Hands on hatching and help

[hellfire]

I try not to interfere as much as I can. I’ve always had a good success rate with my incubator and mixed results with hens. I hatch chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. Recently (yesterday) mother hen was hatching her chicken eggs and decided part way through as she had two chicks to leave the nest. The eggs were cold BUT one zipped and two pipped and STILL chirping to my amazement. I can’t help but step in. Luckily I thought I have a broody brooding shavings. After a few hours I checked on progress as was concerned as the membrane going cold can shrink wrap the chick. The broody had crushed two little chicks and the other pipped one was still peeping but no progress at all. So out came warm water, cotton buds and tweezers. Slowly I moistened the showing membrane and started to peel back the shell moistening membrane as I went being so careful but working as quickly as I could. Then out popped a little chick still with strength!. I tried it under the broody but she was nearly crushing the poor thing so whipped into the house with it down my top to keep warm and whacked the incubator on to warm up so I could dry it off. Chick is now doing very well, currently under a electric hen now nice and fluffy. Has fed and drank. In the dark tonight I will hopefully get it under mum and her two chicks back where he/she should be. I’ve done this on occasions with incubator hatches but it’s rare. I think in my opinion if it’s stuck in the shell and in a incubator it can be because we have already intervened with Mother Nature artificially so I will help if I can. On this occasion it was my hen leaving the nest that caused this issue so I chose to help.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Here's the link to the article. I forgot to add it.
How to Cull a Chick with Kitchen Sheers (Scissors) for Squeamish People *slightly graphic*

 

[hellfire]

Sounds like you are doing your best. I find wrong end pippers the hardest to help if they can't hatch mostly on their own. They usually have some sort of developmental issue that prevents them from turning in the proper direction and being strong enough to hatch on their own. If you think it is suffering and is unlikely to survive, I would cull it. I wrote an article on how to do that, I'll link below.

If you want to give it a chance, keep the humidity up and the umbilical area clean. Neosporin is a good option.

I’m sorry to hear of your problem. As was stated before wrong end pippers are usually problematic and rarely survive. I do suspect the kindest thing is to cull the poor chick. You could leave it in the incubator a while longer see if it absorbs the

hi all, I haven't been here in a couple years. I just recently started hatching again and this hatch has been a nightmare. I need help like asap. This chick had a wrong end pip. I left it alone. After 24 hours hadn't progressed so I helped remove a bit of shell. Bled. Moistened the membrane and put it back. Went to bed. Next morning I wake and find it half hatched and bleeding everywhere. I removed the top half the shell as its drowning in blood. Membrane doesn't look absorbed so again I put it back in the incubator. Hours later no progress. Looks like it has a herniated belly button and still the yolk isn't absorbed. Chick is also now sticky and cant move. I wipe it down with warm water and put it back in the incubator. At this point I don't know what to do. Ive never had something like this happen before. Anyone know what I should be doing? I don't want it to suffer.

/QUOTE]
I’m sorry to hear of your problem. As was stated before wrong end pippers are usually problematic and rarely survive. I do suspect the kindest thing is to cull the poor chick. You could leave it in the incubator a while longer with high humidity, keep the umbilical clean and see if it absorbs the yolk sack. You never know until you try and I’ll always try to save anything I can. I once gave cpr to a gosling . It survived amazingly!!!

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Thanks guys. It passed away on its own. I have another in the incubator thats a wrong end pip. And one that looks like this. Is this twins or feet?

 

[Redhead Rae]

Thanks guys. It passed away on its own. I have another in the incubator thats a wrong end pip. And one that looks like this. Is this twins or feet?View attachment 2128755

Did it pip in the circle? If so, that isn't really a wrong end pip, just a below the air cell pip. I think that the two shadows you are probably seeing are a beak and wing, not twins.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Did it pip in the circle? If so, that isn't really a wrong end pip, just a below the air cell pip. I think that the two shadows you are probably seeing are a beak and wing, not twins.

I decided to open it and check. Its severe cross beak. Its veins haven't receded enough to hatch yet so I'm just waiting now. If I can help it hatch I'm still going to have the challenge of helping it eat. ugh I hate ebay eggs. You never know what your going to get.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

 

[hellfire]

Goodness that is severe!!! Poor thing. I’m so sorry the other one died and this ones not looking normal.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Goodness that is severe!!! Poor thing. I’m so sorry the other one died and this ones not looking normal.

I've been having really bad luck this time around. I dont know if its my incubator, my fuzzy hatch methods after such a long break, shipping or breeding stock. Maybe all combined. But my last 3 hatches I've only got like 4 out of 12 eggs. Same with this hatch. I only have 3 now. 2 normal and this one with the cross beak and one mote wrong end pip. I just got online and ordered the brinsea 56 ex. Hoping a better incubator will help with future hatches.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I've been having really bad luck this time around. I dont know if its my incubator, my fuzzy hatch methods after such a long break, shipping or breeding stock. Maybe all combined. But my last 3 hatches I've only got like 4 out of 12 eggs. Same with this hatch. I only have 3 now. 2 normal and this one with the cross beak and one mote wrong end pip. I just got online and ordered the brinsea 56 ex. Hoping a better incubator will help with future hatches.

I love my brinsea incubators! I both the 28 EX two years ago. I just bought the 56 eco last week because my frankenbators aren't steady enough for starting eggs and I was getting bad hatch rates with eggs started in my frankenbators.