Day 22 - dead or alive? :(

[Sally Sunshine]

and I apologize, I am on and off today. We are having some storms that keep knocking me offline like I said the diary thread has people that can help if you need it and cannot find help at the moment. just post and ask someone is usually online.

 

[chook27]

Dear Sally,

Thanks for your reply. Nobody knows what my humidity is at as I have no means of measuring it! I just make sure the water compartments are full and I don't open the door too frequently.

No news on the pipped egg. It looks just the same and chick has not broken through the out membrane, but a tiny piece of shell is missing. I am tempted to assist and free its little beak to see if it is still alive. I was thinking I could add a new damp paper towel at the same time as some of the edges of the old one look a little dry and I wonder if the is the same of the membrane of the egg!

 

[JLaw]

You should buy a hygrometer. You can get a cheap 8 dollar one from walmart. I'm not sure where your located so you may not have walmart if in another country. But here is a link of one of the ones I have in my bator right now. http://www.walmart.com/ip/AcuRite-Digital-Humidity-and-Temperature-Monitor/16888914

The temp will be higher at top of bator compared to where the eggs are. Heat rises so what you need is the temp at eggs to be at the correct temp. If you had it drop or maybe had a cool spot in bator that could slow down your development of chick in egg making it hatch later.

Once you are on lock down you should probably lightly mist the eggs when you open the bator to help keep them from loosing too much moisture. Really its lock down shouldn't open anyways. wait till day 23 then open collect chicks that are out and see if you want to leave others in for a few days or so and see if they hatch or not.

jlaw

 

[chook27]

Hi jlaw,

thank you very much for your reply, it is very much appreciated!

I'm in the UK and nowhere near any big towns, but will definitely get one before my next hatch. Not really sure if or what to do different though apart from filling both trays or misting the eggs.

It's day 23 and I have had another look. Still no sign of life in the 3 remaining fully developed looking eggs. The fourth one is still alive, but only ever moves or chirps when being handled. It is making no attempt to fully pip or zip. Not sure what to think of it. It goes manic when being handled, so I am wondering if it does need help. I have made a tiny whole in the outer membrane when it had pipped and when I did that it gave one massive knock from the inside and crack the egg a bit further, but still not breaking through the membrane. If I class the two knocks it made (both of which while being held as it never ever moves while in the incubator) as a zip line, it is zipping the wrong way.

So far I have made one little hole in the outer membrane and put it back in the incubator. I can't really see anything through this whole but its beak is definitely there. Any advise? I would feel better if the other chicks had only hatched the day before or so, but they hatched 2 to 3 days ago now and the other 3 remaining seem lifeless.

Assist some more or not?

 

[chook27]

Just a quick update to say, that the chick has hatched by itself, but it does not look too happy. It seems it has bleed quite a bit and it is resting a lot. I have not yet opened the incubator and just leaving it there for now. It has also not fluffed up although it looks reasonably dry. I will try and post some pics later, perhaps somebody has some advise on how to help it? Thanks.

 

[luckyfan101]

Hey there! I have a similar problem with my eggs. Today is the 28th day, and my duck eggs haven't started hatching. When I candle them, they are still moving. But I don't understand what's going on with them. Please help!

 

[Silkies~Polishes]

luckyfan101,

don't worry sometimes eggs will hatch a day late with no issues. 2 of my 11 ancona duck eggs hatched early at day 25 yesterday and they seem to be pretty normal, slightly weaker than ducklings hatching at the right time but its pretty clear that they'll make it. if your eggs are still moving they seem fine, just give them another day. By day 30 noipped you may want to poke a hole in the air cell side of the egg and make sure they are not shrink wrapped and cant get out. A couple weeks ago I had some chicks who still hadn't hatched on day 24 I poked a hole in the egg to see if they were alive and they were completely shrink wrapped. It was so sad I saw their little faces and beaks through the membrane! I felt so bad that I had waited too long.

chook27,

maybe once it gets more rest try giving it a warm wash under the faucet with some gentle shampoo? it could have some goey stuff stuck to it preventing it from fluffing out. In my experience chicks fluff out in a couple hours.

 

[chook27]

I have taken the chick out and put it with the others in the brooder. No sign of life in any of the other eggs. Would you pip one to see what is going on?

 

[Silkies~Polishes]

I would if you don't see any movement

 

[cubbysan]

maybe once it gets more rest try giving it a warm wash under the faucet with some gentle shampoo? it could have some goey stuff stuck to it preventing it from fluffing out. In my experience chicks fluff out in a couple hours.

I had a chick hatch yesterday, day 30 and looked like it was shrink wrapped. He tried for three days to get out of his shell, so my husband helped him. It is 24 hours now, and he appears still half wet and has shell stuck on him. He is now in the brooder. I am afraid to give him a warm wash, he is so tiny and he had so a hard start. Would it hurt if I waited?