First Attempt at Incubating Underway - UPDATE - Operation: Booties

[mischievouschickens]

We have some good news and some bad news. The good news first. The latest chicks to hatch have fluffed out and seem be very healthy. They are running around the bator, jumping over eggs and the egg carton really well. Feisty, the two of them! They show a lot of interest in the remaining chicks how have zipped but have not been able to get out. I've been very disturbed by this development. I'm not sure if it's too dry in the bator because it seems like the "cap" of the egg shell that is formed after zipping is just stuck there even though the zipping is quite thorough. Good job, chickie! Here is a picture of the two cheering the others on.

The zipped egg between the two chickies is the egg that I have been worried about. It's been zipped like that for 48 hours. Even the wing and portions of its leg/butt have already fluffed out but the rest of it remains enclosed. The cap is literally hanging on by a thread. Think of a child's baby tooth that just flops around and could fall out any second. No matter how many times it tries to break free and out, it just can't quite *pop out*. I hope it's not because of the humidity or something else I've done. Comparatively, the others had such an easy time and the conditions for the most part have been constant.

Eventually, the other two started to peck at the poor chickie that couldn't get out. It's toe managed to protrude ever so slightly from the inside, and of course, the other two would curiously go and peck at it making the chickie still inside the egg wail in (I'm sure) pain, suffering, surprise and frustration. After that went on for a bit, I decided to remove both of them into the brooder. I moved one at a time thinking that perhaps one was following the other. Nope, they both pecked so both were moved in the end. This one was first:

And the remaining one, whom I like to call Bumblebee (look at the black and yellow feathering) was moved shortly thereafter:

We were out most of the day at a birthday party. When we returned to my great surprise, the "stuck" chickie had made it out!!

However, the celebration would not last.

Now, the bad news. I couldn't find the egg shell. It wasn't where I had put over 21 days ago! Huh?! I took the flashlight and quickly scanned around the bator and finally located it. It was in the far corner laying there, *off and out* of the egg carton. How did it get there and where is the chickie?!

So I scanned some more and in the opposite corner was a mostly fluffed out chickie huddled and hiding. Poor chickie. The must have been attached to it still as it tried to get around. I looked closer at the shell and saw feathers attached to it. Ouch! Think Brazilian bikini wax....

Well, at least it had made it out. Phew!

However, upon closer inspection of the newly hatched chickie, I noticed that its left foot was gimpy.

So I decided to wait a bit and give it a chance on its own. A little while later I checked on it and it was still in the same corner huddled there and hiding. It had dried out some more and right then I decided that I would have to make it some booties. When I thought that it could tolerate being out of the bator for more than a few minutes, I grabbed a bandaid, set up an operating table and took a deep breath. I calmed my nerves as best as I could and took out the little chickie and quickly brought it over to my makeshift ICU.

Here is a video of how it really didn't want to move around and stand on its own.

A couple of folds and a minute later. This is what I ended up with. I did not use any cardboard cutouts so I am hoping this is good enough. I simply spread out its toes and "bandaged" them with a fabric bandaid. I am hoping the bones/ligaments will be contoured to the new shape soon. Thank you, MissPrissy! Does anyone know how long the "splint" should stay on?

Once I finished the right foot, I noticed that the left foot was also a little gimpy but not nearly as bad.

I decided to give it matching shoes.

I am hoping this will help the poor chickie.

I know this is a result of the chickie being stuck in the fully zipped egg for over 48 hours. It just couldn't get out and I'm not sure if it's because it was "stuck" to the inner membrane because it was too dry, too hot, etc. *sigh* I decided on a hands-off, no helping policy but I'm started to second guess myself. If this egg was not in the egg carton, either on its side or under mommy hen, that cap would have fallen off in a matter of seconds and it would have been fine. Perhaps I should have popped it off when I noticed that it was just hanging by a thread two days ago....

The chickie is back in the bator now. I didn't want to put it in the breeder, risking ridicule by the others. If you look at the picture again of the stuck chickie, the egg on the left looks "different" from the others. It's also pretty much zipped but the membrane looks yellowish and brownish. The other eggs looked much "cleaner". I hope it can successfully extricate itself. If it's stuck too, I don't think it can get out. The zipping is not as thorough as the other egg.

 

[Jess N Jeff]

Poor little baby! You can make it baby chicky!!!!!

 

[kathyinmo]

If it has been zipped for that long ... I would help it out. That's what I would do.

So, at this point, what is the final tally? How many are still in the incubator?

Your video of the last one with crooked toes ... YES, that is exactly how mine was! He acted like he didn't want to stand up, and was appearing to walk on his hocks. I put his boots on him for 48 hours and he "kicked them off!" He is perfect now! I did use a light piece of cardboard (toilet paper roll) and taped to that.

Good luck!

 

[frenchblackcopper]

With some eggs costing upwards of $70 or more a dozen,less shipping,soon you have close to $8.00 an egg invested,,to incubate the egg for 21 days,have it pip and zip,but then have difficulty getting out,or the feathers drying and sticking to the inside membrane of the egg,and possibly losing a chick for reasons beyond,and out of it's control,,is when I DO help,,,we have had eggs get this far and then roll or be bumped by other moving chicks in the hatching tray to the point that the chick trying to hatch is stuck in a corner,with no room to push the zipped part of the shell away.Many times a little help will save a chick,,,it is pointless to try hatching eggs and do nothing when a situation occurs where a chick can easily be saved by a small amount of human help,jmho

 

[Namble]

This is really cool!

 

[mischievouschickens]

Quote:
Yes, we really wanted to help especially since some of the conditions that contributed to the situation were directly caused by us (i.e. egg carton, egg upright, restricted movement, etc.) There is some good news. I haven't taken pictures yet, but the "operated on chickie" is now standing in the bator. It's not walking and jumping around yet, but definitely is on its feet in the corner. Yay, chickie! Keep it up!

So far, the final tally really hasn't changed. Out of 14, 6 are in the brooder now looking pretty good. The gimpy chickie is in the bator post-op. There is one chickie with the strange membrane coloring who has zipped but not popped out. Another chickie has pipped a big hole in the egg shell but not zipped. I am worried that it is stuck to the membrane at this point and cannot turn to zip. I can see its beak through the same large hole but showing no additional progress for some time. I am thinking about intervening for both.

Finally, there are 3 more brown eggs and the 2 silkies that show no pipping. As it is now the end of Day 22, I am not optimistic but am still hopeful.

I will quite sad and disappointed if these are the final numbers. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled with the chickies that have made thus far. I just wish I could have them all come out and be healthy.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

A 40% hatch rate on shipped eggs is excellent,,although we have found several breeders that we achieved over a 85% hatch rate with.and distance of shipping does not necessarly dictate hatch rate,,,your doing very well,,and consider this first hatch a big success

 

[Mahonri]

Love all of those cute pics!!