alpinewelsummer
Songster
- Mar 15, 2021
- 179
- 272
- 146
Hey all, I had a chick die after pipping in the wrong spot today and I just need to know what to do in these situations in the future.
I noticed today that a chick had pipped in the middle of the egg, far away from the air cell, but having had plenty chicks/ducklings pip at the wrong end and still hatch fine, I left it alone for a few hours. Its beak was still poking out and breathing so, I didn't worry.
--after that few hours, I noticed the beak had receded and the membrane where it had pipped wasn't ""breathing"", but I again sat on my hands because I know that assisting too soon can do way more harm than good.
A few moments ago it had been well over 12 hours and I couldn't help myself anymore, I grabbed the egg out and candled to see if the chick had turned around and "re-pipped" properly into the air cell this time. No movement, no internal pip, and I also saw a red bloody ring between the dark shadow of the chick and the air cell. I ONLY continued because I was 90% sure the chick was dead already, and I went ahead and started chipping away at the air cell end, following the safety hole/slowly zipping method you'd do with an assisted hatch.
Sure enough, little one was long dead.
It was all purple/blue-ish like it had ran out of oxygen, its beak tucked back under its wing, which is why I'm thinking it just couldn't breathe after making its small pip in the wrong spot. It also had a very veeery unabsorbed yolk, half its size, with a sickly green/dark tone. I'm not sure if the yolk discolored after death or just had something wrong with it.
I'm wondering for future reference, what to do about a chick who you think might suffocate, without over-assisting and drying them out, ect? I can't help the feeling that the chick would be alive had I helped sooner, but it was nowhere near the typical 24 hour mark that you would typically wait to assist.
I noticed today that a chick had pipped in the middle of the egg, far away from the air cell, but having had plenty chicks/ducklings pip at the wrong end and still hatch fine, I left it alone for a few hours. Its beak was still poking out and breathing so, I didn't worry.
--after that few hours, I noticed the beak had receded and the membrane where it had pipped wasn't ""breathing"", but I again sat on my hands because I know that assisting too soon can do way more harm than good.
A few moments ago it had been well over 12 hours and I couldn't help myself anymore, I grabbed the egg out and candled to see if the chick had turned around and "re-pipped" properly into the air cell this time. No movement, no internal pip, and I also saw a red bloody ring between the dark shadow of the chick and the air cell. I ONLY continued because I was 90% sure the chick was dead already, and I went ahead and started chipping away at the air cell end, following the safety hole/slowly zipping method you'd do with an assisted hatch.
Sure enough, little one was long dead.
It was all purple/blue-ish like it had ran out of oxygen, its beak tucked back under its wing, which is why I'm thinking it just couldn't breathe after making its small pip in the wrong spot. It also had a very veeery unabsorbed yolk, half its size, with a sickly green/dark tone. I'm not sure if the yolk discolored after death or just had something wrong with it.I'm wondering for future reference, what to do about a chick who you think might suffocate, without over-assisting and drying them out, ect? I can't help the feeling that the chick would be alive had I helped sooner, but it was nowhere near the typical 24 hour mark that you would typically wait to assist.
