Day 22 - dead or alive? :(

[chickenoverlord]

Yeah, give him some warm mash and water, he needs the energy. I would try giving him some electrolytes as well.

 

[Silkies~Polishes]

I think its okay to wait, they're just not as cute that way! haha. Likely it wont be affected as long as there is no sticky stuff covering its eyes, beak, or bottom. But if you do want to get the gunk off the chick as long as the water is warm and they have a warm enough spot under the heat lamp it wont chill. My duckling that hatched yesterday I have had to wash twice and it didn't seem cold or uncomfortable, it was just making a normal amount of happy peeps. It had a tough time hatching too but its getting a little better!

 

[cubbysan]

Thank you! I think the other chick might have helped clean him up, the shell pieces are now gone. Still sticky on his back. It is amazing how these chicks get stronger by the hour.

 

[chook27]

This morning I tried to open the eggs to see what was going on. The one with the biggest air chamber was a dud, no chick in there at all although it looked like it when candling the egg. It was just milky none see through yolk type stuff, yuck! Egg number one there is the fully developed chicken in there, but no live. There is no blood vessels to be seen. Egg number 3 there is/was a live chick in there, but I think I have killed it now.

When I picked up the egg I saw that there was a pip on the side and now I did not obey the wait, wait, wait rule as they are so overdue and the membrane looked completely dry, so I broke a bit of it! big mistake! It was not dry it was because the membrane thereunder was still full of blood vessels and the chick was clearly malpresented.
I have put it back in the incubator, but I could not stop the bleeding. I presume it will be bled out before long? Anybody done this and the chick still lived? Thanks.

 

[chickenoverlord]

The chick may not live, but I did worse the First time I hatched and the chick lived. Deep breath, it's your first time.

 

[JLaw]

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.

The filling of both trays can be a problem. The trays don't take into account the humidity out side the bator or the humidity that the eggs produce. I use a hovabator genesis 1588. I don't keep any tray full at any time. I have an ac unit right now in window cooling room/ removeing humidity. I add 2-4 tsp of water each day to keep it above 30%. If I kept the trays full I would be crazy humidity in the bater and my chicks would die. That is why you need a hygrometer to see what the humidity is in the bator. It helps with development and with the final hatching also the air sack.

 

[chook27]

Please help! Any advise will be appreciated.

Thanks for all the advise so far. I will definitely get a hydrometer before the next hatch, no point sending yourself insane not knowing what is really going on.

I just checked and the chick that I messed with is still alive. Should I carry on leaving it well alone or should I try and help? I can't see it's beak or anything and is had not done a pip into the air pocket of the egg (this is actually all open now as I thought I saw the beak there, but it wasn't. So the egg is actually open in two places! one pip on the side and the hole I made by the air pocket. I really wish I had left it alone, but it seemed distressed and the membranes looked all dry, so I thought I was doing more good than harm! I am still not 100% sure if it is malpositioned or not.

Any advise?

 

[misschickenlittle]

Weap it in a wet paper towel and start peeling the shell off. If it bleeds stop and use a q-tip with flour or corn starch to stop the bleeding. Then put it back in the bator and wait. Keep humidity up and watch the membrane for signs of dryin out. You can use q-tips toloisten it as it drys out. Yiu may have a crusty chick but if you are patient... I had to do this the last 2 days and have 2 beautiful chicks! Best of luck!!

 

[chook27]

misschickenlittle,

Thank you very much for your reply. I have waited quite some time now. Would you peel every few hours or as soon as you think the bleeding has stopped? I am just not too sure where to start peeling now? Go back to the hole on it's side? Where it had actually made a pip and I thought its beak was? Or carry on at the top where its beak might be now? I would really like to be sure I am doing the right thing now as earlier I thought it was dying.

Why is it not making any effort?!

Also by peeling, do you just mean the shell or would you try to break a little of the membrane, trying to avoid any blood vessels?

Thanks.

 

[chook27]

Update:

Ok, I am sure it is malpositioned. It's beak is at the original pip sight (ok, that was to be expected) which is well below the air sack line and it seems to be trying to pip lengthways further away from the air sack towards the narrow end of the egg. I have help it along a little, taking off mostly shell and making the membrane hole a little bigger. I cranked up the humidity in the incubator and put it back to see if it will now carry on by itself (but knowing it it likes to do nothing while it is in there with no company!). Not sure what to think of it all. The membranes look all dry and there are hardly (if any) blood vessels left.

Would anybody peel it all or let nature take it's course? (Whatever the outcome might be!)