First egg hatching.....help!

[kfisher123]

We let our broody silkie sit on 11 eggs, one tried to hatch under her but it didn't make it. My daughters went out this morning and found another one trying to hatch so we moved it inside (we're in Wisconsin, it' cold!) and put a heat lamp on it with the temp at 99. What else should we do for the little fella, besides not touch it? Do we need to keep it 'wet' somehow?

We really just did this on a whim so any help would be appreciated as I don't think my girls could handle another one not making it!
Thank you!

 

[ccmarie]

The humidity is supposed to be really high. I'd suggest putting it in a box of some sort, then placing a dish of water in there with it.

 

[AlienChick]

May have been best to keep it under momma if it already cracked open its shell.
The baby needed the extra humidity from momma's body to keep it from drying out before emersing completely from that shell.
You can try providing a lot of humidity (wrapping it in a warm moist paper towel).
If you have it in an incubator, keep the humidity above 65%.
If it gets stuck inside the shell and looks "shrink wrapped" you can put it under warm running water and gently peel away the shell (leaving it under the running water).
Once the shell and "gunk" is all of the feathers, keep it very warm.
I usually then wrap it in a small warm cloth and put it back inside the incubator to let it kick and squirm its way out of the towel wrapping.
This helps it develop those muscles that it would have developed had it been struggling to get out of the shell.
Good luck!

 

[Crafty-Duck]

The humidity is supposed to be really high. I'd suggest putting it in a box of some sort, then placing a dish of water in there with it.

I did just that and mine hatched fine! but I was so nervous because they can get stuck in the egg.

 

[kfisher123]

Thank you! I don't have an incubator so I've added a bowl of water and a warm paper towel for around him/her. How long does it take for a silkie to hatch?

 

[Crafty-Duck]

Thank you! I don't have an incubator so I've added a bowl of water and a warm paper towel for around him/her. How long does it take for a silkie to hatch?

I think that's the only thing you can do!!!! I don't know about silkies but I know a regular chick feels like it takes forever!!!!! especially when you are nervous!!!!!!