chick just sitting in the egg

[CindyG]

Well, not sitting exactly but you know what I mean. Other eggs hatched right on time on the 8th, this guy pipped, and made a little hole, and now he's doing nothing. I can see him in there, his beak and eye, and he is breathing, but doing nothing. Humidity is up, and there is no membrane showing, should I do something for him? I hate to think he'll just die in there. I have to work today, and maybe by the time I'm home he'll be out, but what if he isn't? I should be saying she as that is what I'm hoping for. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[pdsavage]

The poor little thing is wore out and will take breaks,it takes up to 24 hours to hatch...

 

[L0rraine]

I've had bad luck helping and bad luck waiting. I've seen great tips from some here that have helped with the hatch (after waiting sufficient time - 48 hours at least) so you might want to search for some of those posts ... and hope someone with more knowledge responds. It's hard to imagine until you've seen it, but there can be significant bleeding caused when trying to remove the shell and this severely compromises the life of the chick.

It can be pretty stressful either way for those of us faint of heart - but my husband, raised on a sheep farm, keeps trying to remind me that I have to let nature take it's course and just get used to it.

 

[CindyG]

Well, I helped him/her. Whether he lives or not, we'll see but for sure he wasn't getting out of that egg without me. I didn't realize just how shrink wrapped because I didn't think I saw any membrane through the little hole, that's because it was glued to him! I carefully picked it away, dampening it all the time, no blood but he still has some gunk attached, looks like what the other chicks left behind in their shells. Also, I think he may have pooped in there, and it was smelling kinda funky. So, he's back in the bator, I upped the temp to 100, and guess I leave him to see if he will get up? He's lying on his side, peeping. He did start kicking his leg as soon as I freed it from the membrane, so hope he's a fighter.

 

[chickee]

I had a chick in my last hatch that managed to make it out of her shell, but when I got home she was dragging half a shell around that was shrink wrapped around her wing and back! I couldn't open the incubator because other chicks had pipped. It was hard to watch!!

but finally after dragging the shell around for ten minutes it came off

She was lathargic compared to the other chicks and I had to keep dipping her beak in the water to make her drink. Now at 6 weeks she is much smaller than the other BLRW chicks, but she is the spunkiest, most active little girl and we named her peanut

So hang in there with your little guy, he may need some extra care for awhile, but he may surprise you and like our little peanut become the strongest chick of the batch

Oh, and the first chick of that hatch to pip, pipped low and took 31 hours to zip!!! When he finally popped the top of his egg off he was upside down with his feet sticking up in the air!! A true miracle!!!!

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BABY!

 

[RebekahNicole]

I say leave him. If he dies in the shell there was probably no chance he would have survived out of the shell. I know how hard it is to wait though. Make sure he doesn't get shrink wrapped by keeping any membrane moistened.

 

[CindyG]

Thanks all for the advice. I'm going to call her she from now on...she is in the incubator on a nice soft piece of fabric with paper towel sort of "bowled" up around her, temp is at 100, humidity is around 40% and she is still chirping and kicking her little legs. So, we'll see. BTW, it had been more than 48 hours since she pipped and the others hatched. I opened the other five eggs that had done nothing, one was a large chick, dead, upside down I think, I didn't have the heart to take it all the way out. The others were scrambled yolk. So, now I'll clean the bator they were in and get ready for my next eggs which should arrive this week. This could sure get to be a habit!!