The Duck Thread

[Miss Lydia]

I don't know what to look for, so I'll take a picture of it and post it here.

Okay, I'll get iodine and water down with warm water. Again, it'll have to wait until tomorrow afternoon or tonight. I do have a box, and I can probably find a light to use in the garage. I assumed it would be okay to leave them all there until all of them hatched, but I'll get right on making a new brooder.

Pick the duckling up and look on it's belly. you know we have a belly button where we were attached okay thats kinda like what ducklings have sometimes they are still open when first hatched and it takes some time for it to completely be absorbed look at it and tell us what you see. Is it open and still got alot of stuff still out or is it in and look okay? I looked on line for pics and couldn't find anything. You can go to CVS and get iodine try to get it as soon as you can . grocery store even carries it. Most of the time it's fine to leave them in the bator till they dry and fluff but most bators don't have dirt and leaves in them. I know in a real nest this is what it would be like just let us know what you see when looking at it's tummy.

 

[City farm]

We are going to add small gold fish to the pool..

there is no such thing as a small goldfish, even the "small" fancy goldfish get bigger than your fist, and the comet or shubunkins can get 12-24 inches in good conditions. Maybe you could try tilapia, they are poop eaters (gold fish arent, they are just poop machinea) and will help with water quality. And..you can eat them.

I could be wrong, someone said they would eat small fish.. So we figured the cheep, small gold fish would work.. Not sure about that?? Now tilapia is a even better idea. Thanks!

 

[Alice28]

I could be wrong, someone said they would eat small fish.. So we figured the cheep, small gold fish would work.. Not sure about that?? Now tilapia is a even better idea. Thanks!

I've also heard about them eating fish in there ponds. Let me know what kind you get and how they like it figure they might like that when they get older!

 

[Zombified]

Quote: It looks like there's some stuff there, but a lot of it looks dried. I didn't see anything that looked like intestines or guts or anything.

I looked at the other eggs more closely, and one pipped externally, but not where the air sac is. I think that one is dead. Its bill was sticking out, and when I (very, very gently) nudged it, it didn't move at all. But the area around doesn't look dry, so I don't know. The other egg that pipped, the membrane is starting to look yellowish and dry, but the duckling is still moving around inside the egg. Should I try to help it, or just keep the membrane moist? Or leave it alone completely? I have read the assisted hatch post a couple of times, but I'm still not sure when or if I should intervene.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It looks like there's some stuff there, but a lot of it looks dried. I didn't see anything that looked like intestines or guts or anything.

I looked at the other eggs more closely, and one pipped externally, but not where the air sac is. I think that one is dead. Its bill was sticking out, and when I (very, very gently) nudged it, it didn't move at all. But the area around doesn't look dry, so I don't know. The other egg that pipped, the membrane is starting to look yellowish and dry, but the duckling is still moving around inside the egg. Should I try to help it, or just keep the membrane moist? Or leave it alone completely? I have read the assisted hatch post a couple of times, but I'm still not sure when or if I should intervene.

I didn't think you'd see intestine or guts. But that place can get nasty if it's not closed. I have never hatched in a bator homemade or store bought but if the membrane looks like it's drying and your still seeing life take a qtip and warm water and spread some water over the membrane you don't want to soak it but just to keep it from drying out anymore.

 

[Zombified]

I didn't think you'd see intestine or guts. But that place can get nasty if it's not closed. I have never hatched in a bator homemade or store bought but if the membrane looks like it's drying and your still seeing life take a qtip and warm water and spread some water over the membrane you don't want to soak it but just to keep it from drying out anymore.

I used my finger earlier to do that. I didn't cover the hole with water, just gently spread it around the hole. Besides that, I've been sprinkling water over the eggs pretty often. I hope Zeus isn't a lone duck. ):

 

[Miss Lydia]

I used my finger earlier to do that. I didn't cover the hole with water, just gently spread it around the hole. Besides that, I've been sprinkling water over the eggs pretty often. I hope Zeus isn't a lone duck. ):

I hope so too. Keep us updated on progress.

 

[Zombified]

Zeus is getting super restless! The other duckling still hasn't made much of an effort, but I can hear him/her tapping on the egg when I bring it up to my ear. I wet the membrane again and sprinkled more water over the eggs, and s/he started to poke his/her bill through the hole. But s/he looks really worn out. I have been chirping to it (and Zeus has been, too) but if it helps, I don't know. When Zeus chirps, it does chirp back.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Zeus is getting super restless! The other duckling still hasn't made much of an effort, but I can hear him/her tapping on the egg when I bring it up to my ear. I wet the membrane again and sprinkled more water over the eggs, and s/he started to poke his/her bill through the hole. But s/he looks really worn out. I have been chirping to it (and Zeus has been, too) but if it helps, I don't know. When Zeus chirps, it does chirp back.

Can you see any blood veins? if not then maybe you ought to start very slowly chipping away some shell so you can see better if there is still blood veins. if you see blood you stop and put it back because it hasn't finished absorbing all the veins yet. This is long and drawn out and once you start can last all night. Because you have to do it very slowly. But maybe if you can get it to a certain place it can work itself out the rest of the way. I know you need to leave it in the bottom of the shell don't ever take one completely out. They need to be able to finish hatching by themselves.

 

[Zombified]

Can you see any blood veins? if not then maybe you ought to start very slowly chipping away some shell so you can see better if there is still blood veins. if you see blood you stop and put it back because it hasn't finished absorbing all the veins yet. This is long and drawn out and once you start can last all night. Because you have to do it very slowly. But maybe if you can get it to a certain place it can work itself out the rest of the way. I know you need to leave it in the bottom of the shell don't ever take one completely out. They need to be able to finish hatching by themselves.

I actually already did that, and I did see one vein, so I stopped. Since it's moving and seems like it's trying, I haven't messed with it other than to moisten the membrane. I don't want to assist, because so many people have said that the majority of their assists, have died anyway. If it can, I want this little guy to do all the work necessary, like Zeus.

About that other egg that I found with a pip... How could that one have died? I think it was dead before we even saw Zeus this morning. It's now dry and stuck to some of the shell. I haven't opened it or anything, and I'm not sure I really want to. It died with its bill sticking out of the shell. When I candled it, it looked like it had pipped next to the air sac, but not actually in the air sac. So it never internally pipped.