HELP!! Day 20 and top of egg is gone!!

[RagTyme]

I have no idea what has happened, I suspect one of my kids got up and sometime last night and were messing with the eggs.

I woke up this morning to find one of my chicken eggs had the top of the egg, where the air cell is gone. I can see where there has been a very small amount of bleeding. The chick is completely exposed and I can see their is still quite a bit of yolk to be absorbed.

The chick amazingly enough is still moving quite a bit. I have put a wet paper towel over the gaping hole. Is there any chance for this litte guy to survive or is he suffering and needs to be culled?

None of the 11 other eggs are even pipped yet.

 

[froggie71]

NO, don't cull. Definitely give the baby a chance to absorb yolk. Be patient. He'll make his way out of the rest of the shell when he is ready.

 

[Goose and Fig]

I think you did the right thing. All you can do now is wait and see. I've had many eggs hatch days apart, and some the chicks seem much bigger than others. The chick may have pipped on it's own- if it had already broken into the air cell. Good luck!

 

[KattyKillFish]

i agree with the two above posts. give it a chance! here's hoping the poor little thing survives!

i think your kids might have tried something like this

it is often done in classrooms to see how the egg develops and such.... i really wish they wouldn't do that, but it's for education i guess.

 

[klf73]

I agree, wait. If I use paper towels they tend to dry quickly, so you should keep an eye on it. Good luck

 

[RagTyme]

I really hope it makes it but I am skeptical. I do not think it pipped on it's own. I did question my kids this morning before school and my 6yr old said his teacher opened an egg at school and a baby chick was in it but it was dead.

I think maybe he tried to do whatever his teacher did, I will be calling the school this morning to ask the teacher what happened, maybe the chick at school quit and the teacher opened it to see what happened?

Here is a picture of what I woke up to, it looks awful, but as long as it is breathing I will try to stay hopeful.

I'll share what his teacher has to say.

ETA: I will also be attaching an alarm to my bator today while the kids are at school. That way I will know if/when it is opened and hopefully prevent this from EVER happening again

 

[walkswithdog]

That's a really early chick. I'd cover the hole with press n seal or saran wrap, it can still breathe through the remainder of the egg, as it would have. That's way too exposed to last on just paper towels or damp rags.

 

[Hens_And_Chicks]

Oh my! I just finished an incubation project in my son's classroom and I strongly emphasized throughout the entire process how fragile the eggs are and not to open the bator, bump it or touch the eggs at all.

I'm so sorry for your chick - quite honestly, I hope it makes it but I would not get my hopes up. I know our kids mean well but they don't have the life experience to understand and differentiate yet.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for your little chickie