Thoughts on a bad hatch?

[newchickmom09]

OH my how sad. I don't know if her will be able to make it or not. Hopefully others will chime in.

Hope everything works out though.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
Yes he can, though with a yolk that big, he might not. If you have a vent on that incubator, open it so he can get more oxygen and the humidity can drop and that should help stimulate him.

 

[RunnerDucks]

My last hatch was horrible. I was hatching muscovy. Had 12 eggs in the incubator. Had to toss 2 non-developers, but the rest were going strong. Come hatching time, only two hatched, and they only hatched with help. The rest were fully developed and dead in their shells.
I attribute my bad hatch to 2 things...
1) I didn't have the eggs on their sides, I had them sitting up.
2) I think I raised the humidity at hatching time too much and to fast.
That's all I can think of that would cause 8 fully developed ducklings to die at hatching time.

 

[FenDruadin]

Good luck with the little guy! If he's active, he has a good chance. I've heard people say they wrap the yolk & baby in wet paper towels until the yolk is absorbed--I don't know if that's the proper procedure or not, but it makes sense to me. Definitely make sure he has lots of warmth--maybe even above the standard 99, since he's pretty wet--you could probably go as high as 101 or 102 until he stops shivering--just keep a close eye on him. And ventilation definitely makes sense too.

Good luck to him. I think it's a good sign that he got out on his own, but I do wonder why he didn't absorb the yolk. I hope he makes it!

 

[JessicaGrant]

Wow! 12 hours later and this little guy is going so strong! I can't believe it! He is adorable and doesn't want me to leave his side! So different from the chicks! I have a few questions for you duck experts since this is my first one.

First, he does still have a fairly large yolk sac hanging off him. It is about the size of a quarter and is hanging from the tiniest (but so strong!) thread, that looks like blood may still be circulating through it. It is making it hard for him to walk but I am afraid to cut it. Will it dry up and become obvious when it is ok to cut it--or is it ever ok?

My other question is more duck-specific...my plan was to have two or three ducklings and to keep them separate from the chicks I hatched last week. Since this guy is alone would it be better for me to put him in with them? They hatched last saturday and right now seem quite a lot bigger than him.

That is all for now--I am going to search the archives for duck raising tips--guess I should have done that before he hatched! Thanks you all for your support and advice!

I dont' know how to post a picture here, will this work?

if not, here's a link to his picture:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31267446&id=1483606539