I think one came too early...what to do?***UPDATED***

[lovin'mychicks]

Okay, I may have mentioned before that I have never lost a baby! In about 20 hatches never lost one that hatched!

So, last night (day 20) at 7pm our electricity went out. I was horrified I stated out until about 11pm but I managed to keep the temp around 90 degrees bu placing towels on top of the bator.

All of my little ones just piped and chirped through it all! I watched one of the d'uccles hatch around 11:45pm and he looked great.

Then I noticed one of my Australorp eggs really rocking and chirping. I looked and it was hatching. It only zipped about 1/2 way around the egg and then poked its head out. I could see blood and what I think was part of the unabsorbed yoke.

I have never seen any of this before! I was horrified. He made his way out of the shell but is just lying there. He is breathing, and churping occasionally, but his eyes are closed and he just flops around. His "navel" is still a little bloody.

So what do I do? Just leave him, get him out of there. I don't want him to suffer. Is there any chance he could make it???

 

[Goose and Fig]

I had this happen twice this week with Australorp chicks. Leave the little guy in there until he dries out. I kept them seperated until they were up & active before putting them in with the siblings- just in case. They ended up being fine- now they are bouncing around the brooder.

 

[chubbydog811]

Just leave him in your bator. Make sure the other chicks arent hopping around on him.
I've had a few chicks hatch like that. They usually pull though and are perfectly healthy.
I wouldn't worry too much unless the yolk/insides come out...
Just give him a bit of time in the incubator!

 

[jenjscott]

There's a good chance he'll make it, especially if your humidity is high. If you don't usually open your incubator, leave it closed. If you open yours to take chicks out during the hatch, put a warm damp paper towel over his abdomen and leave him in the incubator.

 

[lovin'mychicks]

Update...

I just ran home and checked on the bator. The "early" chick is still alive!!

All of the bantam eggs have now hatched (4) but he is still the only Australorp who has fully hatched, the others are still piping.

As to his condition, he hatched at 7:00 am at 11am he is fully fluffed out, his navel looks dryer now, he churps each time the bantams do and he still flops around. He still has his eyes closed and when I picked him up his neck seemed a little limp.

You guys think I should keep waiting and see

 

[lovin'mychicks]

Australorp chick made it!!!!

eee

I thought someone might experience this same thing and I wanted to share what happened to us!

The chick came a good 8 hours before his siblings. He had a bloody navel and seemed more lathargic than most of the others I have hatched. I was very worried, but he was breathing good (not to slow, not too fast) and was churping.

At 10am yesterday I placed a warm/damp papertowel around his lower body and left him.

At 4pm I removed the towel and it seemed his belly was dryer so I left him, he was then opening his eyes.

At 8 pm last night I opened the bator to see the other BA chicks and he was up jumping around.

I have now stopped refering to "him" as "him as I now think it is okay to get attached. I have named HER Black Beauty as she is solid black with no white undermarkings that most Australorps have!!

She also has 5 other AUSTRA siblings. I did have one quitter. When I opened the shell he/she was dead

They are now all happy in the brooder!! I will post pics soon!!!

***Thanks for the advice***

 

[jenjscott]

If they were just hatching yesterday, wasn`t it a`little early to be opening the unhatched egg? Frequently you will have one hatch 24 to 48 hours after the rest. Do you always quit a hatch that soon? Do yours `always hatch out that close to the same time? Mine always straggle out over a day or two.

By the way glad the little GAL made it!

 

[HenMamma]

lovin'mychicks :

Australorp chick made it!!!!

eee


I have now stopped refering to "him" as "him as I now think it is okay to get attached. I have named HER Black Beauty as she is solid black with no white undermarkings that most Australorps have!!

Isn't it funny how we can be unattached to "Him", but if it is a "Her" we become attached.​

 

[lovin'mychicks]

Quote:
Maybe I forgot to mention that it had zipped and I could see from the outside that it was not moving or breathing. It's beak was standing open, I just hate this happened. I am trying to look on the bright side and the 7 beautiful babies I have, but I have never had a fully developed chick die like this.

I would not have opened the egg if it was just piped I always give them an extra day or two~

Thanks for asking!

 

[lovin'mychicks]

Quote:
Maybe I forgot to mention that it had zipped and I could see from the outside that it was not moving or breathing. It's beak was standing open, I just hate this happened. I am trying to look on the bright side and the 7 beautiful babies I have, but I have never had a fully developed chick die like this.

I would not have opened the egg if it was just piped I always give them an extra day or two~

Thanks for asking!