Eirwen
New member
Hi,
I bought some Welsh Harlequin hatching eggs, and of the 8 in my brinsea eco incubator, 7 made it out, the other died before it could internally pip. 6 of the ducklings got out no problems, and are all doing really well. However one had pipped the wrong end of the shell. He was still in there a good 12 hes after everyone else had hatched, so I took my tweezers out and broke a little bit of the shell around the pip hole. I could see his beak ppening and closing, and some liquid bubbling out of it's mouth. It hadn't really peeped either. I put it back in the incubator for an hour, and then took a little bit more shell off. I carried on like this all day, untill I had zipped for him. That night, a good 12 hrs later, he pushed himself out of the membrane, but only half way, his head was out but body still inside, so I left him like that over night in the incubator, aware that he could still be attached to the egg via cord.
Next morning he was out completely, but, his umbilical cord was still attached to his belly button, with just a small bit of the remains of the yolk sack on the end of it. His head was very floppy and he was much smaller than the rest, tiny beak, big forhead, just looked under developed. I wasn't sure if he'd make it. But throught the day he seemed to get stronger, head more stable, able to move and peep, his cord also started to shring and dry. That evening I took him out of the incubator and held him for a while, and intrduced him to the other ducklings and the food and water. He did take a little water and food, but wasn't very interested. I put him back in the batorover night, as he still is unsteady on his feet, just shuffling a little, and by now the other chicks are much bigger and running about.
So, we get to the next morning, today, and he's pooped a little overnight, which I hope is a good thing, and much more wriggly and mobile, though still shuffling rather than walking. The cord is about a centimeter long and dry. He is much more interested in food and water, though only a little at a time.
So my question is- what do I do now ? I'm sitting here typing, with the little premature duckling in my hand snuggled underneath my hair, he is very happy there. But I can't sit here all day and take him to the food and water every 20 mins.. So do I put him back in the incubator or with the other much bigger and boistrous ducklings? He is so cute bless him, I hope he'll grow up big and strong like the others..
I bought some Welsh Harlequin hatching eggs, and of the 8 in my brinsea eco incubator, 7 made it out, the other died before it could internally pip. 6 of the ducklings got out no problems, and are all doing really well. However one had pipped the wrong end of the shell. He was still in there a good 12 hes after everyone else had hatched, so I took my tweezers out and broke a little bit of the shell around the pip hole. I could see his beak ppening and closing, and some liquid bubbling out of it's mouth. It hadn't really peeped either. I put it back in the incubator for an hour, and then took a little bit more shell off. I carried on like this all day, untill I had zipped for him. That night, a good 12 hrs later, he pushed himself out of the membrane, but only half way, his head was out but body still inside, so I left him like that over night in the incubator, aware that he could still be attached to the egg via cord.
Next morning he was out completely, but, his umbilical cord was still attached to his belly button, with just a small bit of the remains of the yolk sack on the end of it. His head was very floppy and he was much smaller than the rest, tiny beak, big forhead, just looked under developed. I wasn't sure if he'd make it. But throught the day he seemed to get stronger, head more stable, able to move and peep, his cord also started to shring and dry. That evening I took him out of the incubator and held him for a while, and intrduced him to the other ducklings and the food and water. He did take a little water and food, but wasn't very interested. I put him back in the batorover night, as he still is unsteady on his feet, just shuffling a little, and by now the other chicks are much bigger and running about.
So, we get to the next morning, today, and he's pooped a little overnight, which I hope is a good thing, and much more wriggly and mobile, though still shuffling rather than walking. The cord is about a centimeter long and dry. He is much more interested in food and water, though only a little at a time.
So my question is- what do I do now ? I'm sitting here typing, with the little premature duckling in my hand snuggled underneath my hair, he is very happy there. But I can't sit here all day and take him to the food and water every 20 mins.. So do I put him back in the incubator or with the other much bigger and boistrous ducklings? He is so cute bless him, I hope he'll grow up big and strong like the others..
