Day 22 - Hatching late and having trouble

[Jubaby]

Today is day 22 for my cuckoo marans eggs. I've had some low temperature fluctuations due to my house being cooler this time of year.

Well my first chick had trouble getting out of the shell. The top of the shell stuck to its head and it couldn't get free. I finally had to rescue it and put a few drops of warm water to get the shell unstuck.

It has been out of the egg for a few hours and in the incubator, but never dried out. It still looked wet. It was laying on its back and moving, but never got up and walked around. So I opened the bator again. This time it is stuck to the top of another egg, and it's wing is stuck to it's head. So I carefully removed it, and dampened a warm paper towel and held it for a few minutes. It is all crusty and hard on the outside, not soft and fluffy.

Anyways, it's not looking too good. Two other chicks are out of the shell and doing okay, and one more is pipped.

Any thought about what's wrong with this chick and how to help it?

 

[Jubaby]

Oh - Humidity in the incubator is running about 74-75%.

 

[Jessika]

I had this happen with one of my EE hatch...I have no clue why but it did. I had to pop the tops off then use ear cleaners to get them free of the shell. Funny thing is I had ops in there with them hatching just fine...no problems. I never did figure out what caused it.

The poor little guys kept sticking to everything they touched in the bator...the floor..wall..another egg. I had to wash the little guys with warm water via a ear cleaner (Q-tip) and some still had shell stuck to them. After washing them I put them back in bator to dry off. 2 weeks later and they are all fine.

Good luck!

 

[swtangel321]

Are your vent plugs open ??

 

[the1much]

ive JUST had this happen with 2 of mine out of 40,, i think them eggers just dry out too fast,, that crusty stuff i think is the membrane , 1 of mine was a black game, poor dude lost half his feathers on his back,,, bet he loves the heat lol

 

[Jubaby]

Yes, vent plug is open.

After I re-moistened it a little and rub the wet paper towel all over. I put it back in the incubator. It seems more lively and it wobbling around a bit. Maybe it just got too dry too fast.