In the world of birds, there are multiple lives in a clutch, but not all hatch, and not all survive. The Muscovy duck sisters sat on a bunch of eggs, hatched nine, and abandoned the rest. Why? There were two half way out of the shell. Did they leave to ensure the survival of those that did hatch, to teach them to eat and drink? Could they afford to wait for the slow pokes making their way out of the eggs? There were five eggs left. I brought them inside and the two that were mostly hatched, I helped out of the shell, but they did not survive. Why? Were they not meant to make it or do the mother birds know that there is something that is not quite right? In the other eggs, three embryos were alive, hearts beating and the babies fully feathered, ready to enter the world, but they never got that opportunity. As soon as the shell was opened, they died, but they would have died in the shell anyhow, without the heat and moisture from the mamma ducks to finish the hatch. Sometimes it appears that nature is cruel. Yet there are nine beautiful healthy baby Muscovy ducks running after their mothers.
Of all the birds I have helped out of the shell, most did not make it and the few that did, did not survive to adulthood. I suppose it will be a lesson for me to know not to help babies hatch. They must be strong enough and mature enough to do so on their own to face this world with vigour and strength. Not to help is the answer, but that is so hard to do, to just ignore a live baby attempting to make his way into the world, and let him die. Oh my. It is.
Of all the birds I have helped out of the shell, most did not make it and the few that did, did not survive to adulthood. I suppose it will be a lesson for me to know not to help babies hatch. They must be strong enough and mature enough to do so on their own to face this world with vigour and strength. Not to help is the answer, but that is so hard to do, to just ignore a live baby attempting to make his way into the world, and let him die. Oh my. It is.
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