One egg hasn't pipped yet but it's still alive

[Fawkes]

My muscovy duck's eggs hatched yesterday/early this morning except for two. One was definitely dead, the other I wasn't sure about, but now I just felt its heart beating.

The mom has left the nest with the other babies at this point, except for one duckling that had issues yesterday and she threw out of the nest - I saved it and it's totally fine in a brooder now.

I put the egg in the brooder on the hot side (between 92F - 94F). I'm trying to figure out if it's internally pipped yet. Should I start misting it?

 

[casportpony]

No need to mist it. Can you take a picture of you candling it?

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Can you candle it to see if it’s internal pip is there

 

[Fawkes]

Nope I see no movement, and don't hear anything. I thought maybe it had died since the last time I felt it moving, but I don't know. I figure the smelly drops are probably a good indication but I wanted to make sure before I remove it.

 

[Fawkes]

brooder could potentially work. as long as you can get the temperature to 99.5 degrees.. only has to be that hot by the egg.. i highly suggest purchasing a cheap incubator. you can find pretty cheap ones on amazon.. that's the safe bet. for emergencies you don't need a big one!

That's true, I'll have to get a cheap one for cases like this! Eventually I'd like to hatch my own birds for fun but I've always just let the momma ducks do it before.

 

[newbie duck momma]

Im curious as well. Is that what people do if momma gives up on some of the eggs but they are still alive in the egg? Will a brooder work?

 

[Miss Lydia]

@New duck mommy 2021

 

[Fawkes]

Can you candle it to see if it’s internal pip is there

Yep here's the vid! There's some weird dark spots in the air sac area as you can see. I keep thinking surely it can't be alive because there have been tiny drops of clear, gooey, weird smelling liquid on the egg. But i feel its heart beating. There's just no way I can imagine that, it's obvious if I hold it.

 

[Fawkes]

I think this should work...having issues uploading the vid

 

[Fawkes]

Hmm I don't know why but I can't get a video to load. Maybe a picture will work?