Do eggs in trouble make distress calls?

[chickfused]

I've got a very bad egg situation. Thing had a beyond malformed and too large air cell. Pipped on it's side, outside of the air cell, externally, the egg has been shaking and crying for hours and I can't see a beak at the pip at all. The egg has been pipped for 8 hours.

This is shipping damage, and I am ok with intervening when it's not genetic.

Is it time? I have read the how to assist thread, I'm just not sure if I should wait.

 

[sourland]

What day of incubation are the eggs on?

 

[chickfused]

It's on 21. Every other egg has pipped or hatched normally. I suspect this one is badly malpositioned and cannot fully hatch due to the shape of the air cell. The beak not being at the pip has me extra worried. I don't know where it's got it's head to. Let me get a photo.

 

[chickfused]

 

[chickfused]

And when I say "crying" I mean it sounds like distress call sometimes, not just peeping. In my experience a pip like that usually accompanies a visible, chewing, beak at this point, and there's just nothing. The egg is also vigorously rocking.

 

[chickfused]

Any thoughts from anyone? This egg, because it's had so much stacked against it, somehow is more than an egg already. There's a live, angry, baby in there and I'm rather fond of it.

 

[chickfused]

I helped a TINY bit. I pulled just enough membrane away from the pip hole to make sure the beak was there and could breathe freely. No blood. Moistened the membrane with triple antibiotic ointment (no pain relief), and put it back in the incubator. It chirped at me when I had it out, but not super badly. Now that I can see what the beak is doing, I will know when/if to assist more fully. Quickly candled, all the air cells are gone, this egg is PACKED with baby chick.

 

[chickfused]

After watching for 30 minutes and observing no chewing motions, I assisted a bit more. This baby was legitimately shrink wrapped. The inner membrane was stuck to it, and shriveled everywhere. After excavating about 1/3rd of the baby, I found a not fully absorbed vein and stopped. Covered everything up in ointment and moistened the shrunken membrane I could see and popped it back in the incubator. It's HUGE. It's also not trying to hatch itself yet, so I'm content to leave it be and wake up every hour or two to check on things tonight.

 

[felys]

After watching for 30 minutes and observing no chewing motions, I assisted a bit more. This baby was legitimately shrink wrapped. The inner membrane was stuck to it, and shriveled everywhere. After excavating about 1/3rd of the baby, I found a not fully absorbed vein and stopped. Covered everything up in ointment and moistened the shrunken membrane I could see and popped it back in the incubator. It's HUGE. It's also not trying to hatch itself yet, so I'm content to leave it be and wake up every hour or two to check on things tonight.

How is it now?

I have a duckling that looks to be in the same state. Searching to see what I should do.

 

[chickfused]

Big and fluffy. Once the beak was out and visible, I could have waited for another 4-6 hours safely I think and not have had to get up every few hours to make sure it wasn't a half-open egg football. It was pretty weak for the first day or so, moreso than an unassisted chick. And there was some blood in the bottom half of it's shell which suggested it may have gotten egg footballed out during that 60 minute break where all hell broke loose and it wasn't quiiiiite ready. This may have contributed to the weakness.