Can movement inside egg be from infection?

[Rena]

Weirdo story:

I have an incubator that we mostly loan out to my kids' schools. The last couple of hatches haven't worked out, which I assumed was user error, but decided to try some eggs at home to make sure the incubator is functioning properly. Tried some eggs myself, still nothing. Decided that maybe our old rooster just isn't fertile anymore. To test this out, I got some eggs from a neighbor lady who has chickens and roosters to see if hers would develop in my incubator.

This is where things get odd..

Neighbor lady brought 7 eggs she insisted were 'from this morning' (yesterday). I didn't get around to doing anything with them for about 18 hours. Some were filthy. Candled them and some were cracked. Just not good quality eggs. Candled the last one, and... ahh! Definitely a chick in this egg. And it appeared to be moving. Based on the size, air pocket, etc, I would estimate about 16 days. Normal looking, strong veining, nothing notable. Not knowing what to do, I put it in the incubator. But, this is after it sat on my counter all day and also took a ride in the car. I can't imagine it's possibly alive? All I can think is that it appears to be moving because it is an old, dead egg and has bacteria or something in there. Is there a way to test this out?

I don't want to give up on the little guy if there is really a chance he's living, but given the circumstances it seems impossible. He would have to be some kind of magical zombie chick. Would would be neat I guess, but not probable.

I should add, this is definitely not *just* like a huge nasty ball of infection. It is assuredly chicken shaped with matching air space size and visible veins. Of course that does not rule out well-developed, bacteria-infested dead chick.

What should I do?

 

[chicknmania]

Yeah, it could still be alive. Probably a rooster.

Give it a chance and see what happens.

 

[beetandsteet]

I like the idea of the zombie chick

But seriously, sometimes baby chicks do defy odds. Give him a chance! If there are veins in the egg I highly doubt it would be dead. Death is generally indicated by a halo of blood. And if he is moving....I would say he's alive. Please keep us updated!!! Super curious to see what happens.

 

[Rena]

I looked again this morning and I really think the chick is presently living. This is shocking to me because based on when he was 'collected' he was sitting out for a minimum of 24 hours.. and who knows if it could have been longer.

Not knowing how far along it is, I am not sure how to set the incubator. It looks like between 15 and 18 days based on my best guess, but it is also a tiny silkie egg which is not something with which I have experience. I haven't been turning it in case it is close, but as to humidity and such not sure what to do. I imagine the shock of being dead for a day or so might leave him too weak to hatch anyway.. stay tuned, I will update if anything notable happens in case anyone is curious.

Side note, neighbor still swears she has no broody hens and collects the eggs every day... obviously not :\ Maybe she missed this egg 15 times in a row because it's so tiny, but I still think this whole mess is just incredibly strange and confusing.

 

[beetandsteet]

That really is strange. I would say leave the humidity around 45% until you see him do an external pip. Then raise the humidity to 70%
Actually, if the embryo is as old as you say, he was probably producing his own body heat, which could have helped him survive the 24 hours without incubation
Yes, pls update! I'm super curious

 

[chicknmania]

A few years ago, I had a favorite pullet go broody, only, at the time, we didn't know she was. She left the nest for a walk one day, and we found her scattered feathers outside the barn, and she never came back. Then I found the nest. I knew it was hers because it was where she always laid, and she had green eggs. I left them for a day or two... and no other hen ever showed an interest in them, so I was doubly sure they had been hers. Then I was talking to someone and asked if he thought the eggs might still hatch. By this time they'd been cold way over twenty four hours. He said yes, so I put them in an incubator, and one did hatch eventually. Just one, but that was enough.

The same person who told me yeah, they might hatch, was at one time a manager at a poultry farm. I remember him telling me a story that once, for whatever reason, they disconnected an incubator, and the eggs were left inside. Over forty eight hours after the incubator was cold, some of the eggs began hatching. He said "there were chicks all over the place!". So yes, it does happen. Chickens are amazing.

 

[Rena]

Okay, so zombie chick has a pip today. I haven't heard anything or seen any movement, but the pip is right in the spot where one would expect it, so maybe he's really going to try to come back from the dead.

...Or, the bacteria in the egg is making it explode and in a couple of hours I am going to have a horrific mess. As several of the other eggs I was given the same day as this one were cracked upon arrival (and were carried around loose in a Tupperware container), maybe this is just the weak spot on the shell where it was previously damaged.

Stay tuned, I'll update either way.

 

[chicknmania]

Oooh, I hope it's a chick!

 

[Saris]

I hope it's a chick too!

 

[beetandsteet]

*suspense* I hope there's a chick! And that he hatches!