Chickinie
Songster
Hi,
I am wondering if there is much truth to a chick pipping away from the air cell being fatal? I know that pipping at the wrong end of the egg (flipped around) is apparently not... I have read the assisted hatch article on here. I expected my shipped MGB to have trouble so did my research, as I've had some malpositions of OEG in the past in the incubator.
I noticed with the eggs that didn't develop they have a really thick outer membrane... So I was determined to make sure they can breath when they need to... I knew for certain they would be all over the shop.
Anyway... 1 is hatched; it was positioned ok. There are 5 more in the right position hatching/ internally pipped. One is pipping the other end; it pipped by itself through the shell but I had to slice the membrane. And a few pipped by themselves away from the air cell (on the opposite side of the dip in the air cell). I cut their membranes too. None bled, I only made sure they could breathe. I had to scrape the shell and peel it off of one that was making a weird (really loud) rasping noise; as soon as I broke the membrane an it could breathe it was happy. So I did the same for the others that had the conformed air cells like they were ready to hatch because I didn't want them to suffocate. The thick membrane is good for one thing - finding beaks without bleeds.
One that has pipped away from the air cell is nearly hatched (with assistance). I just listen for their complaining...They all look really healthy so far... I'm making sure I don't rush anything.
Seven out of 13 of my MGB chicks have pipped in the wrong place.
I am wondering if there is much truth to a chick pipping away from the air cell being fatal? I know that pipping at the wrong end of the egg (flipped around) is apparently not... I have read the assisted hatch article on here. I expected my shipped MGB to have trouble so did my research, as I've had some malpositions of OEG in the past in the incubator.
I noticed with the eggs that didn't develop they have a really thick outer membrane... So I was determined to make sure they can breath when they need to... I knew for certain they would be all over the shop.
Anyway... 1 is hatched; it was positioned ok. There are 5 more in the right position hatching/ internally pipped. One is pipping the other end; it pipped by itself through the shell but I had to slice the membrane. And a few pipped by themselves away from the air cell (on the opposite side of the dip in the air cell). I cut their membranes too. None bled, I only made sure they could breathe. I had to scrape the shell and peel it off of one that was making a weird (really loud) rasping noise; as soon as I broke the membrane an it could breathe it was happy. So I did the same for the others that had the conformed air cells like they were ready to hatch because I didn't want them to suffocate. The thick membrane is good for one thing - finding beaks without bleeds.
One that has pipped away from the air cell is nearly hatched (with assistance). I just listen for their complaining...They all look really healthy so far... I'm making sure I don't rush anything.
Seven out of 13 of my MGB chicks have pipped in the wrong place.
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