Please help! Egg shell had hole pecked into it.

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Bdg1104

Bdg1104

Chirping
Nov 16, 2019
62
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Monroe, MI, USA
Hi there, I have a pair on eggs right now, the egg is scheduled to hatch either today or tomorrow. Today I checked on the egg to see if any hatching had happened yet. I usually do not touch the egg, but today I grabbed it and brought it forward a couple inches to get a better look. I was trying not to remove it from the nest. In the process, the father pecked at my hand, missed and made a hole right into the egg. I'm guessing the egg is a lot more fragile now because it's about to hatch. I can see inside and it is pulsing and moving around and I see a lot of pink and one blood vessel. I can see yellow down feathers so I think the amniotic sac has been punctured. For the best chance of a successful hatching, what should I do? Should I leave it and let it hatch? I've heard patching up cracks and holes with Scotch tape to prevent drying up works well. Should I try that or will it be too difficult for the squab to hatch? From what I know the squab looks alive and well, and as I said there was some movement going on. I'd really appreciate some advice ASAP. I really don't want to kill this baby. For now, I have just left the hole open. Thanks in advance for any help.

Edit: here is a picture. It is moving a lot and in the middle of the egg it looked like it has pipped, so hopefully this hole will not be too big of a problem if he is already starting to hatch. You can see some down feathers and some pink. I believe that is his thigh based on how it moves. please let me know what you think.

Edit 2: checked on him again about an hour later. the spot that was pipped has now expanded and has more cracks, and I can feel him tapping his beak against the shell, and I can see his foot moving around in the hole. He is definitely working on hatching at this point so I'm thinking this hole will not be too big of a deal.
 

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Bdg1104 said:
Hi there, I have a pair on eggs right now, the egg is scheduled to hatch either today or tomorrow. Today I checked on the egg to see if any hatching had happened yet. I usually do not touch the egg, but today I grabbed it and brought it forward a couple inches to get a better look. I was trying not to remove it from the nest. In the process, the father pecked at my hand, missed and made a hole right into the egg. I'm guessing the egg is a lot more fragile now because it's about to hatch. I can see inside and it is pulsing and moving around and I see a lot of pink and one blood vessel. I can see yellow down feathers so I think the amniotic sac has been punctured. For the best chance of a successful hatching, what should I do? Should I leave it and let it hatch? I've heard patching up cracks and holes with Scotch tape to prevent drying up works well. Should I try that or will it be too difficult for the squab to hatch? From what I know the squab looks alive and well, and as I said there was some movement going on. I'd really appreciate some advice ASAP. I really don't want to kill this baby. For now, I have just left the hole open. Thanks in advance for any help.

Edit: here is a picture. It is moving a lot and in the middle of the egg it looked like it has pipped, so hopefully this hole will not be too big of a problem if he is already starting to hatch. You can see some down feathers and some pink. I believe that is his thigh based on how it moves. please let me know what you think.

Edit 2: checked on him again about an hour later. the spot that was pipped has now expanded and has more cracks, and I can feel him tapping his beak against the shell, and I can see his foot moving around in the hole. He is definitely working on hatching at this point so I'm thinking this hole will not be too big of a deal.
Click to expand...

@Pyxis please help!
 
backyard pigeons said:
I think he will make it. there's nothing more that you can do. It is a VERY good sign that he is hatching out now. Good luck! I hope this helps!
Click to expand...

Ok, thank you for the peace of mind! He definitely seems healthy. I will sometimes see his foot in the hole and it is really moving a lot and he seems strong. He has made a few light cracks into the shell and I hear a tapping noise coming out every second or so, which I'm guessing is him tapping with his beak. He hasn't totally made a hole in the shell yet though and it's been a couple hours. Do you think he is strong enough to hatch out? Does it usually take a while for them to get out? I've tried looking all of this up but unfortunately it doesn't seem like there's much specific information online. I might have to order a book!
 
Bdg1104 said:
@backyard pigeons @biophiliac he hatched at 5 or 6 this morning! He is so cute. I took this picture real quick but besides that I don't plan on messing with the nest for a few days until the squab is a little stronger. Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...

:love Some babies just deserve the name 'Lucky'! Haha. So fortunate the accident coincided with the hatch.:)
 
Great! I'm so glad he made it! Did you get your first 'wing slap' when you took this photo? ;)

Also, please feel free to join us on the thread pigeon talk. I would link it, but the links aren't working for me. It is in the pigeon and dove section, and called, 'pigeon talk'. We would LOVE to have you join in the chit chat there! :)
 

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