Rotten egg exploded on chicks! Help?

[erinnyes]

My broody had 8 eggs she was sitting on, and one was apparently bad. I must have missed it when I checked! Today is her hatch day and she had 3 chicks already hatched when the egg apparently got cracked or exploded. I came into the coop and smelled the awful smell! The chicks all have it on them, and the remaining eggs do too. I wiped off the eggs with a wet paper towel and moved the hen to a clean nest, but what else can I do?? Are the unhatched eggs contaminated? Will my chicks die?

Please help!

 

[sourland]

You have done exactly as I would have. The only additional thing I might have done would have been to clean the hen's breast and underbody. Good luck - I think that your chicks should be OK.

 

[erinnyes]

I will be doing that tomorrow. When I found them it was getting dark, and I was afraid the chicks could get chilled overnight if wet, or the mom herself. I am hesitant to bring them indoors because of the stink, but also because I don't want to upset the hen too much and have her abandon the chicks possibly.

Phew! I am glad to hear you think they might make it. I will be more careful in the future about candling the eggs! I definitely NEVER want to smell that ever again in my coop!

 

[sourland]

It is indeed a unique and memorable smell.

Please let us know how things are going tomorrow.

 

[erinnyes]

Hi again! Checked the chicks this morning, and they seem to be doing alright. They are, for the most part, fluffed out and alert-seeming. Some have "sticky spots" where the fluff is slicked down where the rotten egg goop got on them. Their eyes are clear and there is no discharge from their nostrils or anything. Also, one of the unhatched eggs hatched last night, only one left to go.

Later as the day warms up I intend to give momma bird a sponge bath, and I might gently wipe some of the chicks with warm soapy water to get some of the stench off them. If these chicks end up surviving, they are all getting stink-related names. PEW!

 

[sourland]

Good update!