Hi all,
Sorry if this has been asked heaps before - I am just after some advice about hatching a delayed chick.
The rest of the eggs hatched Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday under first time broody mother hen. These chicks are wanting to wander off and she has been sitting on the remaining eggs and getting a bit stressed. It's now Satuday (48 hours since last chick hatched and at minimum it is day 23 today) so I removed the eggs. I float tested them yesterday and today and have one viable chick. I left it under a make-shift heat lamp and there was no progress all day but I can see movement when candling. I decided to crack open the egg. Chick has broken through inner membrane and is breathing and moving a little. No peeping, no real attempts to get out of the egg. The membrane still has blood vessels in it so I am reluctant to touch it any more. It's been now 3 hours like this with no progress. I have popped the chick back under mother hen and locked her pen but I am concerned the other chicks might trample it or she will move around. Any advice or thoughts?
I live very rural and do not have access to an incubator.
Sorry if this has been asked heaps before - I am just after some advice about hatching a delayed chick.
The rest of the eggs hatched Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday under first time broody mother hen. These chicks are wanting to wander off and she has been sitting on the remaining eggs and getting a bit stressed. It's now Satuday (48 hours since last chick hatched and at minimum it is day 23 today) so I removed the eggs. I float tested them yesterday and today and have one viable chick. I left it under a make-shift heat lamp and there was no progress all day but I can see movement when candling. I decided to crack open the egg. Chick has broken through inner membrane and is breathing and moving a little. No peeping, no real attempts to get out of the egg. The membrane still has blood vessels in it so I am reluctant to touch it any more. It's been now 3 hours like this with no progress. I have popped the chick back under mother hen and locked her pen but I am concerned the other chicks might trample it or she will move around. Any advice or thoughts?
I live very rural and do not have access to an incubator.