~ Silkie Hatch-a-Long August 2015 (SHIPPED EGGS GONE WRONG!!) ~

RubyNala97 · Aug 21, 2015

H4ndyman said:
Just got back in from work and my pipped egg is exactly the same as it was 12 hours ago. I take it that I just need to wait this out?

I would not intervene or start helping until 24 hrs have passed. Have you read this?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

darkbluespace said:
Here is a day 15 air cell... The eggs are BIG, almost as large as a regular chicken egg. They are in my cabinet bator now. I hope 4 days in there will help!

Wow, they are on the small side. You're doing everything you can. And I know when the times comes if they need help, they're in good hands!!

darkbluespace said:
They usually need 12 hours from external pip to absorb their yolk. I would start cheeping some encouragement to it... they often start making some progress!

I am curious about this chicken music @RubyNala97

I just got a new phone and lost all my bookmarks. I'll find it and post it. It really works!!!

rosyamanda2000 said:
No. not drawdown. It's been like that since about day 10. Although, a lot of those eggs have since had the air cells drawn down so they are making progress, some have even internally pipped!!!

Oh, ok. I'm sorry. That just sounded like what you were describing. Good luck on the pip!! Update when it's pips the shell!!

silkienrescues · Aug 21, 2015

Good morning,
this has become a very big hatch a long....just shows how wonderful hatching chicks is...not that i thought that at 2 am this morning!
great news is 2 wobbly but healthy chick, no deformities from the air cell drama. the chick with the good air cell hatched almost unassisted, I did make a small opening in the end to keep an eye on it because the chick was internally pipped and cheeping but not externally after 12 hours. was all good still had a lot of fat vessels, but being able to watch those reduce and see it breathing was reassuring. I have plastic vials of normal saline for irrigating eyes, just use drops of that on the membrane every 1-2 hours to keep them moist and have humidity up at 80+ when there is an open egg ( I dont have small air cell problems thou). the first chick who had the bad air cell, had been pipped internally, i thought for 14 hours I could hear faint movement and it wasn't cheeping ( neither rocked but they were upright in a carton). candling it looked different, shape wise, still shadows in the air cell.so I opened a small hole, the membrane was really odd, it was floppy and went down all sides past where I could see. it wasn't attached anywhere, the chick moved and it just moved with it. NO pip. everything said put it back but low down 1 side was a bit darker, removing more shell i found it was damp, then found a tiny beak in a very small hole, bit over half way down the shell and on the side tilted toward the carton. repositioned it and put it back, wetting the large amount of membrane exposed regularly and scared stiff I'd interfered too soon, at least she chirped a bit now, hours later no progress and little movement, removed more shell around the beak and the membrane bleed slightly, back it went. Few hours later from wetting the membrane i could see the vessels were really small. In tears i removed more shell and peeled back the membranes over the shell. Thought I'd gone too far and killed her, but she breathed on. She moved a bit but nothing strong enough to get free, just a wing out in the air, I loosened her head out, she lay like that for 2 hours then kicked out of the shell, but the cord was pink and moist pulling on her navel. Snipped it and used betadine soaked qtip to push her navel in a bit, held her like that against my stomach for 20 mins. Put her in the incubator, and sobbed myself to sleep, 4 hours later, chirps woke me, chick 2 was zipping, chick 1 was stretched out looking dead, but as soon as the lights and fan of the incubator came on she would startle and sit up!! she looked exhausted. Chick 2 came out pretty quick. They then slept on my stomach with a towel rolled to keep them there, under the blankets. they called until I put my hand over them, then they slept. (the ecoglow 20 just didnt seem warm enough to me hence taking them to bed.)

6 hours later they are both sleepy but doing great. I think the chick tried to pip but the membrane was to slack, it turned itself and pipped low and was exhausting itself, may well have died. will research draw down. Or maybe I got it all wrong....but the 2 are here, end of story.

Ruby get some sleep, you might also be in for a long night with those aircells.

if i figure out how to post pics will put some up.

GitaBooks · Aug 21, 2015

Silkienrescues, sounds just like what happened to me! I'm glad your two silkies are doing well. I had to help mine, taking them out and removing some shell, then putting them back in, over and over throughout the day and night. My silkie chick is doing wonderfully, along with her two standard sized siblings. I found save-a-chick helped strengthen them a lot. Mine couldn't stand, could barely lift their heads or open their eyes for a day or so. They are now very strong and huge too!

Best of luck!

RubyNala97 · Aug 21, 2015

Here's the chick music. Anyone with pips, try it and watch the chick go crazy!!

silkienrescues said:
Good morning,
this has become a very big hatch a long....just shows how wonderful hatching chicks is...not that i thought that at 2 am this morning!
great news is 2 wobbly but healthy chick, no deformities from the air cell drama. the chick with the good air cell hatched almost unassisted, I did make a small opening in the end to keep an eye on it because the chick was internally pipped and cheeping but not externally after 12 hours. was all good still had a lot of fat vessels, but being able to watch those reduce and see it breathing was reassuring. I have plastic vials of normal saline for irrigating eyes, just use drops of that on the membrane every 1-2 hours to keep them moist and have humidity up at 80+ when there is an open egg ( I dont have small air cell problems thou). the first chick who had the bad air cell, had been pipped internally, i thought for 14 hours I could hear faint movement and it wasn't cheeping ( neither rocked but they were upright in a carton). candling it looked different, shape wise, still shadows in the air cell.so I opened a small hole, the membrane was really odd, it was floppy and went down all sides past where I could see. it wasn't attached anywhere, the chick moved and it just moved with it. NO pip. everything said put it back but low down 1 side was a bit darker, removing more shell i found it was damp, then found a tiny beak in a very small hole, bit over half way down the shell and on the side tilted toward the carton. repositioned it and put it back, wetting the large amount of membrane exposed regularly and scared stiff I'd interfered too soon, at least she chirped a bit now, hours later no progress and little movement, removed more shell around the beak and the membrane bleed slightly, back it went. Few hours later from wetting the membrane i could see the vessels were really small. In tears i removed more shell and peeled back the membranes over the shell. Thought I'd gone too far and killed her, but she breathed on. She moved a bit but nothing strong enough to get free, just a wing out in the air, I loosened her head out, she lay like that for 2 hours then kicked out of the shell, but the cord was pink and moist pulling on her navel. Snipped it and used betadine soaked qtip to push her navel in a bit, held her like that against my stomach for 20 mins. Put her in the incubator, and sobbed myself to sleep, 4 hours later, chirps woke me, chick 2 was zipping, chick 1 was stretched out looking dead, but as soon as the lights and fan of the incubator came on she would startle and sit up!! she looked exhausted. Chick 2 came out pretty quick. They then slept on my stomach with a towel rolled to keep them there, under the blankets. they called until I put my hand over them, then they slept. (the ecoglow 20 just didnt seem warm enough to me hence taking them to bed.)

6 hours later they are both sleepy but doing great. I think the chick tried to pip but the membrane was to slack, it turned itself and pipped low and was exhausting itself, may well have died. will research draw down. Or maybe I got it all wrong....but the 2 are here, end of story.

Ruby get some sleep, you might also be in for a long night with those aircells.

if i figure out how to post pics will put some up.

Oh my goodness!! What a night. Thanks for writing all that!! I was on the edge of my seat reading it! Sounds like you did a great job. Wish I could have seen it step by step! I'm so happy both chicks are out safe and you got some sleep. Too cute that they snuggled on your tummy! Yes, try to post pics when you can. Enjoy them! Get some rest!

silkienrescues · Aug 22, 2015

GitaBooks said:
Silkienrescues, sounds just like what happened to me! I'm glad your two silkies are doing well. I had to help mine, taking them out and removing some shell, then putting them back in, over and over throughout the day and night. My silkie chick is doing wonderfully, along with her two standard sized siblings. I found save-a-chick helped strengthen them a lot. Mine couldn't stand, could barely lift their heads or open their eyes for a day or so. They are now very strong and huge too!

Best of luck!

Gitabooks, thank you SO much for writing that. My chick who hatched by itself is not well up on its feet, in fact looking slightly splayed, always steadying itself with its wings. Worry was beginning to turn to thoughts of what if it cant walk etc....now I know its just getting over the exhaustion of hatching. Will now look at splay foot and treatment just in case.
i havent seen savachick in Australia but am about to add some childrens liquid vitamins to an electrolyte solution and give it ago.
does your silkie get knocked about by her big sisters?

Lea

silkienrescues · Aug 22, 2015

Ruby,

RubyNala97 said:
Here's the chick music. Anyone with pips, try it and watch the chick go crazy!!

Oh my goodness!! What a night. Thanks for writing all that!! I was on the edge of my seat reading it! Sounds like you did a great job. Wish I could have seen it step by step! I'm so happy both chicks are out safe and you got some sleep. Too cute that they snuggled on your tummy! Yes, try to post pics when you can. Enjoy them! Get some rest!

played that music on and off all day and night, sure it helps the little ones.
Ruby, I'm glad your are confident with assisting after internal pips, because it might be necessary if you have the big cells. I know many just leave them to it, but I feel responsible, I shipped those eggs, how can I close my eyes to their struggle. Seeing how weak she was, I dont think an external pip was likely. its really good you have new batteries in the candler. Will be thinking of you next week. Wish Id photographed each stage, but to be honest I was expecting a bad outcome and couldnt bare the thought of photos.
Its very lucky I've stumbled across this lovely lady Cindy, with the red partridges, she's gone out of her way to be helpful, and charges 1/2 the going rate for eggs...because she wants to see her eggs not go to waste, and allow those less well off an equal chance of having these lovely chicks. How kind a person. Hope you find just such a person near you. when will you set you last lot?

Lea

silkienrescues · Aug 22, 2015

RubyNala97 said:
Sorry for the long multi-quote. This is such a great hatch-a-long!! (I think my fav so far)!!
Has the chick hatched yet? I'm drooling over the partridge eggs you described!! That's what I want!! I'm hiding the incubator after this hatch too. No more till spring...I'm asking for the brinsea octagon 20 for my bday/Christmas, so by spring I should have 3 incubators!!! Can't wait!!
What day for the eggs? Are they in lockdown? What you are describing is "draw down". It happens just before internal pip. The membrane draws down over the chick. You can see the outline of the chick if you look close and there will be movement, almost like a wave. Sorry, it's hard to describe but once you see it in person, you'll know just what I mean. Those eggs are super close! Today or tomorrow you'll get an external pip.
Not long. I have never caught an internal pip! I used to not open the incubator, at all during lockdown. Then I started getting more comfortable being hands on. Then had successful assists. So I've been trying to see an internal pip for the last couple hatches. I candle before bed, no internal pip, then I wake up and have external pips! So the chicks must pip inside and then within 8-10 hrs pip external. Update when you can. I would put a little hole in the air cell to ensure that chick has enough oxygen.
I never see or hear anything before external pip! I worried when I first started hatching too. But mine hatch very healthy so I wouldn't worry.
Wow, I'm surprised. Are the shells very thick?? Post a pic of the air cells if you can.

that's good news!

Ruby,

sorry this is your last, until you fire up 3 next spring.... Good luck with winter proofing your fowl family.

im sorry I cant recall all the names of everyone...
little air cells person...that is strange with such low humidity, my thought was to increase the velocity of your fan...if you can...more air movement should assist in reducing their water volume.
My eggs only rocked if they weren't touching other eggs or werent in cartons, only at the very end did we see big movements in touching eggs, ie after a good sized external pip. Someone please correct this if its wrong, but before a chick has pipped internally and is breathing I dont know that they can chirp, only the tapping of them would be heard if they were tapping on shell. That is pretty quiet with little eggs, hard to hear unless its at your ear.

Rosyamanda...i think you talked about membranes, seems unusual at that stage, day 10, I'd expect them to be flat at the top of the shell, are these shipped eggs with wonky air cells. Do hope they dont cause any trouble for you, your little lap chick needs his friends soon.

person whose incubator was off, you must be so relieved seeing movement, hope more do the same.

Gitabooks..do you have eggs hatching at the moment?

To all...how do you stop yourself buying more eggs, my husband wont buy the 'we need more chook poop for the garden' excuse any longer!

silkienrescues · Aug 22, 2015

H4ndyman said:
Just got back in from work and my pipped egg is exactly the same as it was 12 hours ago. I take it that I just need to wait this out?

This is the important yolk absorbing time isnt it? So you need to take Valium and wait another 12 hours!!! Joking of course, but make sure your humidity is up, and you have you chick music playing. Do hope you get some sleep tonight.
Thinking of you.

silkienrescues · Aug 22, 2015

Ruby, Check the he said she said etc thread. Walnut hill may be selling a Brinsea, but I'm not sure.

GitaBooks · Aug 22, 2015

silkienrescues said:
Gitabooks, thank you SO much for writing that. My chick who hatched by itself is not well up on its feet, in fact looking slightly splayed, always steadying itself with its wings. Worry was beginning to turn to thoughts of what if it cant walk etc....now I know its just getting over the exhaustion of hatching. Will now look at splay foot and treatment just in case.
i havent seen savachick in Australia but am about to add some childrens liquid vitamins to an electrolyte solution and give it ago.
does your silkie get knocked about by her big sisters?

Lea

Any vitamin mix should help.

As for getting knocked around, I don't think she does. There are only three of them and she is their little sister so they treat her pretty nice. She loves to try to hide under them like they are her mother.

~ Silkie Hatch-a-Long August 2015 (SHIPPED EGGS GONE WRONG!!) ~

Do you have Silkies?

No, I don't plan on getting them.

No, but I plan on getting them!

Yes, but they aren't my favorite.

Yes, I love them!

I used to have silkies.

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