Broody- Odd egg.

[chickensbythesea]

I have a broody who's hatching today, and I think I have a problem I've yet to encounter.

I stopped checking eggs at about day 16-17, but have been making sure she eats and poops. As I went to feed her this morning, I noticed they're starting to hatch! But under her wing there was what looked and felt to be a soft shelled egg with a large solid mass in it.

None of the eggs 4-5 days ago were soft shelled, and none of the other hens have ever laid a soft shelled egg, or accessed the broody's area. (She's crated)
I am not sure how many eggs are under her, since she's hatching and I don't want to move her, but I know for a fact all the eggs she had were hard shelled this week.

Could this be one she's been sitting on, and it somehow lost a shell? Should I try and help whatever mass is in there out? I don't think it has a chance, but I don't want to kick myself for not trying, if there's a reasonable chance I could save it... I can't say I'm really interested in seeing a half developed embryo however.

I am not going to do anything until the other eggs have all finished, but they're getting close now. At what point do I pull this out of the nest, so she doesn't try and eat it if it's not viable?

 

[zebserema]

dont pull it out of its nest unless the hen leaves it it was prbably a hard shelled egg and when it was breaking out the outer shell fell of revealing the inner membrane dont worry it will be fine this happened to me too

 

[chickensbythesea]

Hm. Should've helped.

You were right about the egg breaking off, but the chick looks like it got shrink wrapped and died. Mom pushed it out of the nest.

 

[zebserema]

Quote:
oh thats sad that happened to me except three of mine died hatching fully formed but dead i was so sad

sorry to hear about that but did any others hatch?

 

[chickensbythesea]

Yep! We're still hatching, but at least 3 are out.