- Jul 4, 2010
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Got a bantam hatching atm, and the silly little thing pipped off a bunch of shell with only a tiny hole in the membrane! It's beak is out and it's breathing fine, and it seems quite tired, but the membrane seems to be kind of drying up around the hole in the membrane, because so much shell came off already. I don't even know if hatching these eggs is a good idea - the shells are REALLY thick. When collecting eggs, I've dropped the same egg TWICE on the stone ground without it breaking. They've had a brutally terrible hatch rate.
But, I do have one hatching and want to know - I've q-tipped some moisture onto the membrane twice now, away from the beak so I don't accidentally drown it. My humidity is up around 80%, because I added some extra sponges to help with the drying membrane but the membrane just seems abnormally tough for the chick. Should I cease q-tipping the membrane? (fresh q-tip every time, not losing any humidity in the bator, clean warm water). Has anyone ever had a chick that needed no help with the shell but couldn't manage the membrane? The membrane is the scariest thing to touch and I don't want to interfere if I don't have to, but the moisture I've been adding seems to be helping the chick get more of it's beak out.
But, I do have one hatching and want to know - I've q-tipped some moisture onto the membrane twice now, away from the beak so I don't accidentally drown it. My humidity is up around 80%, because I added some extra sponges to help with the drying membrane but the membrane just seems abnormally tough for the chick. Should I cease q-tipping the membrane? (fresh q-tip every time, not losing any humidity in the bator, clean warm water). Has anyone ever had a chick that needed no help with the shell but couldn't manage the membrane? The membrane is the scariest thing to touch and I don't want to interfere if I don't have to, but the moisture I've been adding seems to be helping the chick get more of it's beak out.
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