Help - viable late egg, opened up prematurely

[metcarl]

I have a broody hen who is hatching eggs. One was non-viable (actually exploded yesterday), one had a tiny peck in the egg for a few days, and a healthy chick hatched two days ago. I thought the remaining egg (with the tiny peck in it, looked more like the peck was from the outside, not a pip) had stopped developing. So, I stupidly opened it up a bit expecting to find a dead chick. It is still alive. The hole is in the shell and outer membrane, inner membrane is intact as far as I could tell. To prevent the chick from drying out, is it safe enough to put back under mom or should I seal it with a piece of tape or something? The hole is about 1/2 -3/4 cm. I worry about it drying out.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

Yes put coconut oil on the membrain then put tape over the top.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

I probably would do the same I'm very impatient when it comes to hatching.

 

[metcarl]

Yes, I just got back into town and wish I was still gone for a few more days.

What if the chick tries to pip where the tape is?

 

[Sonya9]

Just an fyi, ideally you set the hatching eggs under the hen yourself with the date written on them so they all hatch within 24 hours. Otherwise the hen has to leave the nest with the first hatchlings and the rest end up dying.

 

[metcarl]

The eggs were all set under the hen at the same time. I don’t have a rooster. They were mail order eggs, so I always assume there will be several that don’t hatch.