Incubating and discouraged

[RosieR]

Look who I found when I checked the bator before bed

 

[Sara L]

Look who I found when I checked the bator before bed
View attachment 1486316

Yay!!! Should have little buddies soon, he/she will be calling for the slow pokes to come out and play. Shell zip line looks good.

 

[RosieR]

Yay!!! Should have little buddies soon, he/she will be calling for the slow pokes to come out and play. Shell zip line looks good.

It was a speedy one! Day 16 and less than an hour from pip to hatch because I’ve been checking constantly lol
I’m hoping I’ll wake up to a few more

 

[RosieR]

Another had hatched this morning, and had escaped the confinement of the hatching basket. I guess he squeezed through a hole somehow. I was terrified he’d drown in the water dish so I found a smaller basket, put liner in it. I opened the bator as quickly as I could manage, threw in a wet paper towel and retrieved the rogue chick and loaded chicks and Unhatched eggs in the new basket. I realized to late that someone was mid zip. I left it alone for an hour, but it made no progress. I pulled it and cracked off the lid of the shell and moistened the membrane which seems to be kind of sticky. I’m hoping that’s enough and it can push out on it’s own. If it’s truly stuck I’ll go in and try to get the membrane unstuck.

 

[Sara L]

I used strawberry baskets and that keeps coturnix chicks in, but button chicks can squeeze through. The issue I had with coturnix is they can climb out if the wall is not high enough. Does your basket have a lid?

 

[RosieR]

I used strawberry baskets and that keeps coturnix chicks in, but button chicks can squeeze through. The issue I had with coturnix is they can climb out if the wall is not high enough. Does your basket have a lid?

No but it’s about 6” tall so I figured it would be fine lol.
Chick 3 pushed its way out but there was a small amount of yolk left over. I thought once they start to zip they should have absorbed everything? It’s pretty exhausted, hopefully it perks up after some rest. I feel bad I disturbed it mid zip.

 

[Sara L]

No but it’s about 6” tall so I figured it would be fine lol.
Chick 3 pushed its way out but there was a small amount of yolk left over. I thought once they start to zip they should have absorbed everything? It’s pretty exhausted, hopefully it perks up after some rest. I feel bad I disturbed it mid zip.

6" is plenty tall, so must have squeezed out like you thought. Sometimes they zip a little early and still need to absorb a little. If possible, put the chick in a cup in the incubator where it can just sit there and absorb and not move around. Is the yolk far out of the navel or is it just not quite covered over?

 

[RosieR]

6" is plenty tall, so must have squeezed out like you thought. Sometimes they zip a little early and still need to absorb a little. If possible, put the chick in a cup in the incubator where it can just sit there and absorb and not move around. Is the yolk far out of the navel or is it just not quite covered over?

It’s all covered and he pulled the umbilical with no issue, it’s just as though there was extra?
I removed fluffy chicks 1 and 2 as they were pestering 3. They’re happily pecking away in the brooder now. His eyes seem glued shut and he’s quite sticky. I’ll let him be for a while and see what happens.

 

[Sara L]

It’s all covered and he pulled the umbilical with no issue, it’s just as though there was extra?
I removed fluffy chicks 1 and 2 as they were pestering 3. They’re happily pecking away in the brooder now. His eyes seem glued shut and he’s quite sticky. I’ll let him be for a while and see what happens.

If it seems like he has a residue or is really sticky you might need to give him a bath in warm water very carefully and then pat dry and put back in the incubator to fully dry. Other folks have had chicks that were sticky and it turned into a kind of crust on the chick. Keep an eye on it and do what you think is best.

 

[le_bwah]

Egg goo can be really sticky, but it turns hard as it dries. I'd watch that baby closely, maybe even give him a little spit bath. Congrats on the hatch, I hope the rest goes smoothly.