my first ostrich egg...

[johnskoi]

It was interesting to read that there is definitely . . . ummm . . . 'communication' between the eggs as hatching approaches.

Last winter, when Boy Emu's chicks were coming out, I wasoutirhgt amazed by the notion that, after fifty-something days, the eggs 'knew' how hatch almost together!!

S.E.

i'm equally amazed ...i've also been sucked into 'how did they know thing' many times whether it be wild mallard ducks or my own peas..... that being said, i've seen my silkies seem to push eggs off to side for hours only to pull them back in later --- almost as if they're trying to coordinate the hatch --- time for me to wrap gifts and check on the 'big o' ....

 

[johnskoi]

almost 1:30 am est ..quietness hope to hear somthing in the morning...

 

[johnskoi]

didn't hear anything this morning or a few minutes ago ..... no visible signs of pipping... i've droopped the temp to 96.5.... i'm tempted to intervene, but i'm holding back (not easy) ... i have helped a few silkies and peas in the past (more the exception than the rule) where there was no pipping whatsoever -- by breaking thru the air cell end of the shell and wetting the membrane to see where the beak was located and if there are no veins AT the beak, i'd break a little hole in the inner membrane so the chick could breathe -- from there,, it's the normal 'help a chick hatch' thing...

 

[Raptor65]

Don't help! It may just be sleeping or resting.
One thing you can listen for is a sort of 'wet paper bag' sound, this is the sound the inner membrane makes after it pulls away from the shell and with these large eggs it's very noticeable when the chick moves. Handling the egg and talking to the chick inside encourages it to pip but it will still only do so when it's ready.

Don't be worried if it rests for several hours after pipping as well, Gerry slept a full 12 hours after pipping until I woke him up in the morning and he got to work chipping away and it took him another 12 hours before he was free of the shell.

Now of course since this is an Ostrich so your mileage may vary but I can't imagine they'd be terribly different from an Emu hatch..

 

[johnskoi]

thank you! --- i needed someone to stop me...

 

[Calla]

John , Raptor is right, I had one Emu pipped and not anymore for 8 hours, but kept whistling now and again. Chicks need sleep, Ostriches may not be any different , just chat to it , if you hear it.. There are no 2 alike... have just patience now...good luck.
Calla

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

I am quietly reading.

s.e.

 

[johnskoi]

update ..... welp, my gut tells me it ain't gonna happen.... while the membrane appears to have pulled back some, if i rotate the egg slightly i can see liquid moving, but NO mass movement and NO sound ... gonna give it another week of letting it sit there 'just in case' and then i'll do a neggcropsy ... still have my hopes, but they're SLIM ... if there's a point that anyone thinks i should intervene, let me know -- i don't mind putzing with it... and a SINCERE thank you to all for the advice and encouragemnent

 

[yinepu]

update ..... welp, my gut tells me it ain't gonna happen.... while the membrane appears to have pulled back some, if i rotate the egg slightly i can see liquid moving, but NO mass movement and NO sound ... gonna give it another week of letting it sit there 'just in case' and then i'll do a neggcropsy ... still have my hopes, but they're SLIM ... if there's a point that anyone thinks i should intervene, let me know -- i don't mind putzing with it... and a SINCERE thank you to all for the advice and encouragemnent

what day are you on?.. I can tell you that the liquid is not a good sign.. Is the liquid IN the air cell? if so then it sounds like he may have drowned.. which also makes me wonder what your humidity was during incubation. From your last comment it may have been too high during incubation, but I must admit i havent read back through the entire thread to see.
If it's within a day or so of hatch date you can drill a small hole in the air cell end to allow for air exchange. But without not knowing I would hate for you to if it's just too early.

so basically I would need to know:
What day is the egg on?
How has the humidity been through out incubation?
Have you been weighing the egg to make sure it lost the correct amount of moisture during incubation?
What has the incubation temperature been?
Also.. what kind of incubator have you been using? Making sure the chick had enough oxygen (fresh air exchange) would also indicate if it had died in the shell due to carbon dioxide poisoning or if it was too high of a humidity.
Sorry, hopefully he's still alive and well.. but that liquid has me thinking he didnt make it. . gonna keep my fingers crossed that he's still alive and kicking

 

[Calla]

John, depends what stage the egg is on, if it's over the time and alive, there is still hope, keep it shut and just listen,
good luck,
Calla