So yesterday the first two babies were hatched from under mom. One blackie (mostly Cayauga) and one funky looking buff/cayauga. I get home tonight and the duck family house just doesn't look right. No new duckies and looked like all hell broke lose in there. I take care of everything and mom is still looking a little freaky, so I have no clue. She finally settles down on the nest (still on 9 eggs) and the babies are snuggling so I batten down the hatches for the night.
I get in my house and my dear hubby presents me with a plastic tub with a very wet, peeping, very small looking baby. I look at him and say "what did you do?"
I guess I assumed he had more education that he did. He said the baby was squeaking under mom and wasn't all the way out of the egg, so he pushed mom of the nest (hense the freak out) and he helped the baby out of the shell. Meanwhile she had gone back on the nest and so he tried to put the baby with her. He said she went balistic and started flinging the new baby up in the air and seemed like she was trying to kill it so he brought it in the house. So I tell him not to help them out of the eggs, they will make it out when they are ready.
At this point the baby seems dry, (I think the wetness was from the egg more than anything) has sipped about 1 4th teaspoon of water and keeps falling asleep. I put a heat lamp over it, put a little water in a saucer, disolved a little chick cruble in it and we'll she what morning brings.
I do realize that this baby probably doesn't have a good chance of surviving, but I'll give it a shot.
Any other tips out there?
I get in my house and my dear hubby presents me with a plastic tub with a very wet, peeping, very small looking baby. I look at him and say "what did you do?"
I guess I assumed he had more education that he did. He said the baby was squeaking under mom and wasn't all the way out of the egg, so he pushed mom of the nest (hense the freak out) and he helped the baby out of the shell. Meanwhile she had gone back on the nest and so he tried to put the baby with her. He said she went balistic and started flinging the new baby up in the air and seemed like she was trying to kill it so he brought it in the house. So I tell him not to help them out of the eggs, they will make it out when they are ready.
At this point the baby seems dry, (I think the wetness was from the egg more than anything) has sipped about 1 4th teaspoon of water and keeps falling asleep. I put a heat lamp over it, put a little water in a saucer, disolved a little chick cruble in it and we'll she what morning brings.
I do realize that this baby probably doesn't have a good chance of surviving, but I'll give it a shot.
Any other tips out there?
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