunately, a duck hatched today and had some kind of accident. His guts were stuck to the egg. He is still alive in there, and there is a turkey pipping. I don't want anyone to get shrink-wrapped, but should we get the duck out of there? He will die eventually, and I'm not sure we want to bring a dead duckling to school!

Thanks everyone.

 

[Ridgerunner]

There is often a big difference in what might possibly happen and what will absolutely happen each and every time. It’s possible you might shrink-wrap a chick or poult that has pipped but not a sure thing. Yes you need to take that duck out of there. I suggest you get a spray bottle of warm water and mist the eggs when you open the incubator. These things don’t come with guarantees but that should give you a real good chance of being OK. Don’t soak the chick or poult and drown it, just gently mist it to keep it from drying out.

If you want to be even safer, turn on your shower to hot and close the bathroom door. When it is good and steamy in there, take the duck out.

 

[midget_farms]

The risk is opening the bator after a pip. It's very dangerous. Mist the eggs, steam the room, do something - - if the ducks guts are stuck to the egg - they are too dry to start with. Try to get the humidity WAY UP for the rest of the hatch.

Be prepared - sounds like they are sticky.

 

[littleturkey]

Thanks for your reply. The duck hatched about 2 hours ago and still looks "normal", doesn't look sick or anything. It's so weird. I'm sure the pile in there is guts, one section looks like a liver. Maybe I'm wrong and it's poop? Or maybe it will just take a long time to die.

The turkey came out, so I might wait until it dries out before I open up the incubator. We still have about 20 more eggs in there. We don't have our chick pen set up yet, ha. The project was to try to get them all to hatch on the same day (Tuesday). I think our temp went a bit high a few times and wonder if that's why these came out early.

Supposing more hatch before Tuesday, or if it takes several days for all to hatch... should we occasionally remove some chicks? Our previous batches have all been small and come out in the same day, so we've never had to wonder about this. I've always thought you should leave them in until they're all out and a bit dry. (They're also kicking around my temp/humidity sensor so it's inaccurate now.)

 

[littleturkey]

It sounds like the safest time to open is when there aren't any pip holes?

 

[littleturkey]

Well, I guess it isn't guts, it must just be poop. Three ducks came out the same way and they are all fine. I've never done ducks before. Wow, I feel silly. It really does look like there's a liver in there, though.

Humidity is still in upper 60's. Haven't opened the top yet. Should I leave them all in there until everyone is hatched, or get them out tomorrow? I don't expect them all to hatch until Tuesday.

 

[Aacre]

What you're seeing is most likely their umbilical cord. Completely normal! They will eventually dry up and fall off. Anything that hatched is safe in the incubator for a couple of days. They are able to live off of their nutrients that they got from their yolks since their yolks are the last thing absorbed.

 

[midget_farms]

If there are no pips it is safe to open & remove the chicks.

Depending on how you get humidity you mat try a shot of steamy hot water so when you close it back up the recovery is fast