HELP may have just killed a chick.

debosaurus

In the Brooder
Dec 6, 2015
38
2
24
So it's Day 24, of my 3 viable eggs 2 have hatched. One I haven't heard a peep from, candled it late last night, no movement, no internal pip.... NOTHING. Put it back in the bator with the still drying chicks. They CRACKED it, and I'm not sure how. But there was a hole about the size of a quarter in it this morning. Membranes are solid white inside.

So I decided to open it up and see what if anything happened to the chick.
Sloooowly I opened the air cell (right now I am incredibly grateful that I wasn't rough with it) and dampened the membrane with a Q tip. Still see blood, no tears, nada. THE CHICK MOVES. it's BREATHING. so I quickly dampened some paper towel and wrapped it up (I can't see the beak so that's another story) but I can see that it's bleeding somewhere... What can I do!?
SLIGHTLY GRAPHIC PICTURE ATTACHED

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I've helped some chicks hatch as well and sometimes they bleed a little and sometimes they bleed a lot.

I hope this helps: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1075785/assisted-hatching

Chicks that bleed can and do survive, so don't give up yet. Just take things slow and don't try to open it up too soon. Let the chick absorb the blood, then it will likely need helped the rest of the way out because it may be weak or it may not get proper leverage with the top removed.

Best of luck!
 
I would say to just put it back in the incubator and wait. You said you wrapped it up but I would leave the egg open so it can breath and you can watch how it progresses. I have accidentally broken a blood vein when helping a chick and if they don't lose too much blood they can still survive. The important thing is that you left it in the shell to finish absorbing the yolk and for the veins to dry up and disconnect. All you can do now is wait. And please let us know what happens.
 
I would say to just put it back in the incubator and wait. You said you wrapped it up but I would leave the egg open so it can breath and you can watch how it progresses. I have accidentally broken a blood vein when helping a chick and if they don't lose too much blood they can still survive. The important thing is that you left it in the shell to finish absorbing the yolk and for the veins to dry up and disconnect. All you can do now is wait. And please let us know what happens.


The shell itself is wrapped to hopefully maintain as much moisture as possible. I can see right into the egg though, I wouldn't want it to drown if it does make it out.

Mildly freaking out.
I can see that it hasn't even absorbed the yolk yet! At least I don't believe it has... As I can see bright yellow. But it is still moving.
 
To stop the blood wipe off the blood if possible and keep it moist and I put it in the incubator for a couple minutes and come back and gently break open the shell until the chick was out and then I let it attached to its shell and put it back in and then by morning it was out and off the shell
 
To make sure the yolk is absorbed very slowly, over a few hours, pull away the shell and membrane from the head. Pull the head out of the way and shine a light inside the shell. You should be able to tell if the yolk sac is absorbed or not in this manner. If it isn't, place the duckling into a container (in the incubator) but moisture doesn't matter so much since you are assisting the hatch. Some damp paper towels should do the trick.


Here are some of the chicks we have assisted in the past.







 
It may take several more hours to absorb the yolk. When the chick pips that's when the yolk starts to absorb and it often takes 12 to 24 hours for that process to happen. If it hadn't pipped yet when you opened the shell then it may take quite a while. Fortunately the chick is still moving and breathing so all you can do is let nature take it's course. They are tough little buggers so let's just hope for the best.
 
I'm hesitant to move the membrane at all because it hasn't started pulling back the blood vessels at all.
Right now I am just keeping it in the incubator, keeping the humidity up, and HOPING.
 
That is wise.

I do want to add that when a chick is hatching it does so while absorbing the yolk and blood, so when a chick first pips it is just beginning the process. Just because there is blood in the membrane does not mean it is too early for it to begin the hatching process, just that it needs to rest for a little while.
 
Yeah, I'm hoping that when I break the membrane is stimulates the process. I think taking a more aggressive approach will help this chick. But I'm still very anxious. :(
 

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