Day 20: Cracked egg

[lzufelt]

Hi All,

Can someone PLEASE help! I am on day 20 and my first egg has cracked. I don't see a pip. There is a long crack that seems to be going the all the way around the width (NOT Pointy ends), almost as if the chick out grew the egg and is pushing the egg open!

Is this normal? It it okay? Will it harm my chick? Did I do something wrong???

I have always heard that a pip comes first but its like it skipped that step and went straight to a zip!!!!!

 

[lzufelt]

 

[lazy gardener]

Interesting. Do you see any movement, hear any chirping?

 

[ChicKat]

Perhaps it is growing too big and pushed a crack -- Maybe it is resting now and absorbing the egg sack. I have had them hatch on day 20 -- so maybe just let nature take its course - and keep us updated on what happens.

good luck!

 

[lzufelt]

I think I have heard chirping but only one wee chirp at a time. And I have sren a few of the eggs move, but not the one that has cracked.

It looks to me like only the outer shell has cracked. I can still see the lineing inside of the egg.

Thank you for your help!

 

[lzufelt]

Update: this is what I just came home to. It looks like the chick has turned te egg over! Does this look like a good sign?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Your egg looks ok! It has made its external pip and the membrane has broken so the chick is getting air. Leaving it be now is the best option it will still have yolk and blood vessels to absorb. I'm one for letting nature take its course chicks that hatch on their own are the healthiest birds.

Good luck and hope you have a new baby soon

 

[lzufelt]

It is taking FOREVER!!!!
I also have made the decision to let them hatch on their own; both for my well being as well as theirs.

I have boughten a tube to poor water in for the humidity down, I read that you shouldn't get water on the eggs during lockdown but will a few drops be so bad? I don't want to open the incubator anymore! Any tips or tricks?

 

[ChicKat]

Hang in there --- you need to have patience (easier said than done!)

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

It does seem to take forever yes but from that external pip it could be 24 hours before it actually hatches or it could be only a few hours. My last hatch I had one that was externally pipped for 23 hours before hatch and another only about 6 hours. Depends on each individual chick and every hatch is different.

If you can try not to get water on I'm sure one or two drops won't hurt. My first incubator that I had i fashioned a syringe so that it would go through one of the vent holes in the base to add water. I don't use that incubator any more so the syringe got binned but I know @Ridgerunner has a pic of a similar method for getting water into the incubator with out opening it.