Argh! Are the rest shrink wrapped too?

[alpinewelsummer]

So, I have 8 hatched quail (yay!), but they were knocking around the unhatched eggs a LOT, so I followed the advice I was given and removed each chick after watching each one nearly scramble its poor siblings.

But now I believe I have a shrink wrapped chick. She pipped externally and is breathing but her membrane is very white and opaque--I did assist just a bit and I'm waiting an hour or two to see what she does.

I really REALLY didn't want to open that incubator, but I was advised here to not let the eggs get rolled around. I guess the repeated openings built up and dried her out. I feel so awful.

There's two more eggs that haven't pipped externally yet. I planned to let them sit a few more days and see what happens, but now I'm terrified that they're dried out too. What should I do?

Thank you for any advice.

EDIT: I did add more water and wet paper towels each time, so the humidity always went back up quickly, I believe it was just going through that process 8 times that built up to the issue.

 

[Yardmom]

Up the humidity if it has not come back on its own. If you need to soften membrane use vegetable oil (not water). If you have to open again find a way to create more humidity. I use a shower, some mist the air.

 

[alpinewelsummer]

Up the humidity if it has not come back on its own. If you need to soften membrane use vegetable oil (not water). If you have to open again find a way to create more humidity. I use a shower, some mist the air.

She doesn't seem to want to push anymore. I think she's feeling beat. I see her breathing but she hasn't tried to push for hours. Should I just keep waiting?

 

[Ruby Rogue]

What day if incubation are you on?

Can you attach pics of what you believe to be the shrink wrapped egg/chick?

 

[alpinewelsummer]

What day if incubation are you on?

Can you attach pics of what you believe to be the shrink wrapped egg/chick?

Day 19, but she's been pipped/pushing for 24 hours now.

Unfortunately I used the olive/vegetable oil tip to moisten the visible membrane just before you commented, so she no longer 'looks' dried out.

 

[Kiki]

You said, "I did assist a little bit."
What exactly does that mean?

Clear picture of this particular egg please.

 

[alpinewelsummer]

By assist I mean I chipped away a bit of the shell, leaving the membrane, to give her a bit of a head start zipping.

It's difficult to get a clear picture without opening the bater again, but I tried. You can see the now olive-oil'd membrane plus just the little tip of her beak poking out.

You've offered so much help since I've got here, thank you.

 

[Kiki]

By assist I mean I chipped away a bit of the shell, leaving the membrane, to give her a bit of a head start zipping.

It's difficult to get a clear picture without opening the bater again, but I tried. You can see the now olive-oil'd membrane plus just the little tip of her beak poking out.

You've offered so much help since I've got here, thank you.

View attachment 2574693

Oh boy. You really really shouldn't open eggs like this. You will need to finish opening it but beware the chick may not be meant to be.

 

[Sammi_0411]

Just so u knoe i personally have no issues hatched quail always gona knock the eggs about most time it encourages them to hatch so i wouldnt panic on that note. Xx

 

[alpinewelsummer]

Oh boy. You really really shouldn't open eggs like this. You will need to finish opening it but beware the chick may not be meant to be.

Oh no. Could you explain what I did wrong? I followed the advice of holding with a warm wet wash cloth, gently breaking the shell with tweezers. Did I make too much of a "window" shape rather than "zipping", or do you just not recommended that assist method at all?

To be clear, I didn't mess with the membrane at all, just the outer shell.