candling eggs

[birdiefluff]

Hello all!
I have 5 flesh colored chicken eggs that I have my first time, young, broody hen sitting on. She hatched 2 out of the 7 so far. 1 died 2 days ago. The chick must've had an unabsorbed yolk sac and I didn't know what that problem was til the next day. I kept it under mama hen and I'm guessing she accidentally stepped on it and popped the sac and the baby died. Well, the 2nd chick hatched with that same problem. I made a quick make shift nursery inside my home and put hemmeroid cream on her tiny butt several times every couple hours or so and it completely went down and that chick is doing really well now. She's back under mama hen. The other 5 eggs is what I'm worried about though. They might have that same problem and should I intervene? The air bubble in each of the 5 eggs are at the bottom of each egg! I heard from this site that that is a problem? Thanks for any help y'all can give me!

 

[AltonaAcres]

The air-cell issue could mean the eggs had the wrong amount of moisture/temperature while they were under your hen. However, I hatched a chick in my incubator successfully even after a candling revealed she had a MAJOR detached air cell. It took up the whole bottom part of the egg and moved around when I moved the egg. My broody hen's developing eggs all had wonky air-cells, however she crushed all of them (she's 10+ pounds) so i wan't able to find out if the chicks would have made it. I wouldn't intervene, developing eggs (esp. when there're close to hatching) are in a very critical stage, and shouldnt be moved. I'd say, if your clutch of eggs is unsuccessfully hatching, to just let nature run it's course. 1st time broodies dont' always work out. sorry! Good luck!

 

[birdiefluff]

The air-cell issue could mean the eggs had the wrong amount of moisture/temperature while they were under your hen. However, I hatched a chick in my incubator successfully even after a candling revealed she had a MAJOR detached air cell. It took up the whole bottom part of the egg and moved around when I moved the egg. My broody hen's developing eggs all had wonky air-cells, however she crushed all of them (she's 10+ pounds) so i wan't able to find out if the chicks would have made it. I wouldn't intervene, developing eggs (esp. when there're close to hatching) are in a very critical stage, and shouldnt be moved. I'd say, if your clutch of eggs is unsuccessfully hatching, to just let nature run it's course. 1st time broodies dont' always work out. sorry! Good luck!

I candled them today and they're due to hatch from 14th Feb.-possibly 19th. They were moving inside the eggs, so I know they're alive. I just don't want them to die. If, I can help them, I'd love to. Especially since the 2nd one survived and is doing so well and I had to help it out of it's shell.

 

[birdiefluff]

Rose is a great setter and mama. She weighs I'm guessing around 6-8 lbs.

 

[AltonaAcres]

It's good there're moving! Surprised you saved the chick with it's yolk out! Yes, i would be ready and waiting to help the other chicks out, esp. since the 1st 2 are having issues. It's hard to know when to let the chick hatch, and when to help-out, but if you wait too long it's never good. Only do it if the egg has a medium sized crack, and you can tell the chick has been working for many hours. It always seems to take a lot of time and effort for the chick to break free, but it's whats supposed to happen. Hope your hatch is successful.