question for someone that has/had duck eggs!!

[Genny]

Hey guys, this is for anyone who might know, but anyway I don't know if you remember but we had 16 eggs (muscovy duck eggs) and last night they started crying and and we could hear them through the egg shell....several have craked the egg just a little down the sides and in the middle on some, but here is what I'm so concerned about: one of the babies is half way out of the shell, and by that I mean I can see its eyes, beak, one foot and a wing. I am afraid because I also can see a glob of yellow stuff that looks like yolk from an egg. The baby is moving and every now and then peeps/chirps.. We have it in the house so bugs and ants won't bother it outside. It also has a good bit of blood in the egs and all around it. Can someone tell me what's up, or what might be wrong? I've had baby muscovies hatch last year and I don't think I remember yellow yolk looking stuff or this much blood in the eggs. Thanks so much!!

Genny

[3muttsandaboston]

How is your humidity? Ducks need high humidity to hatch..If not they can get stuck that might cause bleeding. Some ducks also don't absorb their yolk sacks before they hatch. It will absorb eventually though just make sure when it does hatch not to let it step on it. If the yolk sack comes all the way out their intestines can get pulled out along with it. I have had this happen to a chicken that stepped on it's yolk sack.

[Genny]

thanks 3mutts&aboston, the inside was getting pretty dry so I got some water on my fingertip and just touched the baby with it just a tad so it wouldn't be soooo dry. It started moving more when I did that.

ok, I didn't know that about the yolk part, thanks for telling me.

I also wanted to ask you this, if I cna already hear the other babies crying and moving aroound in the other shells then do you think they'll hatch in the middle of the night or tomorrow?? thanks!!!

[3muttsandaboston]

Ducks usually take awile from their first pip so It could be tonight or tomorrow. You might want to add a wet sponge or paper towel to the incubator to boost up humidity. If they get stuck in the shells they could die. Good luck!

[Genny]

ok, thaks but i don't have an incubator. I had to also bring all the other eggs inside (all 15) this afternoon *nd I'm going to post another thread about it here so I'll explain why then.

the egg that was hatching last night: well he hatched :) but I'm scared because he won't walk or hold his head up.he's pretty much just limp. He hatched earlier this morning too, so I'm sure he should already be walking, drinking water...

[3muttsandaboston]

Sorry that I misunderstood. I would bring that baby in and put him in a brooder if you have one, under a heat lamp and leave him in there until he is dried off and walking around. When he is walking around you can give him back to the mom. They tend to get weaker when they are limp like that under the mom because they can't raise their head up or tuck under her feathers well to stay warm.

[Genny]

13 egg have hatched and we have 3 more about to hatch. They are all doing fine...thanks for your help :)

[3muttsandaboston]

wow thats alot of babies. Are they all being raised by the mom? How is the little weak baby doing? Good luck!

[Genny]

Hey, the baby that was weak, that I named Archilles, died a few hours ago :( He was so precious, but he was just too weak--he couldn't hold his head up or walk at all. He wouldn't eat any either. Something bad was wrong with him, but I'm not really positive what it was.

The babies are staying inside; I'm afraid the raccoon would get them if they were out with their mom.