Muscovy duck egg hatching Day 34

[felys]

My incubated Muscovy duck has pipped internally for 2 days (48 hours) but have not externally pipped.

Is this normal?

I made a safety hole after 24 hours of internal pipping. The duckling has been chirping and clicking.

Do I wait or help it hatch? It's responding to my voice - will chirp.

 

[nchls school]

My incubated Muscovy duck has pipped internally for 2 days (48 hours) but have not externally pipped.

Is this normal?

Yes.

I made a safety hole after 24 hours of internal pipping. The duckling has been chirping and clicking.

Do I wait or help it hatch? It's responding to my voice - will chirp.

The average incubation time of muscovys is 35 days, though mine often hatch at 33 days. My suggestion is to make the safety hole a bit larger so you can see the membrane covering the duckling. If the membrane is still milky white with plump veins, it is too soon to assist. Assisted hatch should not start until the membrane is bloodless, or nearly so. I think it likely your over-anxious. If you do assist, do not remove the duckling completely from the shell. Remove the shell and membrane at the rounded end only and let the duckling struggle free. By doing this, the duckling will have absorbed the yolk sack before exiting the shell. Sometimes people make the mistake of helping the chick/duckling completely out of the shell only to find out it was too soon and many times these babies die as a result. Good luck.

 

[felys]

Yes.

The average incubation time of muscovys is 35 days, though mine often hatch at 33 days. My suggestion is to make the safety hole a bit larger so you can see the membrane covering the duckling. If the membrane is still milky white with plump veins, it is too soon to assist. Assisted hatch should not start until the membrane is bloodless, or nearly so. I think it likely your over-anxious. If you do assist, do not remove the duckling completely from the shell. Remove the shell and membrane at the rounded end only and let the duckling struggle free. By doing this, the duckling will have absorbed the yolk sack before exiting the shell. Sometimes people make the mistake of helping the chick/duckling completely out of the shell only to find out it was too soon and many times these babies die as a result. Good luck.

Thank you. I did this and the membrane is yellow tinged with dark coloured veins. Is it suppose to be this colour? I did not touch that because I saw the veins.

 

[felys]

Thank you. I did this and the membrane is yellow tinged with dark coloured veins. Is it suppose to be this colour? I did not touch that because I saw the veins.

Another photo with the membrane showing. This egg was shipped to me and had an unusually shaped air cell but as it incubated, the shaped grew normal. But I wasn't sure if it air cell became too big towards the end (second photo with the line).

 

[nchls school]

Wish I had better eye sight and pictures can be deceiving. It is not uncommon for shipped eggs to need help in hatching. The, once, unusual shaped air cell could indicate the duckling may not be positioned exactly right. The membrane does appear to "change" color as the blood is absorbed. The best that I can tell you is to examine that membrane for the presence of blood. If you are unsure of this, remove a tiny piece of the membrane well away from the duckling's bill so blood does not enter the duckling's mouth. If there is any blood, STOP, wipe the blood way with a clean tissue/cloth and return the egg to the incubator. A small amount of bleeding will not hurt the duckling, but keep it very clean. Check again in a couple hours; so on and so forth.

 

[felys]

Wish I had better eye sight and pictures can be deceiving. It is not uncommon for shipped eggs to need help in hatching. The, once, unusual shaped air cell could indicate the duckling may not be positioned exactly right. The membrane does appear to "change" color as the blood is absorbed. The best that I can tell you is to examine that membrane for the presence of blood. If you are unsure of this, remove a tiny piece of the membrane well away from the duckling's bill so blood does not enter the duckling's mouth. If there is any blood, STOP, wipe the blood way with a clean tissue/cloth and return the egg to the incubator. A small amount of bleeding will not hurt the duckling, but keep it very clean. Check again in a couple hours; so on and so forth.

So far, it looks like the blood has not been absorbed. I'm waiting and checking in.

Duckling looks to be "swallowing" and opening and closing it's mouth. Maybe still absorbing the yolk?

It chirps back when we talk to it.

 

[BelovedBirds]

So far, it looks like the blood has not been absorbed. I'm waiting and checking in.

Duckling looks to be "swallowing" and opening and closing it's mouth. Maybe still absorbing the yolk?

It chirps back when we talk to it.

This makes sense! The safety hole was 100% the right thing to do! But this can make them a little slower to complete the hatch, as it is the decreasing oxygen levels which causes them to break the shell. You made the right choice in doing a safety hole, but be prepared for a slower hatcher! He's just going to be breathing and absorbing until he's ready to come out.
Have you put anything on the membrane? A little bit of coconut oil, usually works well, just brushed on gently, every couple hours, so it doesnt dry out.
Yawning, chewing motions, those are signs there is still yolk being absorbed!
Hopefully you'll have a hatch soon!

 

[felys]

This makes sense! The safety hole was 100% the right thing to do! But this can make them a little slower to complete the hatch, as it is the decreasing oxygen levels which causes them to break the shell. You made the right choice in doing a safety hole, but be prepared for a slower hatcher! He's just going to be breathing and absorbing until he's ready to come out.
Have you put anything on the membrane? A little bit of coconut oil, usually works well, just brushed on gently, every couple hours, so it doesnt dry out.
Yawning, chewing motions, those are signs there is still yolk being absorbed!
Hopefully you'll have a hatch soon!

Thanks. Fingers crossed, it'll hatch in the next few hours.

I have my alarm set for every hour to check it. It looks like it's making a turn (like as if it was zipping).

I used olive oil earlier. We had a scare because there was a blackout for a couple of hours and when the electricity came back on, the temperature spiked to 40 degrees Celsius. I had to open the incubator for quick cool down and the membrane had dried off. So I peeled off the membrane after softening it up with water. It's still curled up (wing moved as I took the photo).

Still chirping back as we talked to it. Doesn't look like it's in distress. Last check, the veins were not fully dried yet.

So still waiting.

 

[felys]

Quacker has hatched! With assistance.

It's a bit weak and I saw that it had pooped inside the shell. Yolk had completely been absorbed and no bleeding at all.

Should I give Quacker some sugar water?

 

[nchls school]

Quacker has hatched!

Yeah!!!

With assistance.

That, I figured would happen. Shipped eggs!

It's a bit weak and I saw that it had pooped inside the shell. Yolk had completely been absorbed and no bleeding at all.

Sounds like a normal newly hatched duckling.

Should I give Quacker some sugar water?

No. Not until he has dried off and gained strength. The absorbed yolk provides all the necessary nutrients a newly hatched bird needs for the first two/three days.