So, I'm mid-hatch with some eggs and the hatch started earlier than I'd anticipated, and I was doing the hatch fairly dry, so a lot of the chicks got stuck to the membranes. That's ok, I have no problem helping them get unstuck, especially when they are being really freaking loud and are clearly healthy.
However, one of them looked funny before I started helping, like there was too much water in the shell. I dried some of the bubbles it was blowing from around its beak, and it bled, so I put it back. Half an hour later, it was frothing again, so I took it out and dabbed away the froth and picked at the shell some more. This went on for a while, and when I finally got to where I could see more of it, I thought it was stuck because it was a larger chick. But after clearing more of the shell, I realized... it's got this big bubble of air under its skin just above where the wing connects to the shoulder. I have not seen this before, nor do I have any clue what to do about it. I pressed gently on it, and noticed there is some amount of bubbly froth inside of it. Upon closer inspection, I think there may be a small bubble above one of its eyes.
It occurred to me to prick it with a pin, to release the air, but I thought I would ask here first in case this is something which will dissipate in a day or two if left alone (and also to make sure pricking it won't implode the chick or something... I don't want to screw it up if I can help it).
The chick is out of the shell now and looks otherwise healthy- eyes open, making lots of (really loud) noise, and otherwise acting like a just-hatched chick.
However, one of them looked funny before I started helping, like there was too much water in the shell. I dried some of the bubbles it was blowing from around its beak, and it bled, so I put it back. Half an hour later, it was frothing again, so I took it out and dabbed away the froth and picked at the shell some more. This went on for a while, and when I finally got to where I could see more of it, I thought it was stuck because it was a larger chick. But after clearing more of the shell, I realized... it's got this big bubble of air under its skin just above where the wing connects to the shoulder. I have not seen this before, nor do I have any clue what to do about it. I pressed gently on it, and noticed there is some amount of bubbly froth inside of it. Upon closer inspection, I think there may be a small bubble above one of its eyes.
It occurred to me to prick it with a pin, to release the air, but I thought I would ask here first in case this is something which will dissipate in a day or two if left alone (and also to make sure pricking it won't implode the chick or something... I don't want to screw it up if I can help it).
The chick is out of the shell now and looks otherwise healthy- eyes open, making lots of (really loud) noise, and otherwise acting like a just-hatched chick.
