A woman named Betsy Ross from Visalia, California is a mother of three kids. Having a family yet she still managed to take the time and patience to take responsibility of one more. This one hadn’t hatched yet.
The story is not so long ago. Betsy with her husband and children went to the park to play pickleball. They came across a smashed duck’s nest. It was not a pleasant sight at all, but after getting closer they found an egg that was still intact. Betsy checked the egg and immediately made up her find to do everything she could in her capacity to save it.
We did an exclusive interview with Betsy, and she shared with us the complete details of the entire journey.
Betsy, her husband, and her children went to a local park in Visalia, California, to play pickleball and noticed someone had smashed up the duck nests that were there
“My kids were very upset about it … [they] found a lone egg with a small crack that wasn’t leaking and asked me to save it.”
“I really didn’t think I had a chance of saving it because I’ve never hatched an egg”
“I couldn’t afford an incubator, so I called our local wildlife place [but] they told me they didn’t take eggs”
Betsy asked the organization if they would take in the animal if she hatched it and they agreed
“So I put the egg in my bra to keep it warm and started researching online how to hatch a duck”
She understood that the egg needed warmth and humidity, so she decided to just keep the egg where it was. “My boobs sweat in heat (gross I know),” she explained. She would rotate the egg 4-5 times a day to maintain teh temperature from all sides.
“I carried it in my bra for 35 days and slept with it there as well. I’m a plus size girl so it just kinda fit right between my breast”
“When I had to shower, I had my husband hold it. I figured if mom ducks leave to get food for a bit then wouldn’t hurt to leave to shower”
Betsy started to do the research required to keep the egg safe. After understanding that rotating the egg was not doing any good for it, she brought a lamp, plastic container, gallon baggies, a bowl of water, and a lot of tape, a box for hatching the egg.
“At 35 days, I started hearing faint peeps which the internet said was called pipping and its beak was pushing out of the lining”
“He eventually got out half-way but was still connected to the yolk on the bottom of the egg,” Betsy said. “I was told it was because he was early but found out on Reddit it was from not being warm enough or the temperature not being stable.” 
“I got a wet paper towel and wrapped it around the shell with the yolk and put Neosporin on it so it wouldn’t get infected. Maybe not the best idea but I was scared.” 
“One day, we woke up and he was walking. Later on, I would let him swim in the tub and mud puddles”
“He would nap with me during the day and I made a little carrier for him and took him places with me”
“He would follow me and when he heard my voice, he would lose it and scream. He seemed to know when I left without him because my husband complained that he would sit and cry
“I contacted one of my rescue connections and found a little rescue farm that is nearby”
“He is doing well and has a new human girl who loves him”
People were incredibly moved by Betsy’s story
