Please Help: Can a baby chick hatch without an egg tooth?

[katiek77]

Idk, still can't really tell...looks like a little bump is there? Granted, it doesn't look like you would normally see an egg tooth look like.
Are you keeping the membrane moist with some coconut oil? It looks like it's starting to dry out.

I have rubbed two rounds of coconut oil on it. This pic was after the second round of it. Each time I have used three qtips covered in it to apply it.

 

[katiek77]

Idk, still can't really tell...looks like a little bump is there? Granted, it doesn't look like you would normally see an egg tooth look like.
Are you keeping the membrane moist with some coconut oil? It looks like it's starting to dry out.

Since it’s been right at 24 hours I took him/her back out and went at round three of shell chipping and coconut oil soaking. I had the membrane on the head so soaked I was able to slip it down. I slowly soaked and slipped some more membrane down to make sure no feathers were stuck to it. He was able to kick out. Him sitting in that piped egg for that long and not able to move did dry his membrane. Since I soaked it it loosened it and he was free. He is now laying in the incubator chirping away and exhausted. Hopefully all is well in the am. I’ll post pics if he is good. Right now he certainly has a fighting chance. My youngest son will be so happy. This is his favorite bird. Fingers crossed.

 

[rascal66]

Sounds just like what happened to my last chick from my first hatch of the year, amd my most recent.

You did well on the oil and assistance, probably wouldn't have made it without your help.

Ive had two chicks that I needed to assist so far this year. It was very clear that the membrane was stuck on them, and dried up. They were also terribly sticky and unable to unzip without help. They had been pipped for almost a good 24 hours. I chipped away at the egg shell only, not the membrane, applied water to the membrane and gave them some time to push. They definitely pushed, but needed more assistance. I did end up tearing the membrane and then they finally came out, with minor assistance since some residue was stuck on them. They will seem to lay down and look exhausted for a bit. Just make sure the chick isn't too sticky as it won't be able to fluff up right. Give it a few hours and it will start to stand and walk wobbly like a normal newborn chick... Let us know how it does! Hope it doesn't get too weak on you.

The first one I assisted made it and is alive and well. The second one however was too weak and they had passed away... Sending well wishes your way

 

[katiek77]

Sounds just like what happened to my last chick from my first hatch of the year, amd my most recent.

You did well on the oil and assistance, probably wouldn't have made it without your help.

Ive had two chicks that I needed to assist so far this year. It was very clear that the membrane was stuck on them, and dried up. They were also terribly sticky and unable to unzip without help. They had been pipped for almost a good 24 hours. I chipped away at the egg shell only, not the membrane, applied water to the membrane and gave them some time to push. They definitely pushed, but needed more assistance. I did end up tearing the membrane and then they finally came out, with minor assistance since some residue was stuck on them. They will seem to lay down and look exhausted for a bit. Just make sure the chick isn't too sticky as it won't be able to fluff up right. Give it a few hours and it will start to stand and walk wobbly like a normal newborn chick... Let us know how it does! Hope it doesn't get too weak on you.

The first one I assisted made it and is alive and well. The second one however was too weak and they had passed away... Sending well wishes your way

Thank you so much. So sorry to hear about your baby. This is actually my third chick I had to assist in this hatch. I will never use this incubator again. I have been a nervous wreck this whole time and have had barely two hours asleep over the last several nights. I had one hatch great on day 18. One hatched great on day 19 around 2ish am. The third hatched on day 19 around 9ish pm. That one had to go in a cup so it could absorb the rest of its yolk sac. Day 20 was a nightmare. I had to fully assist that one. It was head over wing & feet over head. But hey no egg sac. Day 21 another nightmare and another full assist. But I did have one hatch on its own that day but again with yolk sac. And now day 22 with this baby at 3/4 assist. It is doing great. Very vocal and standing to gripe at me because I have it in a coffee cup. It had very little yolk sac showing. He will get out in a little of bit once I see it’s receded and healing. And to kick it off I still have 10 eggs in the incubator and day 23 starts at 4:30pm. 9 are bc marans and 1 is a Light Brahma. At this point I feel I should just take them out of that death trap they call an incubator and put them in a styrofoam ice chest with a heat lamp and a humidifier. In an hour in a half I’m going to candle and see if I can see an internal pip and go from there. This has been one heck of an experience for our first hatch. But on the bright side they are all up and happy and running around, well except for my coffee mug one. Ill post how it all goes

 

[katiek77]

My medical wing set up right beside my bed. One is ready to go in the brooder with its other hatch mates but I’m holding off till another is ready to go so it will have a known friend. By the end of the day I’m going to work on getting the remaining coconut oil off of the 2 bcm

 

[rascal66]

Goodness, I'm so sorry that for your first hatch you have already to put so much into saving these chicks. If you don't mind me asking, what incubator are you using?

You've done great so far, keep it up!

 

[katiek77]

Goodness, I'm so sorry that for your first hatch you have already to put some much into saving these chicks. If you don't mind me asking, what incubator are you using?

You've done great so far, keep it up!

Thank you. After I had purchased it I found out it was one of those mass market ones that people buy and slap a name on. I always read reviews from others but the only reviews I could find was with that persons name. My husband has seen all this work I’ve been putting into it and the lack of house chores and cooking he has offered to buy us a new one. We bought this for my son for his birthday. I feel like I should be getting the parent fail award for purchasing it. The next one will have a known market makers name on it. I had one of those picked out at one time but couldn’t afford it or seeing on spending that much on it. Well after this I think it will be well worth the money. If I got paid min wage for all that I have done I could of bought atleast 5 of them.

 

[007Sean]

Thank you. After I had purchased it I found out it was one of those mass market ones that people buy and slap a name on. I always read reviews from others but the only reviews I could find was with that persons name. My husband has seen all this work I’ve been putting into it and the lack of house chores and cooking he has offered to buy us a new one. We bought this for my son for his birthday. I feel like I should be getting the parent fail award for purchasing it. The next one will have a known market makers name on it. I had one of those picked out at one time but couldn’t afford it or seeing on spending that much on it. Well after this I think it will be well worth the money. If I got paid min wage for all that I have done I could of bought atleast 5 of them.

Don't be too hard on yourself. It's a common occurance for 'newbies' to make their decision based on price. With incubators, most of the time you 'get what you pay for' the cheap ones are mostly crap, the expensive ones are usually alot easier to regulate and keep stabile temps and humidity but not always.
I always recommend getting the best you can according to your budget and how serious you are about hatching eggs and the 'investment' in time your willing to spend on hatching your own birds.

It's a learning experince and the learning curve is pretty steep! I've hatched many thousands of birds through the years and each season I still learn something I didn't know...and I thought I pretty much know everything about hatching eggs and incubators.
Hope you have a better experince with your next hatch, and as always if you need help don't be afraid to ask...even we old timers have questions about incubation and hatching.

 

[katiek77]

Don't be too hard on yourself. It's a common occurance for 'newbies' to make their decision based on price. With incubators, most of the time you 'get what you pay for' the cheap ones are mostly crap, the expensive ones are usually alot easier to regulate and keep stabile temps and humidity but not always.
I always recommend getting the best you can according to your budget and how serious you are about hatching eggs and the 'investment' in time your willing to spend on hatching your own birds.

It's a learning experince and the learning curve is pretty steep! I've hatched many thousands of birds through the years and each season I still learn something I didn't know...and I thought I pretty much know everything about hatching eggs and incubators.
Hope you have a better experince with your next hatch, and as always if you need help don't be afraid to ask...even we old timers have questions about incubation and hatching.

Lol. Thank you so much. I’m going to chalk this up to a great learning experience. I am so glad I found this group. There has been so much helpful information here. I probably would of had dead chicks if it wasn’t for this website. I’m really leaning towards the nature right 360. I have heard and read a lot of great things about it. Matter of fact I found a thread on here about it that I just started reading. Lol thank you for all your kind words. I most definitely will not let this affect our experience. We are determined to be able to hatch and work on our breeds for our son and granddaughter to show in 4-h. It just kills me because these are the starters for his show flocks. I’m definitely going to have to get him a good one so he can start round two of a different line to intergrade into these.

 

[007Sean]

Lol. Thank you so much. I’m going to chalk this up to a great learning experience. I am so glad I found this group. There has been so much helpful information here. I probably would of had dead chicks if it wasn’t for this website. I’m really leaning towards the nature right 360. I have heard and read a lot of great things about it. Matter of fact I found a thread on here about it that I just started reading. Lol thank you for all your kind words. I most definitely will not let this affect our experience. We are determined to be able to hatch and work on our breeds for our son and granddaughter to show in 4-h. It just kills me because these are the starters for his show flocks. I’m definitely going to have to get him a good one so he can start round two of a different line to intergrade into these.

Glad you have a plan. Do you have a coop built for them, yet?
I have a Nurture Rite 360, too! I just bought it to try it out and maybe do a review on it. I raise pheasants and quail. It isn't a 'good' incubator for small eggs or bantam size eggs. Doesn't turn the small eggs properly.
So if your thinking of hatching bantams or other breeds of birds with small eggs, I'd recommend a different incubator.

Wishing you, your son and granddaughter the best of luck with your poultry endeavors.