Should I help this chick hatch or it is ok?

[yinepu]

just remember.. I said I was insane.. 51 years of being around hatching eggs has done that to me!

 

[evers310]

one of them was an LED flashlight. i can probably try again in about an hour or so..

 

[yinepu]

ok.. please keep us updated!

 

[tia]

I used to be all for helping. I'm not sure how I feel now. The last little duckling I helped had something wrong with its foot when it came out. I hobbled him and he seemed to be just fine..... grew up to be adult size and then the person I gave him too said he started walking funny, the other ducks picked on him and he died. I'm not sure he was supposed to come out of that egg. I think sometimes it is good to help and sometimes not, but important to give them enough time to do it themselves... I will be sitting on my hands next time and helping as a very very last resort. I'll never be critical of someone who helps though... it is just human nature to want to give a hand.. and sometimes it is for the best. Mixed feelings on this one for me.

 

[evers310]

OH!!

MY!!

GOODNESS!!!!!

W * O * W!!! I just saw one of my lil chicks moving around inside its shell when I candled it tonight! I knew this one had recently pipped internally and its just so amazing!

The egg I was discussing trying to help, has not internally pipped. One of the random 3 I candled doesnt look like it was ever fertilized. Just a yellow yolk floating around in there. I didn't put it back in the incubator...

It took me a sec to get the hang of it. I just kept seeing nothing.. the entire egg looked dark but by moving the flashlight around till I saw the air sac I was able to get the hang of it

So AMAZING! Something I'll never forget! I bet my jaw hit the floor!

I apologize for the short hiatis I was just on... I fell asleep putting my baby girl to sleep and had to hurry back downstairs to check on everyone! No pips yet! I wanna candle the rest!!

 

[evers310]

Quote:
I totally understand! I'm not trying to be an eager beaver.. I just cant stand the thought of a lil chick needing just a little bit of help at life and denying it that chance. You gave that duck a good chance at life.. one that nature wasnt offering it and at least it got to live and see the world. I hate to think of little ones struggling so much then dying in their shells and never seeing what made all those sounds out there just outside those walls. Everytime a chick hatches they seem to immediately open their eyes at that last good push and see the world for the first time! I guess I'm just a super softie when it comes to animals and cant help but do anything I can to help them. I've nursed run over snakes back to health (one of them recovered but only worked in reverse lol and he now lives in the nature center at Desoto Falls State Park in Alabama Squirrels.. 2 hour old kittens.. even a baby buzzard! And theres more but I've gotta get back to my chicks! lol

You did a great thing! Dont 2nd guess yourself! It isnt always a happy ending but you have to know you tried your best and you gave them more of a chance than they ever had otherwise.

God has to love us even more for that

 

[evers310]

alright.. the verdict is in!

I have 4 eggs internally pipped. 3 of them are rockers and active and 1 of them peeps. The 4th one though I got no action out of. I tapped on the shell and kind of scraped my fingernail on it a bit but nothing.. :-(

There are 10 that have very distinct air sacs still perfectly round, (so not internally pipped...) and although I did the tapping and fingernail test on those as well I didnt hear or feel anything... should i? or only if theyve internally pipped?

Then there was the 1 that I deemed unfertile..

and it appears I might have 7 "duds". On 2 of them I didnt even see an air sac but they weren't glowing either like if theyre fresh eggs.. they're dark completely.. nothing glows. Does that mean they pipped internally and used up all of their air but never pipped externally, or is it more likely that they are just full of nasty goo?
In the others of those 7, the air sacs were length-wise across the shell.. is that normal? As with the other 10 I got no activity from my little "tests"..

I candled as fast as I could but had to open the incubator that many times and my temp fell to 34 celsius and my hygrometer read somewhere in the 50's I think. I immediately soaked a washcloth is hot water and stuck it in there and it raised the humidity back up fairly quickly to 60ish.. its up to 70% now (remember it was never calibrated so who knows for sure..) and the temp is at 36 degrees celsius now. Both are still climbing..

Do you think my 3 or 4 definite good eggs are ok? I did not see any external pipping before messing with the incubator to candle those eggs..

 

[evers310]

where ARE you guys!!! its only after ONE am!!!!! lol

i'm just talking to myself here....

... even my ip chicks are sleeping! lol

wish I were sleeping.. lord knows i need it! but what if those eggs pip and they need me? it will be the 3rd night i havent slept! only had a 1 hr nap yesterday!

 

[itsy]

I have no answers but I just read through your whole thread! Good luck! Reading this is making me nervous and my first batch of eggs has only been cooking for 3 days.

I hope everything finishes smoothly for you. I'll be waiting for the next posts!

 

[tia]

I would go take a little nap...nap while they are... you might wake up to a surprise and that is always fun too. : )