Injured egg while BYC was down! *UPDATE*

[NaomiSarah]

Hey guys, I had a first today and didn't know how to handle it, so I just "winged" it, let me know how I did.

Backyardchickens was down for maintainence when it happened, so I couldn't come here for advise! I closed the door of my incubator and the thermometer fell on an egg. It cracked, and there was an immediate seeping of pinkish fluid, but I grabbed the egg and held it together (perfect zipper crack, goes 2/3 of the way around the girth of the egg) while I (panicked, and) smeared a super thin layer of carpenter's glue on the crack in the egg! It held together, and on candling the chick is still alive. There's a small black "bulls eye" shape right where you can tell a vein/vessel was ruptured in the membrane, along the crack, and the chick is slow-moving, but we're getting close to hatch here so I'm not surprised about that...

Anyway, moving forward here, what can I expect? Can I chick survive a blood vessel rupture like this and the trauma to the shell? What about the glue, is that totally the wrong thing to do? I just had no idea what else I could possibly use. If the chick survives until hatch, which I kind of doubt, will it have difficulties getting out or dangers of the bleeding spot reopening? This is really a first for me.

 

[Settin'_Pretty]

I think I would have tried a little candle wax, but then I'm winging it too.

 

[NaomiSarah]

I didn't even think about that!

 

[perolane]

Just had that happen to 2 of my eggs when my bator fan fell down on them. I used candle wax to seal them.

One just had the tiniest dent/crack...the membrane wasn't broken...I just pitched it last night. It just didn't make it.

The other was cracked almost all around....it's hanging in there...on day 18 today!!! So you never know!! Good luck!!

 

[Denninmi]

I hope it makes it. Anytime I have any bleeding like that from a membrane, I dust it with styptic powder to stop the bleeding ASAP, and then with tetracycline powder to guard off infection. I never had anything fall on one like that, but I have had some bleeding trying to help them out during problem hatch. Good luck.

 

[NaomiSarah]

Update on the broken egg! It's still a healthy, developing egg, I candled it today. Is due to hatch on Wednesday. Can I ask - anyone here know if the crack makes it more likely for the air sac to be filled with water? I have it isolated, which is (unfortunately) in the hatcher with the high humidity, so it's spending a couple of extra days in higher humidity.

 

[NaomiSarah]

Update: "Nemo" is due to hatch today. No pipping yet, but a quick candle showed me that it's still alive in there!

 

[gvntofly05]

Quote:
That's good news! Sending good hatching vibes Nemo's way!!

 

[Supermommy486]

Woohoo!!!

 

[FenDruadin]

I think you did great! I'm not surprised he's doing fine, and I will also not be at all surprised if he hatches just fine. I've twice damaged eggs during incubation, and both times they were just fine. The first time, I crushed in the whole top over the air cell, and it actually hatched very quickly once it was ready. The other time, I dented a quail egg very early during incubation and put nail polish (didn't have a candle and was afraid the heat might damage such a tiny egg) on it, and it not only survived but was one of the first to hatch.

I think danger from the ruptured blood vessel is past by this time and you really shouldn't have any problems with it. Sending you happy hatching vibes!!