Help! Egg broken and chick inside breathing

[Sierra G]

That the yolk sac isn't intact would indicate the chicks odds of survival are low. If you want to do a makeshift incubator you need two things, a container that will keep the heat in and a source to generate some heat, but not too much. For a heat source something like a 40 Watt bulb should work. For a container a small to mid sized cooler or something similar will work. Put the bulb in the cooler, not touching anything, and turn it on. Add a towel or old clothes for cushioning and a bowl of warm water to keep the humidity up. You shoułd have some way to monitor temperature too. You'll want a temperature around 100F.

Edit: incandescent bulbs are getting rarer. You might need to use a heating pad instead. Whatever you use to heat the box, it shouldn't be directly touching the egg.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

You may want to go ahead and get something fixed up in case the hen continues this. She may do fine from here on out but she may just be a good sitter and you'll need to take over from right before hatch. Something could have stressed her out or who knows what it could be. I'd keep a close eye on her. I wish you the best with this little chick, the others, and your hen. Since they're getting close to hatch, maybe the hen was startled by movement or cheeps. There are so many things that could have happened. I'm so sorry. I know this must be stressful for you and your hen.

 

[Bunnybryn]

The chick didn't make it. Thank you all for the ideas. I really hope she does ok with the other eggs!

 

[Kellyjenny]

The chick didn't make it. Thank you all for the ideas. I really hope she does ok with the other eggs!

I'm so sorry.

 

[KelseyBoxer]

Sorry about the loss of the little one. Are there more under the hen? A heating pad setup would be a good thing to have on hand in case the momma cant complete the incubation. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Cecisflock]

When I found it she looked like she was eating the yolk sack

Not everyone is fit to be a mama. Was this her first time?

 

[Bunnybryn]

Not everyone is fit to be a mama. Was this her first time?

Yes, hopefully she gets the hang of it!

 

[Bunnybryn]

Sorry about the loss of the little one. Are there more under the hen? A heating pad setup would be a good thing to have on hand in case the momma cant complete the incubation. Good luck and keep us posted.

There are 6 more eggs. I'm going to be checking on her frequently. I do have a heat pad so if she starts having more problems I might intervene. Hoping she can take care of the rest!

 

[Cecisflock]

Yes, hopefully she gets the hang of it!

You always have to be prepared for her to not though.

 

[KelseyBoxer]

Its easier if momma hatches and raises the babies. No brooder, no dust, no smell in the house! Rooting for the momma!!