Huge egg emergency!

[tofupup]

Two nights ago I was collecting eggs from under all the broody hens and replacing them with faux eggs. I removed one that was cracked and put it in a carton.

Last night I opened the carton and saw the crack was a little bigger and had blood around it, and I realized, "Holy crap, that egg wasn't 'cracked;' it was trying to hatch!"

Never having had any eggs hatch (nor having wanted any chicks), I stupidly fiddled around with the crack in the shell and peeled off a piece of egg shell and a piece of membrane, because everything I read said chicks should hatch on their own within 24 hours.

The little chick inside moved but didn't get out, so I put it back under the mother. This morning, I went to check, and this is what the egg looks like. If you press the dented, crushed-in part, the chick moves.

What do I do???? Am I supposed to help it out at this point or did I already doom it by piercing the membrane?? I would just peel away the whole shell but I will freak out if I pull out a not-developed baby.

At this point it has been at least 36 hours since I first saw the crack and removed it from the mother. It has been back under the mother for 12 hours.

 

[Impress]

Does the membrane look really dry and is it sticking to the chick? You may have to peel that baby, if it sat out trying to hatch with no humidity it is probably shrink wrapped. Google for a full tutorial on how to save it, I would type it out but I know there are a lot of threads on it with a ton more information than I could type our really fast here. Peel. A little bit at a time. If it bleeds, put it back under Mama. Wet that membrane so it peels a little easier. Go slow but peel that baby out of there a little bit at a time.

 

[tofupup]

Yes, the membrane seems dry, so I should lightly moisten and start peeling? Because there is zero percent chance that it can keep developing, since the membrane is already broken, right?

And there is a tiny tiny chance that it just needs help getting out, since I weakened it by removing it from the warmth?

I will google more now. Thanks!

 

[3BirdGirlz]

Moisten and then you can see if there are blood veins still. If not you can peel a little of it at a time until you see a bit of blood.....then stop! The chick has to absorb the yolk and that takes a long tome sometimes. I like to moisten with olive oil as it doesn't run and accidentally drown the chick. Apply with a
q-tip. Good luck!

 

[tofupup]

I broke the membrane where I saw the beak and there is a ton of blood in there. This doesn't even look like a chick to me; more like a bloody mass with a little yellow rudimentary beak. The poor thing stopped moving when I broke the membrane.

So I stopped, put it on a moist towel in a plastic bin on a heating pad, but I think this guy is dying, slowly and horribly. I just poked him again and the beak opened slightly but there is no way this is a fully formed chick.

This is the most horrible thing ever. I don't see how/ why he started breaking the shell in the first place if he's still developing? This is so upsetting and I feel like vomiting.

 

[gander007]

Oh sometimes surprises happen just keep up what you are doing
and let mother nature take over from here and remember 24 hrs
is a guide line some times 3 days to come out it is rare but I have
had it happen ......

gander007

 

[tofupup]

I'm sorry to keep posting this disturbing news, but can someone who's experienced with chick development look at this photo and tell me what is going on?

This is what the egg/chick looks like now, about 6 hours after I tried peeling away the shell and the dried membrane. Horrible, I know. But the white spot that I circled is the beak that opens and closes sometimes. So the chick is still alive.

Is there any possible way this chick is not going to die? I know it's hard to tell from this dark bloody mess of a photo, but since the membrane is already broken --- this guy is just in there slowly dying right?

I put him on a moist towel, inside a container over a heating pad set on low so it's plenty humid and warm in there. And I dabbed parts of the membrane with olive oil.




Any more advice? Just wait and see, I guess? Has anyone ever seen anything like this turn out not badly?

 

[GeorgRodway]

What makes you think he's not fully developed? They all look a little bit alien like when they hatch I think

 

[GeorgRodway]

I'd also try and clear his beak from . bloody or fluid he can breathe take a little of the membrane away as he could suffocate x

 

[tofupup]

I don't know if he's fully developed or not!

I've never had a baby chick, much less watched one hatch, so I have no idea if this guy is even viable or why he's not coming out, or if I destroyed him when I took him from his mother, or what. I just have no idea what is going on here.

He's not peeping, and all the youtube videos I watched of chicks stuck in shells had loudly peeping babies.

Is there normally blood when they come out of the shell, in normal hatching situations?