On day 20 of first hatching - have several questions

[AmyLynn2374]

My little fighter is still surprising me. He's standing, and holding his head up. Still super sticky and weak. Is it possible to wipe him with warm cloth? I don't have any electrolyte solution, but is there anything I can do to give him a boost?

You can add a spoon of sugar to the water . That's the second recommended thing next to electrolytes. Yes, a warm wet cloth should help to run some of that off. Because he was so long in a zip it started to dry causing a glueiness.

 

[lazy gardener]

Personally, I'm a huge fan of Poultry Nutri-Drench. All my chicks get some of that in their first water, then, I alternate with plain water for a few jars. Your little one should come along just fine. sometimes it takes them a full 24 hours to gain strength.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Personally, I'm a huge fan of Poultry Nutri-Drench. All my chicks get some of that in their first water, then, I alternate with plain water for a few jars. Your little one should come along just fine. sometimes it takes them a full 24 hours to gain strength.

Is the Nutri-Drench electrolytes or vitamin?

 

[eblevens]

Thanks, everyone. This little guy has hit me right in the heart. Such a tough little fighter. I didn't want to help him along because I had no idea what I was doing, but when I saw that his membrane was drying out and he couldn't progress, I did 45 minutes of hard research and went to work. I let him do as much work as he was able, but he hatched in my hands. I put him back in and hoped for the best, expecting the worst. He surprised me this morning.

On a related note, I'm surprised at how fiercely maternal I feel about these little fluffballs! This is mostly my daughter's project, but my little guy is MINE now. Hope my daughter can share!

I'm going to need to wipe him with a warm cloth because he's stickiest on his little bum, so if he's still doing well when I get home from work, that's my first step.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thanks, everyone. This little guy has hit me right in the heart. Such a tough little fighter. I didn't want to help him along because I had no idea what I was doing, but when I saw that his membrane was drying out and he couldn't progress, I did 45 minutes of hard research and went to work. I let him do as much work as he was able, but he hatched in my hands. I put him back in and hoped for the best, expecting the worst. He surprised me this morning.

On a related note, I'm surprised at how fiercely maternal I feel about these little fluffballs! This is mostly my daughter's project, but my little guy is MINE now. Hope my daughter can share!

I'm going to need to wipe him with a warm cloth because he's stickiest on his little bum, so if he's still doing well when I get home from work, that's my first step.

Keep an eye on that, make sure it doesn't end up being pasty butt. Uncured pasty butt can lead to death. I think it's sweet how you have taken to him.

 

[eblevens]

The last 24 hours have been stressful. First, I arrived home to a lower humidity level and a chick that had died in the middle of zipping — the membranes were dry. Worse, my little fighter passed away just two hours after I wiped him down with a warm cloth and put him under the light. I cried like a baby — I think I considered myself his momma just as much as he did.

I think we're nearing the end of this first attempt. I have one more Sebright who pipped last night, making a hole large enough that I could see him breathing and hear his chirp. This morning he hadn't started zipping yet, but everything looked good. However, he STILL hasn't progressed past pipping now, 24 hours later. At what point do I try to help? Do I even try, knowing I'll get attached and be devastated if he doesn't make it?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

The last 24 hours have been stressful. First, I arrived home to a lower humidity level and a chick that had died in the middle of zipping — the membranes were dry. Worse, my little fighter passed away just two hours after I wiped him down with a warm cloth and put him under the light. I cried like a baby — I think I considered myself his momma just as much as he did.

I think we're nearing the end of this first attempt. I have one more Sebright who pipped last night, making a hole large enough that I could see him breathing and hear his chirp. This morning he hadn't started zipping yet, but everything looked good. However, he STILL hasn't progressed past pipping now, 24 hours later. At what point do I try to help? Do I even try, knowing I'll get attached and be devastated if he doesn't make it?

I'll be honest and say that if I have an egg that has been pipped for 24 hours with no progress I pull it out, increase the pip hole and wet the membranes. I pull back the outer membrane so I can see what I am doing and check on the chick and the inner membrane. If the inner membrane is not stuck tight or glued to the chick and the chick is in the right position, breathing well and I feel it's still in good shape I will just make sure the membranes are moistened and wrap a wet paper towel around the back of the shell and put him back in to let him continue trying (and I would be playing chick chirping videos for him as motivation.

) If I felt that the chick was weakening or if he was in a bad position I would start an assisted hatch by starting the zip for the chick, about a quarter of the way around, wetting the membranes and using a damp/wet paper towel around the egg and replace it to give it a chance to continue on it's own. After another hour, if there was no progress I would again extend the zip to half way and then replace as before. If at anytime that you are assisting a chick and there is any significant blood/bleeding or any signs of still thick dark veins you stop. Wet the "bleeder" and replace with damp towel around it. Continuing to aid a chick that has significant veining has a high probability of causing a bleed out.

Sorry to hear the little guy didn't make it. It can be hard, there's no question about that, and if you are anything like a good share of us, getting attatched and loosing one is just something that is going to happen and we move through it so that we can continue to bring other's into the world. (Doesn't make it any easier though.)

 

[eblevens]

The membranes looked good and he looks pretty strong. He just doesn't seem to be motivated to progress past the little boost I gave him. He chirps back to the video, but I still worry.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

The membranes looked good and he looks pretty strong. He just doesn't seem to be motivated to progress past the little boost I gave him. He chirps back to the video, but I still worry.

You can always start an assisted hatch and stop when/if you get to veining. I've found that the veining seems to receed from top down. It's a theory that I am postulating. Evey time I have assisted depending on how long it has been since pip, it seems like the bottom, near the pointed end is the last part to totally be free of veining.

 

[WalnutHill]

You can always start an assisted hatch and stop when/if you get to veining. I've found that the veining seems to receed from top down. It's a theory that I am postulating. Evey time I have assisted depending on how long it has been since pip, it seems like the bottom, near the pointed end is the last part to totally be free of veining.

It's not theory, there is plenty of evidence. The blood vessels recede from the air cell down to the bottom, and finally up to the "umbilical cord".

The other part to this is that the "umbilical cord" is attached to the "navel", and just behind that are the intestines and yolk that were just pulled inside the abdomen. So rushing hatch or a naval injury is nearly always fatal, whether the chick rushes in first or accident or intervention moves things ahead of schedule.

The quote encapsulated terms are not biologically correct. They are just references to names we all know and the corresponding mammalian counterparts.