HELP! Took eggshell off of an egg, thought the chick inside was dead.

[SwampPrincessChick]

I'm not sure if this goes in the emergency section or not, but I assume this counts as an emergency. Please tell me if I'm wrong!

I already have two chicks hatched from my Bantam hatching eggs (they took an unusual 21 days to hatch). It is now day 24, and the three eggs that were left in the incubator were starting to smell rotten (we had left them in there to see if they were just taking long to hatch), so we took each egg and peeled off a little hole in the egg to see if they still had movement. One still had a heartbeat, while two were dead. I don't know what to do with the one that is still alive! How do I patch up the hole and what do I use to do that?

@SwampQueenChick

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Also, the membrane is not hurt, there's just a small (about a fourth of an inch long) hole in the air cell. There's no bleeding.

 

[Yardmom]

It sounds like you have done what is similar to the first step of an assisted hatch. You can just leave it in the incubator to see if it hatches

 

[SilverBirds]

Patching the hole isn't necessary at this point. Right now just leave him in the incubator. Does it look like he still has yolk to absorb?

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Patching the hole isn't necessary at this point. Right now just leave him in the incubator. Does it look like he still has yolk to absorb?

The chick is still inside of the membrane, I can't see it.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Can you post a picture ?
I have seen other posts where they will get a fresh egg. Wash the shell and just set over the hole this just helps membrane not to dry up
You could also put kitchen plastic wrap over it just setting it not wrapping the egg

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Can you post a picture ?
I have seen other posts where they will get a fresh egg. Wash the shell and just set over the hole this just helps membrane not to dry up
You could also put kitchen plastic wrap over it just setting it not wrapping the egg

I don't want to take the egg out unless someone suggests something I can use to cover up the hole in the egg. Thank you for the suggestion, though!

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I don't want to take the egg out unless someone suggests something I can use to cover up the hole in the egg. Thank you for the suggestion, though!

Both those things would be covering the hole
Using shell from a different egg but washing it first so it’s clean
Or using kitchen plastic wrap
Both those would help to keep the membrane from drying out
Posting a picture of the hole would also help so we know how big it is

 

[DuckyDonna]

@New duck mommy 2021 told you what to do!
Get another egg (not one that you are not hatching) break it open, wash the shell, then break off a piece of shell big enough to fit over the hole of the problem egg.

OR, take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it over the hole!

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

After checking the egg again, the chick inside of it appears to be dead with no movement or heartbeat. Thank you all for your suggestions.