Need some advice

[danik4216]

Hi. I want to first say thanks bcuz ive been using this site for my info source since i started incubating. U guys really no ur stuff!! I am incubating duck eggs. I had two start to hatch monday nite. The first hatched this morning but the one who started hatchin first is still not hatched. He has made little progress. He has a hole pecked thro amd i c his beak and there is peepin amd moving. Im just worried bcuz i thot he would hatch first?? Am i being impatient?! Thx so much. I appologize for the abbreviations and typos. Im using my phone. Again thx

 

[danik4216]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6567006/width/200/height/400[/IM
He is just hollerin inside that egg. Louder than the hatched one

 

[danik4216]

 

[Orca5094]

He could be stuck in there, or just taking his time. Sometimes it's hard to tell for sure. Is it just the lighting, or is his egg discolored all around the pip hole? Can you see if the membrane just under the shell is dried out (it will be tan/brown instead of white)? If the membrane has gotten dried out it could be stuck to the duckling and that could be the reason he can't move in there to get out or make any more progress.

Have you read through this page? It is very helpful with figuring out when/if you need to help a chick or duckling hatch:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

 

[danik4216]

Yes it is discolored. And the membrane is yellow and gummy like. I made the hole bigger and he broke rite out. Hes pretty exhausted!!

 

[danik4216]

Its such a mess in that incubator. They will b ok rite??

 

[Orca5094]

Oh, I'm so glad you got him out, then! Good job.

They will be fine in there until they are fully dry. Are you expecting any more to hatch? If not, you can open the incubator and quickly remove all the egg shells and goop if you'd like. If there are other eggs left to hatch though, I would definitely leave the incubator closed so you don't mess up the humidity.

 

[danik4216]

One more hatched!! There r two eggs left yet and the first duckling is almost dry. I dont c any cracks in the last two eggs yet but they move. This is so cool!!

 

[danik4216]

Well its been 24 hrs. We have three active babies. The one i helped seems well altho may have a foot thats slighty curled. Hes gettin aroind well tho just unsteady when he stands tall. There feathers r startin to have patchy fluffiness. One more has made a hole in the egg and sticks its beak out to talk to the others. Anything i need to kno?? Im flyin by the seat of my pants here. Lol. Just fightin the temptation to take them out and clean them up!!!

 

[Orca5094]

They will preen themselves and become fluffier over time, no need to help them with that part. Sounds like everything is progressing normally, so all you can do is sit back and watch the magic happen. ^-^

Watch the one with the curled foot, if it is still curled after another day you might need to put a "boot" on it to keep it fully extended. Duckling feet can be a bit curled when they first hatch for awhile, but they should straighten out and fully open in a day or so.