The 6th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[campingshaws]

As you noticed that my patience helped, however since you have already started helping the chick, its very important to keep the membrane moist.
I would say at this point run a shower in the bathroom to create a humid environment.
Wet a wash cloth in hot water and then squeeze it out.
Take the egg out of the bator and wrap it in the washcloth and go sit in the bathroom.
Open the wash cloth and start removing the egg shell chip by chip with a blunt tweezer. 
Do not remove the membrane if its glued to the head and the back.
The object is to make the membrane wet enough that it will fall off on its own. If there is not one already, make a hole in the membrane for the chick to breathe.
Once the top portion of the egg shell is gone, the chick should be able to do the rest. 
Warm up the wash cloth again if necessary and place the chick back in the bator all but its head wrapped in the damp wash cloth.
Its up to the chick from there on.

Thanks Juni. That's essentially what I did, minus the shower. I worked on the shell over the course of several hours. I'm so annoyed that I let this happen; I assumed that clear membrane = not dry. :/

Hopefully now it softens enough for the chick to get out. I don't mind waiting for a chick to do things on its own, but this one had just its beak out and was seeming to fade.

 

[Junibutt]

Thanks Juni. That's essentially what I did, minus the shower. I worked on the shell over the course of several hours. I'm so annoyed that I let this happen; I assumed that clear membrane = not dry.

Hopefully now it softens enough for the chick to get out. I don't mind waiting for a chick to do things on its own, but this one had just its beak out and was seeming to fade.

Don't stress out too much! Enjoy your other chicks

 

[karenerwin]

Set 29 eggs on the 14th around 1:53 PM. Tossed 3 on day 14. Marked 2 as questionable but locked them down as part of the 26 that made it to lockdown. First chick hatched on Friday, April 3 around 7 AM. 8 had hatched by the time I went to bed that night. By the time IK went to bed on Saturday night I only had 7 that had not hatched. After the end of Sunday night I have 5 eggs that haven't hatched ( 2 of which are the 2 I marked as quitters). I of the hatchers on Sunday is still trying to finish absorbing the rest of it's yolk & may or may not make it as it had become shrink wrapped, but, as of right now it is doing well.
So I have 21 that hatched out of 29 that were set! 72% hatch rate. 9 of the 12 Black Penedesenca eggs hatched.
Good night!

 

[NikkiCole5]

Don't stress out too much! Enjoy your other chicks

Reading this makes me sad because I lost a duckling that way. It was shrink wrapped and several days late. I ended up helping the duckling out of the shell and it pushed the shell off, but it's neck was bent bad and it just kept flopping upside down and banging it's head on the incubator floor. It died that night. I really wish you luck with your chick! It sounds like you are doing great and everyone is very helpful good luck!

 

[venymae]

I officially have 5 out now (The last one to break out is so noisy! He peeps non-stop and is very active even though he's all soggy still!

) and one more pipped. The other 6 show no signs of anything. Still playing that chicken playlist (it's also getting annoying at this point. haha) So happy about our first hatch, hopefully tomorrow brings more little chicks! Off to bed.

 

[SandraBH]

Reading this makes me sad because I lost a duckling that way. It was shrink wrapped and several days late. I ended up helping the duckling out of the shell and it pushed the shell off, but it's neck was bent bad and it just kept flopping upside down and banging it's head on the incubator floor. It died that night. I really wish you luck with your chick! It sounds like you are doing great and everyone is very helpful good luck!

That is sad about your duckling. I helped a chick out yesterday...did everything wrong. It's neck was oddly bent and it's eyes weren't open. I kept seeing it breath. I left it in the incubator over night. It was much better eyes open and neck looked normal but terribly floppy this morning. Tonight it is chirping up a storm begging to be out of the incubator. Climbing over the last few eggs...But I have another one just pipped. I don't want it shrink wrapped too...

 

[Fyremelody]

I've dealt with one incubator frustration after another, running hatches in three different ones. After losing an entire batch of 36 eggs, I determined the digital Little Giant is a piece of ... and it's now wasted space on my shelf. Long story short, I had four going into lockdown for the HAL. #1, with the air sac at the wrong end, pipped last night -- in the air sac, to my surprise. #2 and #3 were rocking and #4 was silent as could be. This morning, no progress on #1 and no changes on the others. Resigned myself that #4 was dead. Left the house. Five hours later, #1, #3, and #4 had pipped. #2 was still moving when the flashlight flashed over it through the viewer window.

End of the night report: #1 hatched a couple hours ago. #3 is rocking crazily but the pip hasn't increased in size. #4 still has a pin-hole pip and moves occasionally. #2 has gone still, and isn't in a place where I can see if it's pipped or not. The wrong end is facing me. #2 is the one I most want to hatch. If the other two weren't pipped, I'd candle it to see if it internally pipped, but I had a heck of a time getting my humidity *up* high enough, and I don't want to disrupt it.

Thoughts on #2? I'm heading to bed now, but any advise for morning?

Oh, and #1 is a blue Easter Egger bantam
#2 is my special meat bird cross project
#3 is a partridge cochin
#4 I believe is a silkie/EE but the identifying mark is face down

As an aside, sort of fitting to Easter... A month ago we hatched a beautiful blue EE bantam, the first we'd ever seen out of our hens. She had hatching difficulties and after an assist, sat in a cup for two days to absorb her yolk. It was touch and go and I fretted and worried and fretted and worried. I've babied her all through, and though she ate, drank, was alert, she was developmentally behind. Yesterday she didn't seem quite right, but then I convinced myself I was over-reacting, because she's always a little "weird". Well, I made a bad call by not jumping to emergency care and found her dead last night. I noticed Chick#1's pip after discovering her. Chick #1 had the hatch she should have had, and chick #1 is her identical twin. Only much stronger and already nearly the size she was a month into life. We're quite pleased by the surprise!

On that note -- Happy Easter all! Enjoy the chickies!

 

[traceyj]

Happy Easter all and congratulations on your chicks.xx

Thanks for the kind thoughts.

 

[NikkiCole5]

That is sad about your duckling. I helped a chick out yesterday...did everything wrong. It's neck was oddly bent and it's eyes weren't open. I kept seeing it breath. I left it in the incubator over night. It was much better eyes open and neck looked normal but terribly floppy this morning. Tonight it is chirping up a storm begging to be out of the incubator. Climbing over the last few eggs...But I have another one just pipped. I don't want it shrink wrapped too...

Aww well good luck! Goodnight everyone

 

[capper2013]

woo hoo, first egg pipped out the shell last night, it's rocking and rolling around this morning.
I think it should arrive some time today.
my chick in a broken shell is dubious. I peeled the membrane away this morning as the poor thing was like a shrink wrapped "boil in the bag" package.
the yolk is not absorbed so it's sitting in a little pot for the next however long whilst I decide if it's living or not.
there was no blood loss from the operation so I am hopeful it's resting.
will be a lovely little black one if it's living.
8 others just looking like eggs...