KazChickadees
Hatching
- Jan 24, 2021
- 3
- 5
- 9
Where to start...
I checked on hen that had been nesting in total lock down and she was off the nest with two chickens. Due to predators I have to remove chicks from hen which I have successfully done previously with another hen and raise the chicks with a hot water bottle. This hen didn't return to the nest though which still had 5 eggs and a little chick that didn't make it
This is where things get complicated. I took the two hatched chicks and the 5 eggs and placed them in a box with the hot water bottle. One egg had already unzipped but the membrane had dried out and amother egg had started to pip.
I left the newly pipped egg to do it's thing and focused on the unzipped chick with the dried membrane most probably and unfortunately due to the hen leaving the nest with the two chicks and the temp being 38 degrees and a dry heat. Poor little chick had no humidity to help get out
I noticed it also had blood on the shell and a small hole on the back of it's neck ( had it been pecked? ) I very carefully dampened a cloth and gave the chicken some time to try to get out by itself. After several hours it still wasn't out so I helped remove some of the shell and membrane but the poor little chick was stuck. Sadly he didn't make it
The other egg that had pipped was also unzipping and pushed it's way out with no hassles. It appeared strong and healthy with no obvious problems. Sadly and to my shock it hadn't absorbed it's yolk sac (which was not there when hatched ) and also didn't make it
I candled the remaining three eggs and one had a chick inside and still alive!
So I waited and it started to pip and eventually hatched and is still alive.
I'm not getting my hopes up yet as the other one was healthy and died so I'll give it a day or so.
Anyway before I joined this group I had no idea what the yolk sac was and about membranes and shrink wrapping.
This is my second water bottle babies the first all 8 survived after hatching under the hen and being left for a day before moving.
It's such a shame this hen had no interest in returning to the nest and her unhatched chicks. Fingers crossed this little one survives and catches up to the two who are eating and drinking
I checked on hen that had been nesting in total lock down and she was off the nest with two chickens. Due to predators I have to remove chicks from hen which I have successfully done previously with another hen and raise the chicks with a hot water bottle. This hen didn't return to the nest though which still had 5 eggs and a little chick that didn't make it
This is where things get complicated. I took the two hatched chicks and the 5 eggs and placed them in a box with the hot water bottle. One egg had already unzipped but the membrane had dried out and amother egg had started to pip.
I left the newly pipped egg to do it's thing and focused on the unzipped chick with the dried membrane most probably and unfortunately due to the hen leaving the nest with the two chicks and the temp being 38 degrees and a dry heat. Poor little chick had no humidity to help get out
I noticed it also had blood on the shell and a small hole on the back of it's neck ( had it been pecked? ) I very carefully dampened a cloth and gave the chicken some time to try to get out by itself. After several hours it still wasn't out so I helped remove some of the shell and membrane but the poor little chick was stuck. Sadly he didn't make it
The other egg that had pipped was also unzipping and pushed it's way out with no hassles. It appeared strong and healthy with no obvious problems. Sadly and to my shock it hadn't absorbed it's yolk sac (which was not there when hatched ) and also didn't make it
I candled the remaining three eggs and one had a chick inside and still alive!
So I waited and it started to pip and eventually hatched and is still alive.
I'm not getting my hopes up yet as the other one was healthy and died so I'll give it a day or so.
Anyway before I joined this group I had no idea what the yolk sac was and about membranes and shrink wrapping.
This is my second water bottle babies the first all 8 survived after hatching under the hen and being left for a day before moving.
It's such a shame this hen had no interest in returning to the nest and her unhatched chicks. Fingers crossed this little one survives and catches up to the two who are eating and drinking
