No incubator and peeping eggs!

[botesbabe]

On Saturday sometime- by bantam hen hatched out 5 chicks. She is a free range bird and left the other 7 eggs on the nest to chill while she took care of the 4 that made it(one got trapped in a roll of wire and died). I gathered the eggs that were left and put them in a box with shop lights for a heater and yesterday heard peeping from one of the eggs and saw movement(egg moving) from another. The peeper pipped last night, but without an incubator- the humidity wasn't right and the membrane was stuck to him/her. I peeled the membrane gently and he/she is now out of the egg, but is not walking and has a tiny bit of yolksac still unabsorbed. I put a warm damp towel in the box, but I am afraid he is not going to make it. The other egg that is still(or was last night) moving hasn't pipped..... Can I save it, or should I chalk it up to having a wild hen(not able to catch) and just dispose of the egg and chick? HELP!! I have never had chicks before(I have hens, and roosters, but they have never gone "broody" on me before.

 

[chicklady63]

I would just try to keep the one baby that has hatched in a warm, safe and dry environment. The other eggs could be put near a heat source and perhaps wrapped loosely in warm, damp washcloths to provide the needed humidity to hatch. I know in some of my very old chicken books I have heard of people years ago hatching eggs out in the oven - keep temps very low, leave the door cracked of course and keep an eye on the temp with an oven thermometer like you might use in a brooder. Place the eggs on a damp dishtowel, etc.
Good luck.

 

[botesbabe]

I did place the other egg in the damp cloth. The little fella is still peeping strongly, but is still not standing. He does open and close his eyes and is kicking like crazy..... I hope I didn't do the wrong thing. I didn't want to intervene, but the membrane was stuck tight to him..... I don't know why it never occurred to me to put a damp towel in there

How long should I wait for the other egg to pip?? It has been almost 48 hours since the first chicks hatched

I'll let you all know what happens.

Tonya

 

[botesbabe]

The one that had already hatched is dead.

I pipped a small hole in the unhatched one and it is slowing down onmovement. I am going to go ahead and help it out. At this point- it is 50/50 as to whether it will survive, but the membrane is drying out FAST and I don't want to wait too long. If it lives, GREAT! If not- lesson learned.... I'll keep y'all posted!

Tonya

 

[Sunny the Hippie Chick]

Sorry about the loss of your chick..

I had a button quail hatch out that couldnt walk and just layed there.. It didnt even open its eyes.. I just kept feeding it sugar water all day.. Finally it started to open its eyes, but it still layed there on its side with its feet sticking out.. And it flopped around alot.. I thought I was going to have to cull it.. I feed it one last time and said to myself that I was going to cull it in the morning if it didnt walk or sit up by then.. Next moring I woke up and it was walking around.. It layed on its side for 2 days and I never gave up on it..

So if the next chick survives out of the eggs.. If it is weak.. Try sugar water..

I had to help a few of mine hatch.. Just be careful and slow. If you see blood stop and let it sit for a few more hours and try again. Oh and like others said.. Try to keep a damp rag wrapped around it.. But leave an opening if the beak is exposed.. I did any way..

Good luck..

 

[botesbabe]

I pipped a small hole(as I think I said earlier. Before going any further- I wet the membrane and it still has vessels and looks bloody- so I left the chick in the towel and also left a bowl of warm water in the box. I will keep checking it to see if it gets better....

Thanks for all the help!

Tonya

 

[botesbabe]

Well- I had to run to the store and when I got back the last one had already died. Oh, well!

Like I have read in several spots here- Nature knows best! Unless I have an incubator- I won't try saving them again. The chicks that didn't hatch were so far behind(at least 4 days) in gestation from the ones that hatched. These eggs were all laid by the hen that sat on them and were never bothered by us(we didn't find the nest at all until day 18 or so), so it must have not meant to be for the 3 that were at one time viable(4 of them were just infertile eggs). Thanks for all the suggestions! I think next time the hen goes broody- I will try and slip some RIR eggs under her and see what happens!

Tonya

 

[chicklady63]

I am sorry - but you gave it your best shot. Sometimes that's all we can do.