Saddled air cell - shipped eggs -assisted hatching QUESTION URGENT

[Ollie00]

Hi all!
I read and re read and read again the thread about assisted hatching and decided that one chick needed it.
It started with chirping without internal pip and I could hear a lot of scratching inside. When candled I could see breathing movement. This lasted for 16+ hours without me doing anything but wait. Then I got worried and found that thread.
I then proceeded very carefully to do the external pip myself but then I had to open more to find the beak. Found it and very carefully opened the membrane and instantly the little one took a huge breath it was so amazing. I waited a few hours more and then opened the shell only all around the air cell.
I wetted the membrane with polysporin and took pictures of it.

What do you think? Still blood to absorb? Or are we good to go? I think the vessels are still red and should wait a few hours more?

 

[TexasBlues]

Not sure. It still looks pretty red with blood. Have all the others already hatched?

 

[Ollie00]

Not sure. It still looks pretty red with blood. Have all the others already hatched?

One have hatched 27 hours ago and is doing very well! Another died at day 20-21 I think (now day 22.5), the air cell was saddled too. 6 eggs never made it past day 10 because of detached air cell that never reattached.

 

[hammyanne]

Incredible that you caught her first breath! I can’t say for certain but I’ve also combed through the site and at 22.5 days my guess would be that she should be ready.

I helped one of my babies out from my last hatch and I’d say there was a similar amount of blood (it spooked me but it wasn’t actually too much!) as in your photo.

Good luck!

 

[TexasBlues]

22.5 seems like plenty of time. Maybe it’s lacking some vitality to break free. Maybe if you open up the membrane some and see if it will kick itself out.
Is it active?

 

[Ollie00]

Incredible that you caught her first breath! I can’t say for certain but I’ve also combed through the site and at 22.5 days my guess would be that she should be ready.

I helped one of my babies out from my last hatch and I’d say there was a similar amount of blood (it spooked me but it wasn’t actually too much!) as in your photo.

Good luck!

You were right!
I helped and it got out! Not too much blood at all. It seems ok for now

Big brother (24 hrs old) wants to clean him it seems. That’s normal? Should I separate them at this point? I let him in the incubator to stimulate the other one at first.

 

[hammyanne]

You were right!
I helped and it got out! Not too much blood at all. It seems ok for now

Big brother (24 hrs old) wants to clean him it seems. That’s normal? Should I separate them at this point? I let him in the incubator to stimulate the other one at first.

So glad to hear it went well! I think as long as the older chick isn’t being aggressive with the newer one they can stay together? I’ve had older chicks essentially doing parkour in the incubator while freshly hatched chicks get their bearings.

 

[Ollie00]

Baby chick is doing well after 10 hours!! A bit of splayed legs but I hope it’ll get better after a day. I’m so glad I intervened. I don’t think she would’ve made it out alive without help.

 

[hammyanne]

Baby chick is doing well after 10 hours!! A bit of splayed legs but I hope it’ll get better after a day. I’m so glad I intervened. I don’t think she would’ve made it out alive without help.

Glad to hear it! You made the right call, it takes an incredible amount of courage

 

[Susan Skylark]

Shipping stress is frustrating especially on much anticipated eggs. Glad to see you’re getting a couple chicks, just went through this with a batch of quail, saddled air cells and all. Half didn’t make it into lockdown but the heart breaker for me was the half of the viable eggs that got close to hatch and just died. I helped 3, one of which didn’t pip but was still making a bit of noise so knew it was alive, slowly got him opened up so he just needed to pop out, but he just faded away. The other two I assisted died within a day and were obviously underdeveloped (yolk sac absorbed and no bloody membranes but rather little to no down, one couldn’t stay upright, etc). Necropsied eggs showed deformed or unfeathered or underdeveloped chicks in most eggs. The box got scrambled, as did my eggs! Last year I got 24/28 (with 2 mutants) on my second hatch ever while this batch was 11/40 (1 mutant) crazy how shipping can be either a dream or nightmare!