Biology of Eggs: punctures?

[Avie]

How could a punctured egg possibly hatch? Yet, I've read of cases where it did!

One of my new eggs from CA arrived with a punctured spot (egg white bulging out). I'm not upset about this because, uh, "thems the breaks"

...but it made me curious. I've been reading about eggs where the membrane has broken. Some people have talked about having eggs like that that hatch in spite of the hole in the membrane.

How could that be? Does the chick have an immune system that kicks in when the blood vessels reach the spot with the bacteria? Or do egg whites have something that makes them naturally resistant to bacteria?

It's all very interesting. I don't know if I will have any chicks hatch this spring, but I sure have learned a lot.

 

[cameronfarm]

Commercial hatcheries / IPP's puncture the eggs to vaccinate the chicks in egg. I was surprised myself, but apparently in controlled conditions it does not have a significant reduction in hatch rates. Thats about all I know about it I have never tried it or seen it in real life.

 

[msheets]

I have a chicken egg in my bator now that had it's membrane break. I dropped it & it cracked halfway around the egg, it had blood running down the side so I thought it would be a goner...that was a week ago & after patching it up with unscented candlewax I candled it a day or so ago & it's still developing. I'm surprised since I thought they only survive when the membane is still intact but I guess it depends.

 

[12321]

Quote:
Interesting! Keep us updated. Do you remember what day it was on when it broke? When is hatch day?

 

[msheets]

I dropped it around day 5-7, can't remember exactly & today is day 15. It happened to crack on the side the chick/veins were laying which was bad luck but so far so good. I'll keep y'all updated, the hatch date is the 17th but they may be a day or 2 behind since I lowered the temp for my emu eggs...

 

[yinepu]

I've patched a bunch over the years.. some develop only to die in the last few days (bacterial infection)
others don't develop at all
others develop and hatch fine


bacterial infection is the key

if no harmful bacteria has breached the puncture.. then the egg can continue to develop and hatch just fine..

if the harmful bacteria HAS entered.. then it will either go rotten on you or the chicks will die in the shell