First Eggtopsy :(

[Jayson_Black]

Just a heads up, the video does feature a dead Chick. Its not at all gory. no horror. Its a little sad, but I dont hink theres even any blood. But yeh I think it would be naughty if I didnt give a heads up!

Greeting Everyone!

I have uploaded and published a video of the Egtopsy I performed. I am hoping people with more experience and knowledge than I, can look at the video and perhaps give me an idea why the chick died.

I personally think that it was "Shrink Wrapped" But this is both my first ever Eggtopsy and the egg featured was part of our first clutch of eggs set in an incubator.

We had very low humidity (I believe) in the beginning, then extra high (85%) shortly before and during lockdown.

Personal observations during the Eggtopsy: The yolk had been 95% (possibly 100%) absorbed. The Belly Button (I keep calling it umbilical in the video for some reason) appeared to have closed over. It would appear the chick was ready to pip, but was unable to move enough or not strong enough to pierce the membrane because of what the humidity (or lack of) had done to it. One more thing, there was NO smell. Perhaps the most weak/faint smell of vineagr. Or vinagar like smell, but it was crazy weak. I could barely smell it. Other than that, no smell at all.

In the end, I really don't know for sure why it didn't hatch. so hopefully this video will help. Thank you in advance for your help on this. Also, Special thanks to all the people in the other thread who helped me after day 20 etc.

Here is the Eggtopsy Video:

 

[ChickNanny13]

The yolk sac hasn't been totally absorbed, how many days was it in incubation? Doesn't look like it was ready but I don't have much experience in hatching...

 

[WVduckchick]

Great job Jayson.

My impression is not shrinkwrapped. It would have been totally dry inside. Once they die, the membrane will collapse around them, since they are no longer moving, so they do somewhat give that appearance, but yours was too moist for that, and at this far past due date, that is normal to happen.

What I could not make out in the video was whether the inner membrane was pierced before you peeled it back? I don't think it was. It appears that the chick turned its head the wrong way and could not pip. Normally, when you open it up, like where you showed the top and how you laid it at lockdown, the beak should be right around the center of that space, a little toward the top, and left. Once you pulled the head loose, it's beak was the wrong direction.

One leg also looked a little twisted, but I'm not positive of that.

My guess is death about 24 hours prior to hatch. I'm so sorry. I don't think it's anything that you did wrong.

Here are a few pics with the head in the right position. The dark chick died prior to hatch, the light one was a full assist that lived and is still alive today. Just to give you perspective of position.

 

[Jayson_Black]

Thanks for your kind words WVduckchick. The inner Membrane was not pierced at all before peeled it back.

I could not see the beak until I unwrapped him. I had a feeling that was not a good thing.

I was amazed there was no Smell. I was totally expecting all kinds of smells. But there was nothing. perhaps a very weak vinegar-like smell.

Not to worry. We have 4 more eggs that are on day 19 and we have a successful external pip on one of them now. (so it was probably a tad warm). We have observed rocking of the egg in both the externally pipped one and the egg right next to it.

These new eggs spent their entire 21 days in a store bought incubator. Whereas our first clutch spent their first 16 days in a homemade incubator that I suspect had many problems.

These new eggs seem much healthier than the last from their veins to the activity and movement. They are, however, from a different Hen, closely related, but different. Same Father though.

I can't wait to post photos and video.

Love must be in the air though. We have a pair of Eclectus parrots that have mated and the Hen is Brooding on two eggs. (these are our first Eclectus Eggs). We will not be incubating those though. lol. Not enough experience for that. Also, the Mother Hen of the Chicken eggs we are currently incubating is brooding on a dozen or so eggs. She has only ever hatched one egg her self, so it is still too early to tell how good she will be at hatching eggs. She pecks quite a few of the eggs. We don't know why she is doing that. We probably need to make a thread about it in another section of this forum.

Thank you for all your help and guidance WVDuckChick. We really appreciate it

P.S. we are Video recording the Pipping/unzipping of this egg. at normal speed recording though, I can only record 2 hours at a time. so hopefully something interesting happens in the next two hours. I doubt it though. it has been about 4 hours since the first external pip and the chick has only made one other breach of the shell alongside the first. So it may be a little slow going.

 

[Jayson_Black]

One little chick just hatched. took about 7 hours. Letting it fully dry off before moving it to the brooder.

 

[WVduckchick]

congrats
Anxious to see pics.

oh, the broody hen pecking at the eggs...she is probably slightly shifting them when she pecks at them, like the turning motion that we do in the incubator, and she is also checking them for life. I hope she is a good broody! I have one serama hen on eggs right now, with another intently watching over her. Also have 24 eggs in my incubator on day 7.

 

[Jayson_Black]

Chooks (chickens) are Amazing. When I first got 4 Chickens, many years ago, I really didn't expect such amazing difference in personalities, intelligence etc. Like our Rooster "chief" He hates us. We don't know why he is like that, we hand reared him. We were never able to win his affections. He attacks us all the time. I Think, that he thinks, we are trying to mate with his girls. Anyway, you would think he is a bad rooster right? You would think he would be very rough with his girls right? Nope! He is so gentle, considerate, patient. Or at least he is more of those things than I would have ever imagined he could be. He almost immediately bonded with our first baby chicken hatched here at our house (about 3 months ago) (Her name is Hope). They bonded so much so that hope would follow her daddy over her mommy. Which I was astonished, I never thought that could or would happen. A Hatchling bonding with the male. She would sleep with him, follow him, he would show her where and how to find food. He even tosses her food. Insects, bits of grass and weeds. lol. It's so funny and beautiful at the same time. In Fact. A lot of people we tell about this Father Daughter relationship don't believe us.

Someday I would love to make a Video/Story/Documentary type thing about those two. I crap you not it is soooo beautiful. Then again, maybe it's just us. We love them so much!

 

[Jayson_Black]

I have two hours and 15 Minutes of Video of the Hatch. The video ends about 20 Minutes after chick hatches. I still haven't taken any still shots. But I will. Oh god, I will. lol. I have just had a really big day and am exhausted. I am president of a local Hobby club and we meet on the first Sunday of the month. Today is one of those Sundays I love it, but its just tiring, especially under the Australian Sun, in Summer :S

I will probably Take a few still shots of the Hatchling before bed, then process and post them tomorrow. The video too.

On a Side note, we have another pip, though I haven't been home all day, my wife Kirsty says that she saw it this morning, and the way she described it, it has not progressed all day. So I'm not sure whats going on there. We'll have to monitor it more closely. Oh-oh-oh, but we can hear it. My wife says she has heard it all day. It's 5 pm. So it has mee a little worried that no unzipping has occurred yet. The other chick was completely done in 7 hours. This chick appears to have pipped then nothing but chirping for 7 hours lol.

 

[Laodicia]

Just a heads up, the video does feature a dead Chick. Its not at all gory. no horror. Its a little sad, but I dont hink theres even any blood. But yeh I think it would be naughty if I didnt give a heads up!

Greeting Everyone!

I have uploaded and published a video of the Egtopsy I performed. I am hoping people with more experience and knowledge than I, can look at the video and perhaps give me an idea why the chick died.

I personally think that it was "Shrink Wrapped" But this is both my first ever Eggtopsy and the egg featured was part of our first clutch of eggs set in an incubator.

We had very low humidity (I believe) in the beginning, then extra high (85%) shortly before and during lockdown.

Personal observations during the Eggtopsy: The yolk had been 95% (possibly 100%) absorbed. The Belly Button (I keep calling it umbilical in the video for some reason) appeared to have closed over. It would appear the chick was ready to pip, but was unable to move enough or not strong enough to pierce the membrane because of what the humidity (or lack of) had done to it. One more thing, there was NO smell. Perhaps the most weak/faint smell of vineagr. Or vinagar like smell, but it was crazy weak. I could barely smell it. Other than that, no smell at all.

In the end, I really don't know for sure why it didn't hatch. so hopefully this video will help. Thank you in advance for your help on this. Also, Special thanks to all the people in the other thread who helped me after day 20 etc.

Here is the Eggtopsy Video:

The inner membrane looks fine. It would be white and opaque if it was shrink wrapped.

I couldnt tell when you un curled it how exactly it was positioned but it looks like its head was on top of its wing instead of under and it wasnt able to pip because of that (or possibly the foot that was right next to its head. Some chicks do that and theres nothing we can do to save them. Hope the rest all come out safe for you.