Need a little help quick!

[krystine819]

I have a 1st time broody hen who is sitting on eggs scheduled to hatch yesterday, today and so on. This morning I saw one of the eggs had a good size pip hole. I came home after work to find the BH had abandoned the egg that was well into the hatching process and rolled it away from the rest of the eggs and my other chickens were messing with it and picking at it. I tried to put it back near her, and the BH started attacking it. This is the 2nd egg of hers that has (nearly) hatched and she abandoned the first fully hatched chick as well. I have since taken that chick and put it safely in a brooder box. Needless to say this will absolutely be the last time I let her go broody since she is obviously a deadbeat mother, but my question is since the other chickens ate away some of its shell membrane what should I do? The picture shows where we are at as of now. Other than being abandoned, the little one appears to be in perfect shape and I am so grateful I arrived home when I did since I know the other chickens could have easily killed it. I have it indoors now in a dish covered with saran wrap (with air holes) with a wet paper towel and a heat lamp above.

 

[Poultry parent]

Make sure the membrane doesn't dry out and trap the little guy. You can dampen it with a q-tip and warm water

 

[Tenrec]

Make sure you keep tabs on the temperature in that box. Don't let it get above 99.5, you've effectively made a greenhouse.

What poultry parent said is good. just keep him moist. He looks like he'll be able to kick out when he's ready. Bacitracin works well too, and you don't have to keep re-wetting. Might benefit from loosely wrapping the damp paper towel around his egg.

Poor little guy.

 

[chickens really]

Water has the opposite effect on eggs...It draws out the moisture, not adds it...Vaseline works to keep the membrane moist .....