News........
I have two ADORABLE little babies! They came 2 and 3 days late, and I had to break them out as they both got stuck fast, despite all conditions in the incubator being optimum.
I had to keep misting the eggs with aired water....which helped a little but wasn't enough. Then I dampened the membranes which had dried around their heads and gently peeled it away. Number 3 needed to be broken entirely out of it's shell.....piece by piece.....he was what we call "shrunk wrapped" and I honestly thought it was a gonner. Number 1 needed less help-just a little shell breaking from it's face so I could wipe the dried membrane and he finished the job off himself.
They were very feeble and weak at first, and it took them ages to come round. Each minute they astounded me though! they've improved and improved and are now 2 day old balls of fluff!
It was worth every second of angst and staying up all night to help the hatch.
I know a lot of you don't agree with assisting hatches, but it really was a last resort for these 2 and it saved their lives. I'm so proud.
They are my first succesful hatch!
They are little buggers.....lots of toe pecking and wing pulling going on....they are already trying to establish a pecking order! It keeps changing for now!
They are all the more miraculous when you consider that the eggs were the first two eggs ever laid by my little Hen Bonny. To think we were going to eat them!
Love them to pieces. Thank you all for your help!
I'll put pictures up when I've figured out how to do it! (Doh!)
xxx
I have two ADORABLE little babies! They came 2 and 3 days late, and I had to break them out as they both got stuck fast, despite all conditions in the incubator being optimum.
I had to keep misting the eggs with aired water....which helped a little but wasn't enough. Then I dampened the membranes which had dried around their heads and gently peeled it away. Number 3 needed to be broken entirely out of it's shell.....piece by piece.....he was what we call "shrunk wrapped" and I honestly thought it was a gonner. Number 1 needed less help-just a little shell breaking from it's face so I could wipe the dried membrane and he finished the job off himself.
They were very feeble and weak at first, and it took them ages to come round. Each minute they astounded me though! they've improved and improved and are now 2 day old balls of fluff!
It was worth every second of angst and staying up all night to help the hatch.
I know a lot of you don't agree with assisting hatches, but it really was a last resort for these 2 and it saved their lives. I'm so proud.
They are my first succesful hatch!
They are little buggers.....lots of toe pecking and wing pulling going on....they are already trying to establish a pecking order! It keeps changing for now!
They are all the more miraculous when you consider that the eggs were the first two eggs ever laid by my little Hen Bonny. To think we were going to eat them!
Love them to pieces. Thank you all for your help!
I'll put pictures up when I've figured out how to do it! (Doh!)
xxx