Hopeful Hatch-a-Long

[Auntiejessi3]

Number 4 hasn’t shown any movement or pipping today. I am going to do a quick candle to see if it has pipped internally.

Well, I candled the egg in less than 30 seconds and returned it. I don't know that I learned a lot; I can't tell if it was pipped. Just looks like a dark shadow and the air cell, it kind of looked like something was going on, but I don't know if I should make a safety hole before I leave just in case. I will just leave her in there for another day and see what happens. Maybe she is shy and will hatch in the night, or maybe she wasn't meant to be. Hopefully I didn't do any harm by candling her really quickly. The incubator was hot and humid when I returned her, and she was only out for maybe 30 seconds tops. I can't imagine it is any harsher than being kicked around incessantly by her siblings!

Just for future reference, an internal pip looks like a triangle shadow in the air cell. There are some great pics here on BYC somewhere, when I find them I'll post the link for you.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I will definitely open it up tomorrow if she’s looking the same as she has today. I’ll let it be if she’s wiggling, peeping, etc. but I really hope I wake up to another little chick tomorrow!

If she’s backwards is there anything I can do to help? Would I basically need to hatch the shell for her? I imagine she would not be able to rotate to pip, or have any kind of leverage for getting herself out.

Just start peeling the shell away slowly, small peices and access her position as you go, if you see any bleeding stop. You'll do great!

 

[Cheekychook12]

Just start peeling the shell away slowly, small peices and access her position as you go, if you see any bleeding stop. You'll do great!

True it’s surprisingly easy if you do it at the right time, I helped one hatch the first ever hatch and he was totally fine

 

[Cheekychook12]

I will definitely open it up tomorrow if she’s looking the same as she has today. I’ll let it be if she’s wiggling, peeping, etc. but I really hope I wake up to another little chick tomorrow!

If she’s backwards is there anything I can do to help? Would I basically need to hatch the shell for her? I imagine she would not be able to rotate to pip, or have any kind of leverage for getting herself out.

If she’s backwards then yeah you’ll probably have to help her out

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Here is one good read on assisted hatching
Article 'Guide to Assisted Hatching for All Poultry' https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Towards the end of this one is a great picture of an internal pip
Article 'Development of a Chicken Embryo Day by Day' https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/development-of-a-chicken-embryo-day-by-day.72537/

 

[tviss711]

Well no action overnight on egg 4. Here is a picture of what I could see from candling this morning:

Thought I saw a little bit of movement but I just don’t know if it was from me turning the egg. I’m thinking I may carefully chip away at the air cell this afternoon and see if she is malpositioned

 

[Slothinc]

Well no action overnight on egg 4. Here is a picture of what I could see from candling this morning:

View attachment 4044422
Thought I saw a little bit of movement but I just don’t know if it was from me turning the egg. I’m thinking I may carefully chip away at the air cell this afternoon and see if she is malpositioned

You may not be able to because of your students, but if I were you I would start opening the egg right away. Likely the chick has passed by now, but if she still is alive, the sooner the better. I can’t tell you how many times I have lost chicks to waiting. Now I help earlier and it has saved many chicks.

Based on the pic I would say that it doesn’t look too hopeful, but waiting any longer at this point definitely won’t help. The chick is either malpositioned or shrink wrapped, or had something else going on. Still though, you deserve huge congratulations for hatching 6 out of the 7 developers - that is incredible for your first hatch!!!!

 

[tviss711]

You may not be able to because of your students, but if I were you I would start opening the egg right away. Likely the chick has passed by now, but if she still is alive, the sooner the better. I can’t tell you how many times I have lost chicks to waiting. Now I help earlier and it has saved many chicks.

Based on the pic I would say that it doesn’t look too hopeful, but waiting any longer at this point definitely won’t help. The chick is either malpositioned or shrink wrapped, or had something else going on. Still though, you deserve huge congratulations for hatching 6 out of the 7 developers - that is incredible for your first hatch!!!!

I will try right now. I have about 45 minutes before students arrive. I can at least peek inside and see what's going on.

 

[tviss711]

Well I carefully cracked the shell, she wasn’t in the wrong position maybe she was shrink wrapped. Her beak is right there, but it looks like there is some loose yolk inside the egg but maybe that is normal fluid. Maybe she drowned? I’m not sure. The yolk was definitely not absorbed it was rolling around in the shell. It looks like maybe she was shrink wrapped, or that she died before she really had a chance to properly pip. Her eyes look sunken in/not developed but that could be early decomposition process. The second photo I'm actually not sure if she's correctly positioned, her head doesn't appear under her wing but again I don't know what it should look like and at least she was facing the right direction towards the air cell.

Really sorry Hunnicutt, we were really rooting for you. Love you so much little one. We will bury her next to her parents. I think she was another Wyandotte. She appears to be similar colors to the others. Hard to lose one that was so close to hatching.