Can someone explain how a chick drowns in its shell?

[Kelly FG]

My chicken books don't go into detail AT ALL. A few people mentioned they think my fully developed dead chick may have drowned, please explain what that means & why it happens?
Thank you!

 

[jessica117]

There is still a bit of fluid inside the egg before it hatches (that's why a new chick comes out all wet.) If the chick starts pipping and cuts off blood flow from the air sac (that's how it's been "breathing" thus far) and doesn't get it's head out to get fresh air it will drown/suffocate.

This is my understanding of it.

Jess

 

[Guitartists]

I could be horribly wrong... but I think it can happen one of two ways.....

the air cell is not where it should be whether because it detached or because the egg was placed upside down when set, and the liquid in the egg runs into the air cell when the chick pips the membrane INSIDE the egg.....

or...

The humidity is too high during incubation and the air cell does not get large enough to allow the chick to pip into the cell and breathe prior to hatching.....

and maybe.....

too high of humidity in the last 3 days can increase the amount of fluid in the egg prior to pipping????????????

 

[rooster-red]

Quote:
Correct.

Also if the humidity is too high during the first 18 days the egg will not shed the right amount of fluid.

A hatching egg should lose fluid weight as the hatch progresses, leaving more air space in the air cell.

 

[Kelly FG]

this egg was under a broody....what could I have done to prevent this humidity problem?

 

[Guitartists]

If it was under a broody, I can;t imagine that you can do much of anything, except maybe create a more stable environment for her to sit in.

 

[WriterofWords]

I don't see how a chick could drown under a broody. I have a feeling it was something completely different. That is just my own opinion.

 

[Kelly FG]

she had a perfectly clean, hay filled nest for 21 days.

 

[Guitartists]

Well, there are many things that can go wrong, even if everything seems "right" They cannot ALL make it, even under the best of conditions.

 

[Kelly FG]

oh and there was no pip.
I QUICKLY candled the egg late on day 22 because everyone that set eggs the same day as me had chicks already, could that have done it?
Here's the pic of the baby we finally opened the egg at day 25
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8d829b3127ccec4058388d0cf00000026108AYtnDdy3bswe3nwk