Hatching a chick in my bra!

[Sarbabe]

I could use a little encouragement from some experienced hatchers. This is my first time hatching eggs under a broody. I've always just bought chicks and transplanted them. Anyway, my last broody is sitting on her eggs and not being as attentive as she should. I've gone out several times to cool eggs. I was almost ready to pitch them when I heard tapping as I was listening to them, so I knew I had at least one viable egg. I had 9 eggs under her. I came out yesterday to a dead chick that didn't have its yolk sack all the way absorbed, and this tapping egg pushed out of the nest and cool. I've warmed new chicks in my bra from her sister broody a couple times this weekend with great success, so I popped this egg in to see if I could warm it up. Long story short , it's been in there since yesterday morning. It pipped externally last night about 7 pm. I didn't sleep well last night, but I kept it warm and snug. It's steadily chirping and working its way out. I read that they rest a lot and to be patient as it can be 24 hours between pip and zip. It's about 63% relative humidity in my house and 82 degrees. My meat thermometer says it's a toasty 98.3 in my cleavage. I don't have an incubator so I'm obviously improvising. The chick is breathing fine and chirping when it's not resting. I'm being patient (trying). My biggest concern is that now that she's chipped off her first piece of shell and the membrane is open, should I wet the membrane as it dries, or just let it be?

 

[Sarbabe]

It looks like the inner membrane is separating from the outer membrane. Is that OK? Should it be papery or moist?

 

[Knighstar679]

You should likely use a small bit of coconut oil on it to keep it moist.

 

[MROO]

You should likely use a small bit of coconut oil on it to keep it moist.

And put some on the egg, too ... giggle, giggle!
I am SO with you, girlfriend! I carried newborn dwarf bunnies around in the same place for about six hours before Mama finally decided to keep them herself!

 

[dunnmom]

That's pretty awesome! Hope all goes well.

 

[Sarbabe]

Ah! Coconut oil! That actually crossed my mind, but I thought, surely not. I ended up carrying a syringe of water around in my bra to keep it body temp, and a hygrometer just because. We spent several hours at the park and that helped pass the time. I gave her 24 hours from pip. She was about half unzipped, but having trouble making any more progress on the shell. It was a very thick blue egg with calcium bumps. I didn't start helping take pieces of the shell off until the inner membrane was separated and obviously had no blood left in the vessels. Once the cap was off she crawled right out. I was so excited to watch her hatch that I forgot about keeping her warm. By the time she got out the ir thermometer said she was 90. I got the heat lamp out and we're warming up. The inner membrane was still a bit attached but clotted so I snipped it off about 1/4 inch and betadined it all up. She's seems strong and healthy and is drying out and warming up. Hopefully I can put her back with a hen with chicks tonight and get some better sleep. All in all I am pleased with the results Thank goodness it's been hot and muggy!

 

[MROO]

She should be called Jane (Fonda) or Carly (Simon) or Joni (Mitchell) after one of those famous bra-burners ... cuz that's probably what you're going to want to do with that one when you're done!

 

[Zinjifrah]

You realize... that hatching it in your bra guarantees it's going to be a rooster!

 

[Rebel58]

And put some on the egg, too ... giggle, giggle!
I am SO with you, girlfriend! I carried newborn dwarf bunnies around in the same place for about six hours before Mama finally decided to keep them herself!