Ducklings taking too long to hatch?

[JustAFarmer00]

Hello, I’ve been incubating duck eggs for the past few weeks and the time has finally com for them to hatch! Although, I am a bit concerned because the first few eggs were pipped between Thursday night and Friday morning. It is now Saturday morning and only one duck has fully broken through the egg and revealed its bill, but it hasn’t even begun unzipping yet. Is this reason for concern or may I need to start assisting them in the hatching process?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

It can take ducklings 48 hours to hatch on their own. After the 48 hours is usually the best time to step in.

 

[JustAFarmer00]

It can take ducklings 48 hours to hatch on their own. After the 48 hours is usually the best time to step in.

So just to clarify this image depicts how the duck has been for the best 24 hours, and there isn’t any problem with it

It can take ducklings 48 hours to hatch on their own. After the 48 hours is usually the best time to step in.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

So just to clarify this image depicts how the duck has been for the best 24 hours, and there isn’t any problem with it

View attachment 3415509View attachment 3415508View attachment 3415506

No there is nothing wrong with it. It's not uncommon for a duckling to pip and then not finish unzipping for 24 hours sometimes longer. Always give the full 48 hours before stepping in unless you are hatching calls or there is something visibly wrong with the duckling. Hatching is hard and takes a lot of work. Ducklings will often take long breaks where you may even see little to no movement. However, since ducklings have no developed muscle in the egg this long strenuous hatching period is how they develop that muscle so they can walk. If you step in and assist the hatch too early the ducklings can bleed out, hatch with unabsorbed yolk, take longer to be able to walk and are overall much weaker.

 

[JustAFarmer00]

No there is nothing wrong with it. It's not uncommon for a duckling to pip and then not finish unzipping for 24 hours sometimes longer. Always give the full 48 hours before stepping in unless you are hatching calls or there is something visibly wrong with the duckling. Hatching is hard and takes a lot of work. Ducklings will often take long breaks where you may even see little to no movement. However, since ducklings have no developed muscle in the egg this long strenuous hatching period is how they develop that muscle so they can walk. If you step in and assist the hatch too early the ducklings can bleed out, hatch with unabsorbed yolk, take longer to be able to walk and are overall much weaker.

Ok, thanks for understanding and helping, this is my first duck hatch, so I’m just a little paranoid, but if I do need to assist, how should I go about it??