When to assist a muscovy duckling to hatch?

[Lacrystol]

Lacrystol, Funny how you mentioned the safe holes because I was doing that already at 1:45 am and found them shrink warped. They are now freed from the wrap and moving healthy. They had a lot of amber fluid in their shell so I clean it out with cotton swabs and wet the duckling down with warm water to rid the goo of their body with the swabs. They where moving so slow at first until now! I think these guys will make it. I also let their lungs develop first when I did the safe hole then waited it out 2 hours before making the hole bigger, because I heard somewhere that if their is too much oxygen at first, it can kill them. They seem to be doing good so far now and lets hope they make it all the way. Their yolk is almost absorbed about 80% of it right now.

I'll update guys!

Chop up an onion if you can see yolk, sometimes people mistaken the yolk for a swelled up vent, so be absolutely SURE that its yolk and not the vent before putting the onion in...

 

[casportpony]

Quote: I agree, the umbilicus can look like yolk.

-Kathy

 

[scooter1989]

Hey guys! I got good and bad news,

Bad news is the one duckling whom had is beak between his two legs didn't make it after 3 hours, he just gave up

The good news is The other duckling finally hatch out on it's own about an hour ago! I'm so happy to at least have one special duckling, of course it's going to be a favorite

Pics, to come!

 

[casportpony]

Sorry for your loss, but congrats on the live one! Waiting for pictures!

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

FYI, craziest thing happened last night... I had some chicken and duck eggs in the incubator and I turned *off* the humidity, so it was read about 15% at 2 am and guess what was in there? It was a Muscovy duckling that had pipped and zipped in under 12 hours. Heck, just 12 hours earlier I had looked at it and thought it still had a few more days to go, but I guess not, lol. Guess I need to try a dry run?

-Kathy

 

[scooter1989]

Wow a Muscovy duckling! Funny how we both ended up with one lol. I did read somewhere about people saying try to do dry incubating for muscovy eggs, maybe that is more natural for them? I notice when I had put my little live duckling in the hatcher with only 35% humidity, his yolk sac absorbed a lot faster and he seem more alert then earlier.

I have 3 mothers outside sitting on about 33+ eggs altogether and i'm going to let them hatch out and raise their chicks, to see how that goes. Not too worried if it don't turn out well because they still have time for 3 more clutch each to try again lol. I have a feeling that they will hatch out a good number of ducklings for me.

BTW how do mother do with their ducklings? Also how do you look after them to keep them from getting chills?

 

[scooter1989]

Here he is right now still a little damp. He about done with his yolk but ill let him get out all the way when he is ready

 

[casportpony]

He's cute!

-Kathy

 

[Lacrystol]

Here he is right now still a little damp. He about done with his yolk but ill let him get out all the way when he is ready

He's adorable, what color is he??