Desperate need of help please!

[chicks are life]

When they start to hatch take the babies away into an incubator

 

[Dovemaiden]

I can tell you a little trick I learned this year from some of the Japanese breeders--- and it has worked for me several times without a hitch.

I've taught it to a couple of other breeders and it's been successful for them as well.

If you have an egg broken open like that in the future; and it is close to hatching, take a small plastic sandwich bag (the old fashioned kind that doesn't have the zip lock top) and place the egg in the bottom of the bag, small end down, big end up, like normal.

You can buy these bags for 150 in a package. The cost is low.
' Walmart or the grocery store carry them.
I think the are Glad brand, but I'm not sure.

Put the egg with the chick open on top back in the incubator in the nesting trays, not loose on the bottom tray of the incubator.

Keep the top of the sandwich bag nearly all the way closed (to conserve humidity) but still open enough at the top to allow air to enter.

Leave the egg in the tray in the upright normal position and don't mess with it.

The urge will be very strong to keep opening the top of the bag all the way to see how it is doing, but overcome that urge, don't succumb to it.

You can ,very carefully, mind you, ease the chick/duckling's head up and out of the shell.

Don't move up a wing or anything else, though.

The neck will flop over; that's ok.

At least it's getting air.

The chick may sit there a half a day up to three days while it absorbs the yolk in the egg.

The blood vessels will pump the rest of the blood into the chick.

When the chick exits the shell on their own, and they will!

They do not leave a bloody shell behind as you see when there have been problems with humidity, etc.

Although the top has been opened, they know to stay in the shell as long as it has been put back in the tray in the plastic bag.



They won't try to crawl out early, thus they will absorb the remaining egg mass in the egg and "hatch" normally,so to speak.

It amazed me the first time it happened and worked, but I don't even think twice about it now.
The only thing to watch for is if the plastic bag is too opened on the top; then you'll get a "shring wrapped" chick and you'll have to intervene.

When they leave on their own, they look exactly like every other chick---you'll come in, see the empty bag, then be hard-pressed to know what chick you had in the bag; they are healthy and vigorous.

So be sure that plastic bag is almost closed on the top---but opened a little.

It's a fine line, but after you do it a few times you'll see it's invaluable and I have saved many chicks this way.
Best Regards,
Anne

 

[Hthomas23]

Hiya,
I Went out half an hour later to find it had been dumped on the door step to die and of course the chickens were eating the remaining yolk. I am going to take the remaking 3 eggs away from both mums and put them in an incubator. It's the only way I can be sure they will be safe. I thought I could trust both mums but clearly not! Thank you for all your help, and sorry for the stupid questions it's my first time aswell as theirs.

 

[chicks are life]

Aww poor guy

Were the moms first time or what?

 

[Henny Penny's Chick]

The plastic bag trick is wonderful!

 

[Dovemaiden]

Glad to hear it is of help! I've saved several this way without a hitch!