HELP!! Chick hatching!

[808mom_of10]

Aloha guys! it's been a while (trying to get my life back after an almost 3 year long divorce drama), but I'm back! I've had my flock of 26 for just over a year. I got a batch of chicks when one of the bantams I bought as a chick, turned out to be a rooster! Fast forward to today. My 10 year old daughter was collecting eggs (the girls have been hiding their eggs EVERYWHERE, another issue), and she found an egg that was cracked. She was about to throw it out, and saw a chick moving inside! No mama around, and i'm not sure if it was pipping, or the egg cracked by accident. I now have it in my lap, where it is warm, with no incubator, no brooding mamas, and just one of those warming lights from the feed store available. It's nearly 7 pm here, so every place is closed. HELP! Any advice out there on what I should do??

 

[chickendreams24]

Okay it's midnight here but I'll try to give you some help.

Do you have a heating pad(with out an auto shut off?)

Or do you have a thermometer that you can place in a box with the egg lying on a moist towel under the heat lamp? If you have a hygrometer on hand to measure humidity that would be ideal as well but I'm guessing you don't most people that don't hatch don't generally have them laying around.

Your best bet is one of these two options. Same thing make sure the chick/egg doesn't get too hot or two cold wrapped in the heating pad.

I know some people here on byc have hatched using a box/or styrofoam cooler with a heat lamp above it or an incandescent lamp shining at it. I think thats the correct bulb. Think desk lamp.

If the egg is hatching it will need humidity too you can mist around it periodically once you have a way to keep the egg warm. But the main thing is a warn damp washcloth under the egg. Make sure it doesn't cover the hole the chick has made.

Can you post some photos so people can see we may be able to tell you if the egg is hatching.

 

[chickendreams24]

Possibly a terrarium for a reptile?

You would need to make sure the chick was safe if the reptile could be predatory towards it but it could work with a basking light I would think. The important thing is making sure the egg is kept at 100* F. 99.5-100.5 I wouldn't recommend going any higher as you don't have an incubator.

 

[808mom_of10]

THANK YOU!! I'M slowly typing with one hand, while I cup the egg in the other! I do have a heating pad. I'm in Hawaii, and its pretty humid here. how do I keep the egg humid, and do i just put it on the heating pad?

 

[808mom_of10]

I have a box or container, the red bulb heating lamp from Tractor Supply, that I used to heat my brooder, a heating pad, with on/off switch, lo, med, hi, and I can mist or put a damp washcloth in there.

 

[808mom_of10]

here's a pic

 

[sylviethecochin]

My question is: Do you have others? Because if you're putting eggs in your refrigerator, that could be a very nasty surprise for later. I would candle everything collected.

I don't think that egg is quite ready to hatch, but he's close.

Humidity's probably good, actually, if you're above 55%. The purpose of humidity (if you didn't know) is to keep the membrane moist and flexible (they dry almost to the consistency of thin leather, and then the chick can't get out. This is known as "shrink-wrapping."). You can accomplish the same thing by putting a little bit of olive oil on the membrane and not worrying further.

Because human body heat is very steady and very close, I usually tuck such cases into my bra after initially heating them up under a heat lamp.

 

[808mom_of10]

Thank you, Sylvie!! i'm currently keeping the egg near me, but won't be able to for much longer! I tried a little dot of olive oil, and the membrane turned purple! i got scared and stopped! do I just put this little guy under the heat lamp, and on a damp washcloth?

 

[808mom_of10]

 

[sylviethecochin]

Thank you, Sylvie!! i'm currently keeping the egg near me, but won't be able to for much longer! I tried a little dot of olive oil, and the membrane turned purple! i got scared and stopped! do I just put this little guy under the heat lamp, and on a damp washcloth?

Not on a damp washcloth. Perhaps near or under one (do you bake bread? A common way of keeping the dough moist is to suspend a damp cloth over the bowl of dough.) But think about sitting on a wet rag, or wiping one across your forehead. Even if it started warm, it'll eventually start evaporating and chilling you. You don't want it touching the egg. This is also why misting is a bad idea. I generally use vegetable oil in these situations (not a huge fan of olive oil.) It doesn't turn the membrane purple on me. Maybe use it?

And yes, you can use a heatlamp. Preferably monitor very well for the first few hours so that the temp doesn't heat beyond what it's supposed to. Cool is better than hot.