Broody hen started the pip

[Ginmary]

I have a Serama hen that was sitting on 2 eggs. We had ca

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dled them and both seemed OK. These were the 2 that survived the "Egg massacre" (see corresponding thread) where my BO and Ameraucana attacked and ate 5 from under the brooding Serama hen. Saturday, the 2 eggs when candled seemed close in hatching age both completely intact, no pips.

Sunday eve, both eggs had pips although we only heard peeping from one.
IN the middle of the night, the peeper started to zip and finally came out. There was no movement from the other, just the same pip. I picked a piece of shell off and it didn't look right. It was kind of olive green just "off" There was no sound whatsoever. I finally decided to chip away more of the shell and I started to notice an odor. That did it. I opened the egg.. it was a sloppy stinky mess. No recognizable chick, no feet wings or anything. No way a chick that pipped could have deteriorated into that mess. So....how did the pip get there? The hen must have pipped it herself. Is this common? Or maybe she did it accidentally when moving the eggs around.

 

[Kessel23]

If the shell was pushed upwards like a pip it was probably from gas build up leaking out. If it was pushed in like a crack then it likely came from an outside force like the hen. At least it did not explode over the other egg.

 

[chickens really]

Sorry but next time Brood your Hen in a separate cage..Best wishes next time..

 

[Ginmary]

She is already in an enclosed coop. Yes, if you read the other thread I admitted that it was my fault for not moving her into an enclosed area sooner. This thread is not about the loss of the other eggs, but about the pip that appeared on the egg that was no good.

 

[Ginmary]

If the shell was pushed upwards like a pip it was probably from gas build up leaking out. If it was pushed in like a crack then it likely came from an outside force like the hen. At least it did not explode over the other egg.

I wish I could remember what the crack looked like. It must have been from mama when she was moving the egg because when I opened it, it was just mush and did not appear to have any gas. Maybe she was tired of brooding and decided to start the process...lol I am certainly glad it didn't explode....yuck!