Hatching and helping

The usual advice is that if the babies are too weak to get out of their shell, they are likely too weak to survive    I have succumbed and helped at hatching, but with mixed results. It VERY RARELY results in a healthy baby, as they often are deformed in some way, bleed to death, or simply just fade, never eating and growing as vigorously as the others.

I've actually had a very different experience to Teapots and although having helped a few of my ducklings out have only ever had one that in retrospect I shouldn't have as it had a deformity. The rest have all done very well and in all honesty within a day I couldn't tell them from the ones I didn't help out.

I just chip away around the hole, gently peeling the edges away. If there is any bleeding stop and give them an hour or two before trying it again. If there are membranes stuck to the duckling damp them with tepid water and peel them off as long as they come easily.

By helping them out you do have to be prepared to cull them if they have a obvious problem that explains why they couldn't get out, if you can't contemplate doing this you are probably better leaving nature to take it's course.
Mine are predominately pets so I always give them a chance.

lovely, love black ducklings