Shrink wrap chick

[Lifesong Farm]

I keep seeing the term shrink wrap chick. What does it mean or why would you shrink wrap a chick.

Sorry if it sounds like a dumb question. I just haven't seen anything to give me a clue to what it means.

Thanks

 

[gryeyes]

Inside the egg shell, there is a membrane around the developing chick. There is an air cell between the membrane and the shell, which the chick must break into to begin to breathe air. After the 'internal pip' of that membrane, then the chick has to peck a hole into the shell to get outside air. The membrane is all around the chick, and the chick must break through it to get out of the whole eggshell.

When humidity drops too low during hatching, the inner membrane dries out, instead of remaining soft, flexible and tearable. A dried membrane can constrict the hatchling so it cannot get out. That's "shrink wrapping" the chick.

For those who intervene when this happens, the shell is carefully broken away in small chips, to expose the dried membrane, which is then re-wetted to allow it to become flexible again. Sometimes that dried membrane needs to be cut - oh! so carefully!! - to free the chick. Or it dies.

 

[debilorrah]

There are no dumb questions on BYC.

Shrink wrap is a term that is used to describe what happens when there is too little humidity inside the bator once the chick has pipped.

Here is a pic of a shrink wrapped chick after I peeled in out:

Quite often, it is hard to save a shrink wrapped chick. I was lucky to catch this one in time. My hygrometer was WAY off and it was way too dry in there and I lost two others.

What happens in the membrane cannot stay moist enough without a good level of humidity during lockdown and that membrane dries out and shrinks around the chick. I can tell you it is near impossible to get off.

 

[Lifesong Farm]

Ok makes sense now. Thank you.

Now I am a little more nervous about getting my incubator. I don't want to mess anything up.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Hey everyone had to start somewhere. What kind are you looking at getting? Here is a short list of what you may need:

Bator
Water
thermometer
hygrometer (measures humidity)
sponges (for lockdown)
plastic tubing (To add water during lockdown - last 3 days of hatch)
Syringe to administer the water in the tubing
Patience
A good book, knitting, crafts, anything that will keep your mind off your first hatch.

 

[Lifesong Farm]

I was going to buy a used Brinsea off another person on here but I will wait till Sat to make my decision. My husband asked a few questions about a Hovabator that he should have no reason to ask. I am the one that makes decisions about the animals. Sooo I think he slipped up and told me what I qm getting for Christmas or my birthday. I hope he got a fan if he got the 1602.

Now about the sponges and plastic tubing... how do you set those up?

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Ok, depending on what Santa brings you.... We can answer that on Sunday. I have the Brinsea Octo 20, soI can help with that one, but the others I have no experience with. And you will be just fine. There are a ton of people here that can help. All of us in this forum LOVE hatching and are more than happy to teach another to be just like us

 

[wolftracks]

Quote:
I wish I had taken one of this BO from last hatch. Yours looks pretty darn good.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
I wish I had taken one of this BO from last hatch. Yours looks pretty darn good.

That was after 45 minutes AFTER she was out of the shell picking and peeling. By the way, that is a polish - does it look so good now??

 

[wolftracks]

umbs
Quote:
Ok, depending on what Santa brings you.... We can answer that on Sunday. I have the Brinsea Octo 20, soI can help with that one, but the others I have no experience with. And you will be just fine. There are a ton of people here that can help. All of us in this forum LOVE hatching and are more than happy to teach another to be just like us

What she's saying is, if you wanna be like Debi you gotta enable more hatchers.