Oh I'm such a clumsy bugger, I put my thumb through pipped egg... at the wrong end :/

[redmouse]

Hi all, I'm a long time lurker, but have finally taken the leap and joined

But sadly it's because I've been a clumsy idiot and managed to stick my thumb through the small end of a little white sussex cross that is pipping and am hoping for some advice and/or reassurance! I was ruffling around under mama broody to gather the fresh eggs (mama chose the nest box, and wouldn't be moved, and all the other girls thought she was nice and warm to sit and lay their eggs on, so I marked the clutch she was to hatch and have been taking out the fresh eggs as they lay them on and around her) so this morning I put my thumb through an egg and heard a big PEEP! and you guessed it, when I took the egg out to see what was going on, sure enough there was a little beak poking out of a lovely big pip, and then my great big thumb mark down the small end with cracked shell and a bit of blood.

I wanted to leave chick under mama, but she decided she wanted to peck the bloody bit, so since I have no incubator, I've had a litte peeping chick still in her egg stuffed down my bra in a bit of warm damp kitchen paper since this morning. She's still breathing and wriggling and talking to me, but I'm so worried I've done some damage

This is my first batch of chicks in some years, I was so looking forward to leaving it to mama hen, then I go and do this!

 

[sumi]

You may have to help the little one out of the egg, is she's ready. If it was pipping already she should be o.k. This thread will tell you how to help and what to look out for:

If intervention is necessary as a last resort

Good luck! And

 

[redmouse]

Thank you for the welcome

and for that link, I think I'm going to have to help her out, the shell has kind of disintegrated down one side leaving just the membrane. She's still really noisy and wriggling about, so I'm keeping everything crossed!

I have helped two of my runners out when they got stuck while hatching, so I'll give this little fuzzybutt as much of a chance as I can At least it was a pipped egg I broke a hole in I suppose, at least she has some chance!

Oh to have a bator... this doing everything with one hand supporting a wriggly chick down my front is quite a good challenge

 

[sumi]

Hope all goes well with the little one.

Keep us posted!