Dropped egg :(

amberscave

In the Brooder
6 Years
Aug 25, 2013
42
0
29
North Central Florida
I have some eggs in the incubator leftover from a broody hen who hatched out Monday. She went broody while I was on vacation and I am not sure of the time table on the leftovers eggs. All but two hatched last night and this morning. So tonight with no signs, I decided to candle the last two before the big "discard". Well as I was balancing egg and light, I dropped one of the eggs. Half the shell came off. The sac is intact. I now see the chick moving around in the sac. I feel lower than a slug... I can't discard it. I'm afraid to break the sac. There is no way to "repair" that much shell. I'm worried that the sac will dry out around him. I increased the humidity. I'm hoping it is far enough developed that it will just break the sac itself and "hatch". Fingers crossed I didn't just doom a little peep I was trying to save. Sharing my uncertainties and regrets... :(
 
Don't beat yourself up, accidents happen and you had nothing but good intentions.

There has to be a balance between enough humidity to keep the membrane soft, and too much humidity to allow enough oxygen for the chick. Does it look fully formed? Are there lots of veins in the membrane? Can you see any unabsorbed yolk? It may help to wrap a barely damp paper towel around the membrane part. It might make it and it might not. All you can do is try.............
 
The sac is clean solid white and separate from the shell. Not bloody or translucent or sticking to the shell. I can't see through it. So I guess thinking about it, it's probably close to hatch anyway? Of course getting dropped isn't the best start...
I keep looking through the incubator window and I can see it's still moving...
 
I couldn't tell this morning if it was still alive so I made a small slice in the sac and it bled a tiny bit. A couple hours later I saw movement. It's been 24 hrs and it's is still moving but hasn't made an attempt to "hatch" or chirp.
Image of the damage:
700
 
I need a good Survivor name for this chick.
First he was a leftover from my broody hen so he would of died then when she got off the nest.
Made it past my first culling when I candled the leftovers before going into the incubator.
Barely made it past my second candling... Smh
I was worried it was going to be a guinea egg snuck in my hen's nest - extra week hatching, but it appears to be chicken. I'll post pic once it's completely hatched.
Going to love it even it's spraddle legged, curled toed... Lol
 

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