fluid in the air cell

[Chocolate_Chick]

Hi, I've got two eggs on day 17. They were shipped and have misshapen air cells but have developed well. However I was doing a staggered hatch and my other eggs hatched out 3 days ago. I raised the humidity when they hatched and I think it may have gone too high. When I look at the two eggs left in there, there's shadowing within the air cell that moves around as I tilt the egg - which is why I think the shadowing is fluid.

I wasn't sure how best to make sure they hatch. Due to the air cells being misshapen I'm not sure where they will pip otherwise I'd try and tilt the eggs so the fluid was at the other end of the air cell. I wondered about giving them another day, and then making a small hole and draining the fluid out, but of course don't want the membrane to dry out before they're ready to make their own way out. They look a little further along than day 17, I'd guesstimate they'll hatch day 20.

Anyone tried doing this before or have a suggestion on how to prevent them from drowning?

 

[Isaac 0]

Any update?

 

[Chocolate_Chick]

One hatched just fine on it's own. The other struggled to hatch, but didn't drown. It did need helping out though, it's feet weren't right. I made some tiny splints for its toes and after a couple of days it's feet look okay and it can walk properly

 

[JaeG]

I don't think it would have been fluid actually in the air cell. When the air cell becomes loose (due to shipping) it creates the illusion of fluid, sort of a bulging bubble because the inner membrane has pulled away from the inside of the egg shell in weird places.

I'm glad your chicks hatched successfully.