Adventures in Incubating Shipped Eggs

[Cerise1924]

Short story: My 4th Maran is out! I ended up making my first assisted hatch.

For those interested in the long version: The egg got rolled into a position where I could finally see what was going on. I could tell that it really wasn't turning and zipping. It had made one big, wide, hole with its beak, and all further progress was because it was splitting the egg open by sheering pushing. Because of the huge air sac saddle running along the side of the shell, I think it was simply too big to turn in the remaining space. The membrane was turning brown, the feathers sticking through the gap were dry, and it had been pushing away for over an hour with no further progress.

It didn't do anything fancy. I took out the egg and put it on a warm towel. At first I chipped carefully away with tweezers, but it was soon very clear there were no blood vessels. So I just pulled the egg slightly further apart at the split line the chick had already made, and put it back it. The chick immediately pushed it completely open and crawled out loudly complaining that it had enough of that shell! It's bumbling about the incubator with the rest of them now.

I guess it's possible it could have pushed itself out eventually, but hearing @WVduckchick stories about partial-zip deaths, I'm very glad I helped.

Thank you so much for all the helpful advice and encouragement!

Well done! Thanks for the long version. It is always helpful to hear hatching stories, and I am so glad this one had a happy ending!

How is the Orpington doing?

 

[WVduckchick]

Short story: My 4th Maran is out! I ended up making my first assisted hatch.

For those interested in the long version: The egg got rolled into a position where I could finally see what was going on. I could tell that it really wasn't turning and zipping. It had made one big, wide, hole with its beak, and all further progress was because it was splitting the egg open by sheering pushing. Because of the huge air sac saddle running along the side of the shell, I think it was simply too big to turn in the remaining space. The membrane was turning brown, the feathers sticking through the gap were dry, and it had been pushing away for over an hour with no further progress.

It didn't do anything fancy. I took out the egg and put it on a warm towel. At first I chipped carefully away with tweezers, but it was soon very clear there were no blood vessels. So I just pulled the egg slightly further apart at the split line the chick had already made, and put it back it. The chick immediately pushed it completely open and crawled out loudly complaining that it had enough of that shell! It's bumbling about the incubator with the rest of them now.

I guess it's possible it could have pushed itself out eventually, but hearing @WVduckchick stories about partial-zip deaths, I'm very glad I helped.

Thank you so much for all the helpful advice and encouragement!

So glad to hear it made it! I don't normally try to encourage folks who don't want to assist to go ahead and do it, but after seeing a few fully zip and not get out, its just so heartbreaking. Assisting is a personal choice, in my opinion. But assisting one that has actually started to zip is so much less risk. If it started, then its pretty much ready! Others will say that nature stepped in and we shouldn't intercede. But I think we have already done that by using an artificial incubator anyway!

At any rate, I'm so glad your little one made it out safely.

 

[Morrigan]

Well done! Thanks for the long version. It is always helpful to hear hatching stories, and I am so glad this one had a happy ending!

How is the Orpington doing?

Still just a pip. Nothing happening with the other egg.

 

[Zinjifrah]

For anyone who has assisted before, doesn't removing a pipped egg shrink-wrap the chick? I would risk it as a last resort, but trying to figure out exactly how risky it is.

I didn't use a hot paper towel, or a heating pad, for Tiny. I used a pair of tweezers, and a q-tip soaked in vegetable oil - it's the only oil I had on hand. Chipped away a little, wiped the exposed membrane with oil, and put it back in for about fifteen minutes to see if the chick would take over. Then out for a bit more off, and back in, until I had the top off and Tiny sort of exploded out, cussing at me. Then I put chick-on-the-half-shell back inside, to finish climbing out of the bottom part by itself.

From my first batch of Seramas, I helped out the last chick to hatch, Copper. It had pipped just fine, and was zipping well, but somehow managed to shove a leg out through the zip and couldn't seem to get any leverage. Every time it stretched to push, the leg slid out further, and when it relaxed the egg pinched down on it. I just reached in and finished the crack across the zip, without taking the egg out.

 

[Morrigan]

I just moved the Marans out to the brooder. I'm liking the EcoGlow brooder. I put them under it, and they calmed right down. They are just starting to get comfortable enough to wander out.

The one I helped is resting and hasn't come out from under the brooder yet (I peeked under and its fine, just resting). I'll always know which one that it is, because it turns out it's not a lavender. It's black with a white chest. It must have been the bonus maran egg.

Still waiting on the pipped Orp. egg. I candled the remaining Orp. egg when I moved the marans out. No internal pip, no movement. I left it in but am 95% sure its dead.

 

[Cerise1924]

I just moved the Marans out to the brooder. I'm liking the EcoGlow brooder. I put them under it, and they calmed right down. They are just starting to get comfortable enough to wander out.

View attachment 1413038 View attachment 1413039

The one I helped is resting and hasn't come out from under the brooder yet (I peeked under and its fine, just resting). I'll always know which one that it is, because it turns out it's not a lavender. It's black with a white chest. It must have been the bonus maran egg.

Still waiting on the pipped Orp. egg. I candled the remaining Orp. egg when I moved the marans out. No internal pip, no movement. I left it in but am 95% sure its dead.

Your Marans chicks are lovely! Thanks for the input on the EcoGlow. The (similar) Titan Electric Hen that I got has great reviews. I did set up two brooders, so I might use it in the second brooder. I feel encouraged that you are happy with your heating plate.

 

[Cerise1924]

I have officially lost my mind waiting for "Cecelia" - the last, lonely egg in the warmer incubator - to pip. I am now singing to the egg every time I walk into the room...
(Cue the 70s music)
"Cecelia, start breaking that shell
I really can't tell if your hatching
Oh, Cecelia, I'm down on my knees
I'm begging you please to come out"


(You young'uns, just ignore me. In fact, everyone ignore me. This insanity will pass.)

 

[Rebel58]

Short story: My 4th Maran is out! I ended up making my first assisted hatch.

For those interested in the long version: The egg got rolled into a position where I could finally see what was going on. I could tell that it really wasn't turning and zipping. It had made one big, wide, hole with its beak, and all further progress was because it was splitting the egg open by sheer pushing. Because of the huge air sac saddle running along the side of the shell, I think it was simply too big to turn in the remaining space. The membrane was turning brown, the feathers sticking through the gap were dry, and it had been pushing away for over an hour with no further progress.

It didn't do anything fancy. I took out the egg and put it on a warm towel. At first I chipped carefully away with tweezers, but it was soon very clear there were no blood vessels. So I just pulled the egg slightly further apart at the split line the chick had already made, and put it back it. The chick immediately pushed it completely open and crawled out loudly complaining that it had enough of that shell! It's bumbling about the incubator with the rest of them now.

I guess it's possible it could have pushed itself out eventually, but hearing @WVduckchick stories about partial-zip deaths, I'm very glad I helped.

Thank you so much for all the helpful advice and encouragement!

 

[WVduckchick]

I have officially lost my mind waiting for "Cecelia" - the last, lonely egg in the warmer incubator - to pip. I am now singing to the egg every time I walk into the room...
(Cue the 70s music)
"Cecelia, start breaking that shell
I really can't tell if your hatching
Oh, Cecelia, I'm down on my knees
I'm begging you please to come out"


(You young'uns, just ignore me. In fact, everyone ignore me. This insanity will pass.)

love it!

Luckily, I'm about to leave work, so I'll be able to turn on the radio and stop singing along with you.

 

[WVduckchick]

For the youngsters