Hey all! Been a while since I've posted on here... going crazy at home and mostly because of an anticipated wee one in the near future (human! Not chicken!).
But, I do have some wee chickens on the way, as well!
Here's the situation... I have a great buff Orpington hen, super tiny for her breed, but a GREAT mother. A few days ago she took a brief break from her nest and one of my young idiot hens hijacked her nest to lay an egg. I ousted the interloper, but in her bumbling she had cracked one of the viable eggs just a bit and dimpled it in. I left it be, since the baby inside was still wriggling around. I don't think putting wax on it would have helped it very much.
Tonight (day 17 by my guestimation), I find that the egg now has a dime-size hole in it on the air sac end, but amazingly the baby is still moving around with gusto. The membrane is intact.
I don't think I can do anything to help this little guy out at this point and will opt for letting nature take its course, but my question is whether or not this one has a chance.
Anyone have anything similar happen? What was the outcome?
Thanks!
UPDATE: Well, I've got my answer! The egg was discovered, rejected, and them promptly "recycled" by the mama hen. The only remnants were some broken shell bits, a little bit of goop on the other eggs, aaaaand some small blood smears. Kind of gross... but nature is nature, I suppose.
But still... anyone had success in a situation like this? Just curious!
But, I do have some wee chickens on the way, as well!
Here's the situation... I have a great buff Orpington hen, super tiny for her breed, but a GREAT mother. A few days ago she took a brief break from her nest and one of my young idiot hens hijacked her nest to lay an egg. I ousted the interloper, but in her bumbling she had cracked one of the viable eggs just a bit and dimpled it in. I left it be, since the baby inside was still wriggling around. I don't think putting wax on it would have helped it very much.
Tonight (day 17 by my guestimation), I find that the egg now has a dime-size hole in it on the air sac end, but amazingly the baby is still moving around with gusto. The membrane is intact.
I don't think I can do anything to help this little guy out at this point and will opt for letting nature take its course, but my question is whether or not this one has a chance.
Anyone have anything similar happen? What was the outcome?
Thanks!
UPDATE: Well, I've got my answer! The egg was discovered, rejected, and them promptly "recycled" by the mama hen. The only remnants were some broken shell bits, a little bit of goop on the other eggs, aaaaand some small blood smears. Kind of gross... but nature is nature, I suppose.
But still... anyone had success in a situation like this? Just curious!
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