Setting eggs the week of May 7th (Here's to wishing the best this time)!!!!!!!!!

[Nikkipar]

Every time I look I see more pips! I have at least 14 pipping, one hatched, and some rockers that have not pipped (out of 42....) so we will see

 

[stevearino]

To my amazement, I returned home from work and just checked on my chick, only to find that he/she is still alive!

It is also not so... exhausted looking, for lack of a better word.

However, I notice that parts of him, especially the wings, seem very, VERY dry, almost crispy and stuff. Any advice on how to fix this? Can I just soak the poor thing's wings in hot water to soften them up?

 

[Nsampsel]

To my amazement, I returned home from work and just checked on my chick, only to find that he/she is still alive!

It is also not so... exhausted looking, for lack of a better word.

However, I notice that parts of him, especially the wings, seem very, VERY dry, almost crispy and stuff. Any advice on how to fix this? Can I just soak the poor thing's wings in hot water to soften them up?

I would use very WARM, not hot, water on a wash cloth & gently scrub til he/she fluffs a bit & immediately back under the heat lamp to finish drying.

 

[stevearino]

Here is a shot of the little guy. I just gave him a small scrubbing with warm water and q-tips. I don't want to keep him out of the incubator for too long at a time, so I figured it would be best to clean him and moisten the stiff hairs/feathers a little at a time.




This is 12 hours or so since I peeled him out of the egg. A couple notes I've made in my head: The feet are still curled a bit, though I suspect they will naturally straighten out. I don't expect feet to be flat and normal after spending so much time curled in the egg. Also, his wings seem a little stiff, not sure if that is normal or not. I just wiped them down very well with wet (warm water) q-tips, and I will continue to do so if it seems to help.

On the brighter side, The chick is much more lively than this morning when I left for work. I honestly thought the chances of it not making it through the day were good, so the energy it seems to have, considering what it has gone through, seems like a good sign. The eyes look more solid and black than they did this morning after coming out. There is a lot more peeping as well. I noticed that the chick had stopped chirping so much these past couple days stuck in the egg. Since I have been home, it has been much more vocal.

I hope I'm doing this right. This is my first chick to ever hatch, and I didn't know it would be such a difficult one! Still keeping my fingers crossed that it will live!

 

[chickee]

That's wonderful!

I have saved many a shrink wrapped chick, even one that didn't even pip! I discovered it while doing an egg-topsy

The sticky stuff is hardened egg white, so it is best to run its wings under warm water gently rubbing with your fingers to dissolve the goo. New chicks are so delicate that you need to be extra gentle. Hope this helps

To my amazement, I returned home from work and just checked on my chick, only to find that he/she is still alive!

It is also not so... exhausted looking, for lack of a better word.

However, I notice that parts of him, especially the wings, seem very, VERY dry, almost crispy and stuff. Any advice on how to fix this? Can I just soak the poor thing's wings in hot water to soften them up?

 

[TinaK]

I have 2 pips! I have 2 pips! I AM SO EXCITED!

 

[AnimalLover234]

Good luck all!!!! I just read all of this thread in less than two hours Whooo Goodness!!!! I have read soo many good and bad - - stories but mostly good I love all the pics!!! Post more---Post more

 

[jandrusrn]

Well I came home at lunchtime and we've got one out!!! I have a question..... the yolk sac seems to be only about 80% absorbed. When she moves around, the yolk seems to stick to the base of the basket that she's in and she's a bit stuck. Drying nicely, but at what point do I intervene????

She's been officially "out" for about 6 1/2 hours. She's able to stand up on her own, but it's a bit of a struggle. Am I doing a good job just leaving it alone??? Ooooooh yikes!!!

BTW? two more pips. EEEEEEEEEEEEEK

 

[chickee]

Best to leave her alone. The incubator shouldn't be opened until all your chicks have hatched or you risk the other chicks shrink wrapping due to a drop in humidity. There is really nothing you can do for her anyway. In time the yoke will get completely absorbed. Sounds like your humidity was a bit high during incubation which causes an over sized yoke and it is too large for the chick to absorb it completely before it hatches. Because her belly is SO full of yoke it makes them rolly polly and unstable on their feet.

Sounds like a lot of exciting hatching activity going on! How fun!

Well I came home at lunchtime and we've got one out!!! I have a question..... the yolk sac seems to be only about 80% absorbed. When she moves around, the yolk seems to stick to the base of the basket that she's in and she's a bit stuck. Drying nicely, but at what point do I intervene????

She's been officially "out" for about 6 1/2 hours. She's able to stand up on her own, but it's a bit of a struggle. Am I doing a good job just leaving it alone??? Ooooooh yikes!!!

BTW? two more pips. EEEEEEEEEEEEEK

 

[Sphinx]

I have 2 pips! I have 2 pips! I AM SO EXCITED!

Yay!!!

Stevearino, it sounds like you are doing a great job with that poor chick. When I get crispy chicks like that, I get warm running water going in the sink (have it in the high 80s or so), and I carefully give the chick a shower. You have to be so, so careful that you don't get any in its' mouth or on its' beak, but it will really help it fluff up.

The membrane on Chloe, my final egg, was getting really tough and dry, so I finally helped her hatch tonight, about 30 hours after pip. She did have about 2-3 drops of blood, so I really regretted it. but, at this point, she appears to be running laps around the incubator, so I'm hoping she'll be fine.

Here's Emily. She came from a super dark olive egg. I totally expected this chick to be black, so I'm still shocked. LOL


Not a great shot, but here's Shirley, the first out. Not sure on breed for him (the legs are tree trunk thick, so much as I WANT for it to be a girl, I dunno...). Coloring looks like a marans, but the legs are clean and pink.