3
333113
Guest
Thought some folks might want to see an assisted hatch gone right.
This chickie's dad is our red brown Ameraucana who won best of breed for us at the Tulsa State Fair. The mom is out of our line of production Buff Orpingtons, not show quality due to smaller size, but good layers and broodies.
Chickie was in one of several eggs "left behind" by the broody mom during a recent hatch. I always check the eggs remaining after a hatch. They are usually all no-go, but this egg had a live chick, a few days behind the ones who hatched.
Chickie pipped at the narrow end of the egg, which is a caution sign. When I candled, I could see his head was not in the air cell.
To help, I peeled away the shell first starting at the pip hole, leave the heavy white membrane in place.
Then I carefully peeled back the white membrane, leaving the clear membrane with the veins in place. As soon as I saw a little bleeding, I stopped. But with some shell and membrane removed like that, he had room to grow, and to absorb the yolk. I put him back in the incubator for a while, to progress on his own.
When I checked a few hour later, the veins had dried up quite a bit so I was able to peel back the white membrane, too. I used a damp cotton swab to roll back the rest of the clear membrane. Then I put him back in the incubator, again, to progress on his own.
When I checked again, the top part of his body had emerged. I removed the broken eggshell bits.
As I expected, by the time I checked on him again, he had absorbed the yolk, exited the shell, and was calling for company!
I put him into the brooder with another recently hatched chick, a Delaware. Both are doing great.
This chickie's dad is our red brown Ameraucana who won best of breed for us at the Tulsa State Fair. The mom is out of our line of production Buff Orpingtons, not show quality due to smaller size, but good layers and broodies.
Chickie was in one of several eggs "left behind" by the broody mom during a recent hatch. I always check the eggs remaining after a hatch. They are usually all no-go, but this egg had a live chick, a few days behind the ones who hatched.
Chickie pipped at the narrow end of the egg, which is a caution sign. When I candled, I could see his head was not in the air cell.
To help, I peeled away the shell first starting at the pip hole, leave the heavy white membrane in place.
Then I carefully peeled back the white membrane, leaving the clear membrane with the veins in place. As soon as I saw a little bleeding, I stopped. But with some shell and membrane removed like that, he had room to grow, and to absorb the yolk. I put him back in the incubator for a while, to progress on his own.
When I checked a few hour later, the veins had dried up quite a bit so I was able to peel back the white membrane, too. I used a damp cotton swab to roll back the rest of the clear membrane. Then I put him back in the incubator, again, to progress on his own.
When I checked again, the top part of his body had emerged. I removed the broken eggshell bits.
As I expected, by the time I checked on him again, he had absorbed the yolk, exited the shell, and was calling for company!
I put him into the brooder with another recently hatched chick, a Delaware. Both are doing great.
