Shrink wrapped chick!

[Mill Chick]

I have a couple of eggs I put in the incubator and one has been pipped for over 18 hours with lots of wiggles and peeps but not zipped so I opened it up over the air cell and he looked like he was shrink wrapped but still had some veining so I put coconut oil on him and stuck him back in the incubator. what do I do when his veins recede? This is My first time so I don't have any experience and have only watched some videos and read some articles.

 

[redinator]

Warning: I tried this and it didn't go well. The chick did manage to hatch, but the yolk hadn't dried and never receded into the abdomen. It only lasted a few hours after leaving the egg.

I'm new to hatching too so all I can say is what I experienced, myself.

I'm concerned the oil make make it hard for the chick to dry after hatching, so keep it to a minimum, if at all.

Sadly, I will say that sometimes the best thing to do is nothing . .

But if you're anything like me you have to try, so here's what I did . .and my "hindsight" thoughts

Wash you hands thoroughly, if the yolk is still outside the chick it could very easily get an infection. If you see blood stop . . . the chicks skin is very thin and easily damaged.

I very slowly (over several hours) picked at the edges of the cracked shell while moistening the shell with warm water (trying not to chill the chick).

I left the membrane alone, because that is like the womb, I did not want to mess with (maybe if I had moistened the membrane, it would've hatched easier, idk)

Remove a few very small pieces and put the chick back to warm up wait at least an hour between attempts. (I rushed and I'm pretty sure that's where I messed up).

I hope this helps and best wishes

 

[Mill Chick]

Warning: I tried this and it didn't go well. The chick did manage to hatch, but the yolk hadn't dried and never receded into the abdomen. It only lasted a few hours after leaving the egg.

I'm new to hatching too so all I can say is what I experienced, myself.

I'm concerned the oil make make it hard for the chick to dry after hatching, so keep it to a minimum, if at all.

Sadly, I will say that sometimes the best thing to do is nothing . .

But if you're anything like me you have to try, so here's what I did . .and my "hindsight" thoughts

Wash you hands thoroughly, if the yolk is still outside the chick it could very easily get an infection. If you see blood stop . . . the chicks skin is very thin and easily damaged.

I very slowly (over several hours) picked at the edges of the cracked shell while moistening the shell with warm water (trying not to chill the chick).

I left the membrane alone, because that is like the womb, I did not want to mess with (maybe if I had moistened the membrane, it would've hatched easier, idk)

Remove a few very small pieces and put the chick back to warm up wait at least an hour between attempts. (I rushed and I'm pretty sure that's where I messed up).

I hope this helps and best wishes

Thanks I am going to try but I’m gonna watch a LOT of YouTube videos and do it in the morning!

 

[redinator]

Thanks I am going to try but I’m gonna watch a LOT of YouTube videos and do it in the morning!

Another thought I had a few days later was . . . maybe I should've added a bit of water to the incubator to increase the humidity. . . in hindsight the chick was sealed in because it had dried out . . . I would only do this if all the other chicks are hatched though, I'm not sure how the increase would effect the other eggs.

 

[Slothinc]

Thanks I am going to try but I’m gonna watch a LOT of YouTube videos and do it in the morning!

Do you have a pic of the membrane? Has the chick pipped through the membrane? (Oh I just reread your original post and he has pipped so yes.)

Is the chick making “chewing” motions with its beak? If so, it is still absorbing the yolk. If no huge veins by the pip in membrane I would make that hole a little bigger, to let the head out. The membrane will get pretty dry overnight so there is basically no chance that the chick will get out on its own.

Have warm water/coconut oil and cornstarch on hand when working on the chick. Be very careful to try and avoid the blood vessels. If the chick is ready to come out there will still be very small blood vessels and that is okay. If you hit blood, put on the cornstarch to stop the bleeding and put back in incubator. Just go slowly, I like to let the head out, then 30 mins later let the shoulders/wings out, then peel membrane as far back as you can and let the chick hatch out of the base of the egg on its own. I never try to pull the chick out. Just gently loosen the membrane and try to let it do the work of pushing out.

I think you did the right thing. The chick would not have been able to get out on its own. Good job!

 

[Mill Chick]

Another thought I had a few days later was . . . maybe I should've added a bit of water to the incubator to increase the humidity. . . in hindsight the chick was sealed in because it had dried out . . . I would only do this if all the other chicks are hatched though, I'm not sure how the increase would effect the other eggs.

Thank for the info I put the humidity up more and went to bed
I woke up in the night and he was out along with 4 other chicks!

 

[redinator]

Thank for the info I put the humidity up more and went to bed
I woke up in the night and he was out along with 4 other chicks!

That's awesome! So glad it worked out Any chance you have pictures?

 

[redinator]

put on the cornstarch to stop the bleeding

I wish I had thought about the cornstarch when mine had trouble hatching, I probably would've had better success.

About the coconut oil, I feel it might be a bit too thick and the chicks would have a harder time drying off. I'd opt for something like olive oil. I guess it depends on what you have handy in an emergency.

 

[Mill Chick]

That's awesome! So glad it worked out Any chance you have pictures?

Yes!

 

[redinator]

Yes!View attachment 4064184

Awe, so tired