One chick dead after pipping, what now?

[LisaJean]

One of my chicks pipped her egg this afternoon. i had to go to work. I told hubby to watch, and if she had made no progrss in an hour, to try and help her.

I came home and found her dead, still trapped in the egg. Hubby cover the rubbermaind tub with a towel, trying to keep the light out of her eyes, and it blocked the heat lamp. The chick either froze or suffocated. Either way, I have a dead chick.

There is another chick with a large hole in her egg, peeping like mad. I still see blood vessels in the membrane, and a strage, clear sac of fliud of some sort. What do I do? Do I help her?

There is no sign of movement or sound from three more eggs, and after having s rotten one blow up in my hand earlier, I am not taking chances. I threw them out, whole.

There is one other egg that is peeping, but there is no hole yet.
Please help me, because right now I am ready to give up on the whole chicken thing altogether.

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

I am trying to understand where they are while they are hatching out...? If under a broody hen, mother nature takes over and that way is best but if in an incubator, once again, little interference on our part generally works for the better too. It takes quite some time from pip to zip...it's too early for you to give up! Again, where are they being hatched out from? You mentioned a rubbermaid tub and a heat lamp...?

 

[LisaJean]

Here' s the thread I started yeterday.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=221239&p=1


Basically my broody kicked her nest to pieces, and tge eggs were scattered everywhere. I collected them and not having an incubator, placed them in a rubbermaid tub, on a nest of damp towels, with a heat lamp over the tub.

 

[LisaJean]

The two remaining chicks are peeping like mad, but not trying to move around at all. There is still blood when I try to poke holes in the shell, so the blood vessels are still pumping. This is bullsh*t, I am NEVER doing hatching eggs again! I am sitting here listen to my chicks die, and I can't do anything to help!

Why won't the blood vessels stop pumping?

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

Bless your heart, I cannot imagine what you must be going thru! These little buggers would not even have a chance were if not for you, remember that! I think you are doing an amazing job, just consider everything that has happened...I would not have had the sense to have figured out what to do to improvise as you have had to do. The fact that the nest was torn to pieces and the eggs were scattered everywhere...don't you realize that any damage to the eggs had already been done? You are just trying to make the best out of a bad situation.

Do not blame yourself anymore and whatever you do, don't give up! If ANY of these little ones actually hatch out, it is only because of what YOU have done to try to save them, none of them had a chance at all until you came along and found out what had happened. Just try to keep a close eye on them because of heat and humidity issues, you may have to be particularly watchful of them getting shrinkwrapped in the membrane and tiring out before they can hatch. You know, sometimes if it takes a LONG time and the peeping begins to sound rather weak, you can lightly mist some warm water on the egg, not in the hole where they have pipped, of course, but that misting of water can loosen them right out of that egg if they are stuck to the shell or membrane. You just don't want to help them unless absolutely needed because they have to absorb all the yolk sac and rest a bit as a rule before they are really strong enough to hatch out. MY thoughts and prayers are for you tonight and I really mean that.

Please let me know how everything works out, and remember, don't give up on chickens; they need you just as much as you need them!

 

[LisaJean]

Well, I found out what happened to the nest. About an hour ago, the broody hem came up to the back door, screetching up a storm. I ran out witjh the flashlight, and swept it around.... And saw eyes glowing in the shed (where the nest was.)

A big old possum. So I know where my other eggs have been disappearing to, and I know who destroyed the nest. The possum looked at me for a minute, then reached out and snatched an egg up in his mouth, and took off. This also explains why I've had baby chicks disappear without a trace.

Good news, though, I was able to get those last two out of their shells. They are not bloody at all, and they seem to be resting. They fuss when I try to touch them, which I suppose is a good sign. I have them under the heat lamp, nice an quiet. I also have a heating pad for them. Once they're up and about, I will give them some water and mash.

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

See there, you actually SAVED two little chicks and managed to find out what kind of predator was sneaking in and wreaking havoc in the coop. Bet you rock that possum's world next time you get the opportunity! Remember the last words I said in my post to you last night "Don't give up on chickens, they need you as much as you need them!"

 

[LisaJean]

Thanks, Spring! Yeah, when I saw the possum, I felt better, because I know that if I had left the eggs out there, I might have no survivors. Because I would think a possum can smell the difference between a rotted egg and a fresh live one. He would have eaten the live ones.

My two little troopers are doing great this morning, peeping up a storm. I have the heating pad under them, and a very shallow saucer of sugar water. I'll start them on mash tomorrow.

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

I am so happy for you that they both hatched out and are doing well. Best of luck for now and always!

 

[purpletree23]

Because you have a heat lamp and a heating pad going be very careful of the temperature. Monitor it closely and congratulation on the new arrivals. I hope they do well for you. now that you know what happened to momma you might be able to slip them under her if she still wants to sit on a nest. Make one up and see what happens. Keep her in an outside protected porch if you have to. Mom knows best.


Tomorrow deal with the opossum. Horrible, nasty, hissing creatures!