Need Advice ASAP .... PLEASE!

[karmlacres]

I am coming to the close of a hatch. I have one little one that pipped sometime during the night and created a hole. It always looked odd and dry. The chick had a small hole through the membrane but more of the shell was removed, exposing the membrane. It looked dry. Well, by late afternoon, it was killing me that the chick wasn't making any progress whatsoever. So I got a hot, wet rag and wrapped up with it to keep it warm and tried to pull a bit of the membrane more open so I could rest easier that it could breathe. But it still isn't making any progress on its own. When I poke or pull a little, I see what appears to be blood. I'm so afraid I'm going to do it more harm if I try to help it hatch.

21 days was this past Wednesday. As it turned out, there was a temperature error on my part, so they didn't start hatching until Friday. I had 2 hatch Friday, 2 on Saturday and now this one. The second to hatch has bumble foot. I'm dealing with that. The other 3 hatched just fine.

What should I do, if anything? If I help it, what more should I do? The hen was a Marans, so the shell seems tougher than those from the Ameraucana momma. One other Marans has hatched, the other 3 are Ameraucanas.

 

[twilite]

I usually help them out if its been that long and nothing more has happened. First I would have done what you did and make sure he can breath, then wait awhile. You've done that already. If it were me I would pull off more of the shell and see if he's moving. The blood may be from a vessel that wrapped itself around the inside of the shell. I'd keep trying to help him. Sometimes they get too dried out & its better to get him outta there before its too late. Its up to you...

 

[twilite]

I meant ...its up to you to decide whats best.

 

[karmlacres]

Wrapping the egg in a warm wet cloth is the proper way to go about assisting? If it is a vessel, is there any concern with it bleeding?

 

[Squawkbox]

There is most definitely a concern for it bleeding. If it were me, I would chip away the shell, take away the outer membrane (not enough so it can free itself, just so I can see what is going on in there) then carefully rip away the inner membrane from around it's beak. Then wrap the whole egg in a warm wet paper towel and shove it back in while you wait for the veins to dry up.