Shrunk wrapped

[thisfarmerswife]

During our incubator hatch, one egg had pipped but one of the other chicks turned his egg upside down. There was fluid draining out of the egg before I got to it - maybe a nickel sized amount of yellowish fluid on the floor of the incubator. I thought for sure he was a goner but he was still breathing and cheeping feebly, but stuck to the egg with some gooey yellow stuff. I wrapped the egg in a warm, wet towel and chipped away at the gooey stuff and got some more vigorous peeps from him. I helped make the start of a zip line around the shell, but his membrane was pretty veined with red still. However, it was super shrink wrapped from what I could see through is little face opening.

I'm not sure what to do. I feel like he's a goner for sure, or if he makes it will have lots of problems. My husband wants us to keep trying. He's back in the incubator, breathing, opening his beak and shutting it, and moving a little, but not peeping much anymore. Though he would have a pretty easy way out, he's not trying.

Just wait it out? Or put him out of his misery?

Arg. Actually we've had several vigorous peeps recently. I'm so torn.

 

[FireTigeris]

just wait and keep that membrane wet-

duck or chicken?

They do take breaks and sleep.

 

[thisfarmerswife]

Okay. I've placed a wet sponge right next to him, should I open the incubator at intervals to dampen the membrane itself? It's so shrink-wrapped around him, I don't know that he can move. It's a chicken egg. I'm amazed, really, every time I go in there and his little beak is still moving.

I thought maybe after a couple more hours, I'd check to see if the blood had all absorbed and see if I could tear away more of the membrane. (??)

 

[thisfarmerswife]

Shoot. Went to get him out after some really vigorous cheeping, but he was kind of bubbling at the mouth with some fluid. Maybe it was a lost cause from the beginning. So sad.

 

[SierraView]

So sorry

 

[thisfarmerswife]

He is still moving. Goodness. Certainly the bubbles out of the mouth are a bad sign? I don't know what to do.

 

[SierraView]

Bubbles out of the mouth are bad sign. Any fluid from inside a egg dries like glue. Very sorry

if he pulls out of it he will be a tuff little chick.

 

[thisfarmerswife]

Wow, okay. We filled the bathtub part way with hot water and got the bathroom nice and hot and steamy. My husband is attached to this poor little chick. We went into the bathroom with the partially open egg egg wrapped in a hot towel. I moistened the drying membranes (that were indeed like glue), and peeled him out of it very gently. He's still bubbling at the mouth but he took a drink from a dropper (at least I think). And we got a few vigorous cheeps out of him.

The tail end, there looks like there is a bit of yolk not absorbed, but not much. The worrying bit is a bright green something or other either attached or hanging. I think it might be intestine? But not at all sure. He's back in the incubator, breathing and moving a very, very tiny bit. Still moving beak opened and closed. I got off all the membrane I could.

I will be shocked if this little guy survives but am absolutely amazed he lasted this long so maybe he's a fighter.

Edit: not intestine, thank goodness. I think it's bright green poop.

 

[LukeandAli]

Hoping this little fighter makes it!

 

[chiqita]

Actually the poop might be a good sign. the first poos are bright green like spinach often. So t least it should mean he was ready to come out of the egg. I'm thinking good thoughts for him.