Opening eggs

[aalbury]

Well I don't know! I don't see any, but he's face down AND I don't see the shell. The paper towels are now strewn all over inside there.... He looks like he's resting and there is an odor from the bator....he's breathing though. I can't wait for him to dry.

 

[aalbury]

It's not him. He did die. This is the other egg that didn't hatch. I'd put it back in with him. I pulled the bator open real quick and found him under the paper towels.

 

[juliechick]

Oh, so sorry.

It's always hard when you've put so much emotion into them. But, Congrats on the other baby!

 

[aalbury]

Yes, it's kind of a sweet sorrow?

But he was fully formed, I took him out. His neck was twisted around as if it had been under his right wing, but it was not. No yolk sac on him. I was too afraid to pick him out. There was not as much blood as it looked like, I think because I'd put warm water droplets on him it looked like more.....

Live and learn I guess.....

 

[Dagmarvelous]

Thank you for sharing your experience! I'm a total newbie, my first eggs will arrive Friday, built the incubator and tested it last week.

Not only did you learn so much, so did all the newbies like me who read through all these posts. I believe that half of what our actions are in life are created by what we know (or don't know). I too would have blamed myself and helped the bugger out. But then I read the "too weak to hatch..." quote from Jim and I agree with that too. But I'd be tempted. But after watching your experience unfold, I think I'd not help him out initially, but instead just add a wet papertowel near the egg. I'm not judging you at all!! I'm just relating what I learned from you.

I'm sorry for your little chick. But his death was a learning experience for so many, and he (and you!) may have just saved a lot of chicks in the meantime!

Thank you again!

 

[aalbury]

Quote:
Thank you for the post! And I thank also everyone who tried to help me or just sent good thoughts!

I think I can do this now though....After the other one hatched unassisted....I too wonder if I should have just left well enough alone, but I thought he was stuck in there, and he may have been. OH- I wish I'd taken pics so that people could also weigh in on whether he was too large to move or what, though the shell was just about destroyed by his pushing efforts. He made a good try.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm so sorry you lost him. But at the same time, I'm so happy that you have others hatching. Congrats!

Don't kick yourself. It's always easier to think about it after the fact. I had one that needed some help as the membrane was completely stuck to him. I helped him a little bit, and I still wonder if doing that cost me my last 2 eggs that didn't hatch.

 

[aalbury]

Quote:
Thank you! You are right.

After the MANY times I opened up the bator, I cannot believe that other one hatched! Easy to focus on the new one named "Tardy"! But could've been "Lucky-not-to-have-been-dissected" which is what I really meant to do Sunday after reading the sticky articles/threads at the top here but was just too exhausted....