Last Unhatched egg sticky all over, hen still sitting

[chloeonz]

Hi again,
So going on from my last post, we’ve had 4 of 6 eggs hatching under mama hen, one chick hasn’t properly absorbed its yolk so its belly is swollen (on a seperate thread), and this wee one hasn’t hatched at all. Today is 23 days.
I was certain I saw the start of a pip yesterday when the others were hatching. But the others yolk and gunk is now dried all over the egg so its sticky - is this a concern?
Also, I cannot tell where the pip is now - theres feathers and dust etc stuck all over.
I have tried candling it and see the point clear the rest is dark, but I cannot hear anything, nor see details as I’m not doing a great job at candling in semi darkness.

Is it Possible its been unable to pip properly and die already?
Mama hen has not kicked it out, and when i tried moving it she scurried it back under her. Would she know if its dead or alive?

 

[chloeonz]

So something strange - i just candled in the dark - hen is fine with me - the egg is all dark, completely dark. Is this normal??

 

[PaulX]

If you are certain it has pipped for, like, 2 days, then you probably can safely help it out. My first hatch had a few eggs that couldn't hatch on their own too. The membrane got too dry and when I helped them out the yolk was already absorbed. Just peel the shell slowly starting from the air cell and try to take a peek inside.

 

[chloeonz]

If you are certain it has pipped for, like, 2 days, then you probably can safely help it out. My first hatch had a few eggs that couldn't hatch on their own too. The membrane got too dry and when I helped them out the yolk was already absorbed. Just peel the shell slowly starting from the air cell and try to take a peek inside.

Thanks for your reply, do you know why, when candled just now, it was all black, no air cell space either. The shell felt a bit soft too. I don’t want it exploding on anything

 

[chickens really]

It sounds like it's possibly gone? I'd pop it back under her and wait another 24 hours. Just provide food and water right close to the nest so the Chicks that are hatched reach the food.

 

[Keeperofmunchkins]

In my experience hens don't usually know if the eggs are good or not. It does sound like this chick might have died I'm afraid. An egg can look all black when the chick has pipped into the air cell to hatch, filling the entire egg as they attempt to break out. But they don't usually take more than 24 hours to start zipping after the first external Pip and not being able to hear any cheeping or tapping is a bad sign.
If it were me I would carefully peel off some shell where the air cell should be and have a look inside.

 

[PaulX]

Yeah, that doesn't sound good. The air cell should be on the blunt end if you shine the light into there you should see the cell. I never had something like that. Also, the living egg should at least have some red sheen when candled. The only eggs that were black when I candled were the dead eggs, but then again I candled mine every night so I knew how the color changed each day.