anyone know if a membrane can restore moisture?

[my4ladies]

I had a high temp spike (110) very early on. I had cracked some eggs open that were in a spot in the 'bator that was actually 120 (wasn't aware til after the fact...those are the eggs i opened). The eggs I cracked had very tough membranes b/c of the high temp. I imagine even the 110 eggs' membranes were affected too. I haven't had a spike that high since though, and I've been keeping the humidity averaging 50%. Is it possible the membrane could soften up again so the chick can actually get through it?

For anyone who's noticed, sorry for the million questions....I just woke up with all these questions on my mind. I'm freaking out since lockdown is getting closer!!!!!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Have you candled since the temp spike and seen movement? Do you know how long they were at that temp for? I can't answer your question for sure, but I would GUESS that the membrane could soften back up. My bigger concern is the embryos surviving that temp spike...

 

[my4ladies]

To make a long story short: I thought I cooked them all, so I started cracking them open, starting from the hottest area: out of 8, several weren't even fertile, 1 stopped developing, 1 I killed when I opened it, so the last one I left in the 'bator.

I just candled it yesterday actually, and it's still alive ; )

A miracle to me! These were eggs that I had a lady "throw in" when I bought an over-priced silkie chick from her. I called my mom when i got home to use her 'bator, but she had sold it last year. So that night I whipped together a make-shift bator just to at least TRY to incubate them. My husband said to just ditch them. The lady I got them from was as sketchy as they come, so I didn't want to eat them, based on her telling me they were there for 4 days.

 

[my4ladies]

Oh, and we're on day 14

 

[Kedreeva]

The membranes probably won't change consistency once they've toughened. This is why shrink wrapped chicks have to be helped, because even cranking the humidity after causing this doesn't change the membrane. Applying water directly to the membrane will briefly 'soften' it when helping, but I don't think anything short of this will change it. Even when I have wet membranes that have shrunk or toughened directly, they will return to their former consistency rather quickly inside the incubator.

 

[my4ladies]

Could it at least pip do you think?

 

[Kedreeva]

Quote:
That depends on how tough the membrane is. If the membrane is actually tough by environmental factors (ie, your temp spike) and not the normal toughening of the membranes as it ages, then it's possible it won't be able to. It's also possible the chick will be strong enough to pip through it anyway, or that it is not as tough as you think it is.

 

[NaomiSarah]

I just had a chick struggle to get out of a tough membrane. It's head was poorly positioned too, and I helped very, very little. At one point in the hatch, it somehow got it's neck stuck on membrane/shell and was struggling to breathe from it. Though I still don't quite understand why mine had a tough membrane, the chick was so poorly positioned that I think it was too big from high humidity - maybe I had low humidity levels in the beginning of the hatch that caused it.

My chick didn't do well, but that's not to discourage you, just to prepare you that the tough membrane can be a nasty situation to deal with. I let the chick live for five days, but it never could eat without choking and choked on water and barely ever peeked it's eyes open, plus splay legs and a general lack of equilibrium - I culled it yesterday, either the hatch was just way too traumatic for it or it had something seriously wrong, which I wouldn't doubt given the head position when it hatched.

 

[my4ladies]

Thank you. And NaomiSarah, that's so sad