Hatching Problem (Update)

[marie_martin]

I have one egg that has pipped and opened a hole on the end of the shell large enough for me to see the whole beak and some of the area around it. It looks like the clear membrane is completely stuck to the chick. My humidity has always been pretty good, even high at times. Should I worry? He has made no progress since last night and I can't even see his/her eyes yet. The only part through the membrane is the beak. This is my first time hatching, obviously. I don't want to intervene, (well I really do) but I don't want to do the wrong thing. I had to come to work, so I am so worried. Should I have done something? I may go home in a little while and see what is going on if I get time. Darn it, I hope it is ok. I only have 9 in there and I think I saw another one move. I am so excited.

Thanks for any advice.

Marie

 

[hinkjc]

Here's a rule of thumb I use, although I am leaning more and more to "not helping" at all because the outcome is just so iffy.

No helping until the hatch is complete. Then review eggs and determine if anyone is stuck.

By opening the bator before the hatch is in full progression only decreases the chance for the others. Too much risk in my opinion. I would wait. Don't put the rest of your potential babies at risk for just one. Opening the incubator changes the environment in there that they need to be stable and hatch successfully. It's important to remember that those who do not complete hatch on their own are likely to be less thrifty or possibly have defects - so please don't feel bad for making that chick wait or possibly perish to allow the healthy ones to hatch on their own. Keeping my fingers crossed that you go home to hatchlings.

Jody

 

[marie_martin]

Thanks, this is so hard. I guess it is better that I am at work, so I am not more tempted to help. Thanks. I will let you know how things turn out.

Marie


I wanted to add:


I just looked at some video clips of eggs hatching and I am convinced that mine is stuck in that membrane. It does not look like the ones in the videos. It looks like it is shrink wrapped around
the chick and only the beak can move. How can this be when I had the humidity up. I hope he/she
can make it out. Darn it. I know it is not my fault, but I will be so sad if none of them make it out.
Is there anything I can do to make sure there is enough moisture for the rest or is it too late to
do anything about that? My humidity has been about 75%-78% since day 18. Thanks.

 

[marie_martin]

I have one OEGB chick drying off in the bator.I did help a bit. I know some say not to, but he/she was stuck and could not move to peck the shell any more. No change since 5:30 yesterday. I put some warm water on the membrane to dampen it, removed a tiny bit of shell and then dampend the membrane, and so on, and then out came a chick. The head was laying on its chest and it was stuck, no room. He or she looks huge for that tiny egg shell. I have one silkie that is trying to come out too, but it looks the same, stuck to the membrane. I took a little warm water and dripped through a straw and dampened it for him/her like I did the OEGB and hopefully that will work. Looks like the membrane has blood vessels still on it. Is that unusual? I don't think it can move either, like the first chick. Not sure if it will make it out. I am not going to help it. I just don't think it is a good thing and I am going to leave the rest and see what happens. It was nerve racking trying to remove that tiny bit of shell on the first one. I don't see pips on any of the others yet but it is still only day 20 until tonight. When should I move it to the brooder? I don't want it to get too hot, is that a problem?

Thanks.

Marie

 

[MandyH]

Hey Marie, I just hatched 2 doz babies the past couple of days and I had a couple like you said that pipped but couldn't go any farther. My rule of thumb was wait like 12 hours or so. I waited to help a couple and they died. I had a couple that had their heads down too from being in there too long without help. I took them out and wrapped them in a warm towel and held them in my hand with their neck straightened a bit and they are fine now! I don't like helping either but I also don't like dead chicks. Mother knows best and there is no hen helping me, so......

 

[marie_martin]

Well, I think you have to evaluate each situation and make a decision. I really don't think this chick would have made it out on its own. But I am new at this too. So who knows. I am going to wait a while on the second one since he/she has not been pipped out as long. The first one was very active and seems to be fine. What I meant about his head being down is that I think it was in the wrong position to let the chick pip around any more than the tiny pip it made. I probably messed up the bator and will keep the rest from hatching, but I just could not sit there and do nothing. I raise goats too and it is just one of those instinct things I think, you just do what you feel is right at the time. I will update later. The silkie is much more quiet so I don't know if it is because it is weak or what. I hope not.

Marie