Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi long story short i found 2 duck eggs and i accidently broke them. then i had dropped then. i realized that they were eggs. as i picked one up it moved and starteled me into dropping in again. we i brought them in and put them under heat (we never saw the mom duck.) and r trying to hatch them. my thing is i don't know when they were hatched? how much along they are? is there hope? what can i do? what should i look for? please reply fast. i am very very new at this and maybe u might think i made some silly decisions but i am new at this. i really really need help.

Hi,

If you felt something move within the egg, then it means that the duckling is 'pipping'. This is when the duckling breaks open the air sac inside the egg so that is can breath. At this time ducklings also start calling to the mothers and each other, so they become familiar with each other, and also so the ducklings can syncronise hatching.
They normally start 'pipping' about 3-4 days before they are due to hatch. So chances are yours will hatch very soon.
Make sure you keep the eggs warm, and at this stage they don't need to be turned as often. The ducklings will slowly break their way out of the egg, which can take between 24 - 48 hours in total. Its a long and stressful process for them.

Once they hatch they'll be wet and will need to be kept warm and dry. They won't need feeding for the first 24 hours after fully hatching as they're crops will be full of goodness from the egg.
When they are ready to eat you can feed them on chickcrumb or a general starter food for poultry/ducklings.

Give them a shallow tray of luke warm water, but please make sure they don't get too wet as they could develop a chill and die. This is how many ducklings die at a young age. They shouldn't be allowed to swim in deep water either until they are at least a couple of weeks old. But make sure they have enough water to submerge their heads and bills to keep them clean.

It may help if you could contact any Vets or local rescue centres in your area for more hands-on advice.

If much damage to the ducklings occured once the egg(s) were dropped then the dckling may die inside the egg due to either shock or internal damage.
But if you still feel movement then it is very much alive.

I hope every goes ok, if you get any more problems don't hesitate to ask for help or advice.
Mel X

Hi got your reply. thanks so much for the info. but i think i forgot to mention, if it helps in any way, that there was some yellowish fluid coming out and i could see some yellow substance in there. would i need to hold the egg to fell the movement? or will i be able to see it. will i hear the sounds clearly? woould it be a good idea to have a hologen lamp on it? i heard thta the egg explodes if dead and will make a huge mess so would it be safe if inside? the shell had and has a color of a brownish tint. it was in the mud. is that a safe color? i candaled it and saw the egg approx. 3/4 dark and 1/4 clear. is that good? i will ask for help thanks again reply soon.

Hi,

The yellow substance that saw may have a part of the yolk, but thats a guess. If the insides of the egg had dribbled out, how badly is the egg cracked or damaged?
If the egg was covered in mud it is possible that bacteria could have gotten into the egg and could cause an infection of damage to the growing duckling. Eggs have to be kept as clean as possible during incubation.
You'd normally have to feel the egg to notice any movement from inside, although if the duckling is strong then you may see it move slightly.
I don't know much about heat lamps as my ducks incubate naturally, so i don't have any use for them, and if i get a young bird or an ill bird i use a heat-mat to keep it warm. But heat-mats are not suitable for incuabtion.
Maybe someone else could give you advice on what heat-lamp to use.
Make sure that you place a lil water near the egg as it'll help to keep up the humidity.

Mel X

Hi Thank you both for the reply.
the egg was cracked like when a earthquake ocurs and a crak come, the earth splitting, that is hoe it was. i saw the yolk and it dribbled. one leaked for few hours and smelled and still smells so i am assuming it is dead. but the other one i held for like three minutes and it did not move. there is not any odor either. will the infection kill it? i am thinking of waiting till tuesday then giving up. The light is warm the the egg is hot to touch. is that too hot? i did not prepare for this. i don't have a thermometer either. will it be ok? thanks again for your reply

hi, i might be able to help with the heat lamp part. i have a small dome incubator that i use a 7 watt night light bulb in and it keeps the temperature to about 100 degrees. i have also used an aquarium as an incubator with a damp towel in and hang a 40 watt bulb over the aqaurium this also keeps the eggs at a warm temperature. a thermometer is important so your eggs dont get to hot and cook or to cold. i hope that helps. good luck!!

hi, i might be able to help with the heat lamp part. i have a small dome incubator that i use a 7 watt night light bulb in and it keeps the temperature to about 100 degrees. i have also used an aquarium as an incubator with a damp towel in and hang a 40 watt bulb over the aqaurium this also keeps the eggs at a warm temperature. a thermometer is important so your eggs dont get to hot and cook or to cold. i hope that helps. good luck!!