Hatching Chicks From Eggs with Very Thin Shells

[centrarchid]

I have hen brooding a clutch due to hatch today through tomorrow. A couple of eggs have effectively collapsed under the hen's weight. Chicks are still alive, but no longer have enough shell to push against as needed for turning inside egg during the unzipping process of hatching. I took on "egg" and placed into incubator. Before placing the chick in, I wetted the membrane to prevent it from drying out. Anyone had experience trying to salvage such chicks?

 

[centrarchid]

Both chicks liberated from eggs. One looks really good. The other is questionable. Neither would have survived without intervention. The normal mechanism for terminating blood supply to breathing through membrane did not work. Both chicks were thoroughly soaked with warm water to make separating from membrane less traumatic.

A big part of problem is the membranes dried too much getting tight enough to prevent movement and likely impeded normal breathing.

 

[centrarchid]

Both chicks doing well this morning and will be returned to hen shortly. In addition to directly wetting the membrane, the incubator was adjusted to provide maximal humidity as they guys started to hatch. When brought in both chicks had poked a hole in what would have been the air space of an intact egg. Then we went 12 hours before extricating them. Presumably they would normally have pipped as well by time I removed shell and membrane.

 

[centrarchid]

First two chicks referred to in account above.

Eggs and nearly hatchlings are two additional troubles from same clutch. Only four in the clutch of 10 appear to be having issues. The lower would likely be able to get out on its own, but I brought in for pictures. The upper had pipped through on other side of egg and did not appear able to complete unzipping. The egg needs to be solid for chick to rotate in shell to unzip and allow top to pop off.

Second pair where most of egg was removed through intervention. Chicks allowed to kick free on their own to reduce bleeding. These guys really strong so odds are will do fine.

At start of incubation cycle the shells appeared typical. Diet was free-range with free-choice access to layer pellets that were consumed. Looks to me like chicks absorbed a lot of calcium from shell during last couple of days. All hatched are very robust and vigorous.

 

[centrarchid]

Brood is up and going with a total of 11. I am not able to discern chicks with thin shell hatching problems from those that were helped out.

 

[NatJ]

Very interesting account. Thanks for posting it!

I would not try to set soft-shell eggs, but I never thought the shells might get thinner during incubation, and I didn't realize the chicks need a hard shell to be able to hatch.

 

[centrarchid]

The chicks are doing well. They are approaching weaning age. I have been watching eggs in incubators and under other broody hens. Egg shells consistently thin in the last couple days, but generally no to degree where they collapse as shown with eggs above.

 

[centrarchid]

Hen is foreground is same as at beginning of thread. She us coming back into laying weight. One of her chicks moved into a brooder without my help.