Struggling chick please help?

[tiddlerwriggler]

It's day 22 and one chick has been cheeping for 7 hours but no pipping. It seemed to go very quiet this last hour do I decided to pip a small hole to see what was happening. This egg seems to have 2 membranes?! One inside the shell and one around the chick. They're both very white and dry- I made the hole a bit bigger and dampened with luke warm water and there's lots of blood vessels still but hardly any room in the shell. I've wrapped the egg in a damp kitchen roll and put it back in the incubator. I'm now worried about the other 3 eggs incase they're also too dry. They're not cheeping at all! Water pots are full and temp is preset so what else can I do to help moisten them? I do want them to survive as their mummy hen died of gapeworm :-(((

 

[sumi]

I'm sorry to hear about your hen. You did the right thing with the egg you opened. Just keep the humidity high in the incubator. Have you got a hygrometer? aim for humidity of 65% or more. Eggs do have 2 membranes, the inner membrane wraps around the chick and needs to stay damp. Check on the other 3 eggs by holding them against your ear and carefully tapping them with your fingernail.

 

[tiddlerwriggler]

Thanks for replying! No there's no hygrometer as its a small brinsea Eco incubator for 10 eggs- its like a preset thing. You're just meant to top up the pots every 2/3 days. It's our first time so the kids are really fretting especially as their pet hen died, they really want her babies to hatch! The little guy is still cheeping and his beak is through the membrane so at least he can breathe.
He's not making any progress but the towel seems to be helping with the humidity (there's condensation on the glass) should I just leave him to it and check on him later?

 

[sumi]

Yes, just leave him like that for now. You need those blood vessels to disappear before continuing. But give him a bit more time and see if he manages to hatch unassisted first. Any sign of life from the other eggs?

 

[tiddlerwriggler]

I daren't even look at the other eggs yet - Im too afraid of opening the inky and messing up the humidity! Although his towel is getting dry so I guess I'd better dampen him up again? He's still sat there cheeping away- the kids have named him already - either Rosie or Ralph! Lol

 

[tiddlerwriggler]

We have two more little cheepers! It's like waiting for Christmas!

 

[Amykins]

Be mindful and try not to open up the incubator too much - doing so will only dry the eggs out further, which is even more dangerous for the little guy with the hole poked in the shell. If there's any way to add water through a vent hole, that's usually the best way to go, but maybe that's because I'm too paranoid to do it any other way, eek! It sounds like they need a few more hours to absorb the yolk and for the blood vessels to shrink. My heart goes out to you and your children, giving them names and everything - I guess this is where that famous saying came from. ._.

 

[sumi]

I daren't even look at the other eggs yet - Im too afraid of opening the inky and messing up the humidity! Although his towel is getting dry so I guess I'd better dampen him up again? He's still sat there cheeping away- the kids have named him already - either Rosie or Ralph! Lol

No pressure LOL Keep the towel damp, so he won't dry out. That will help with the overall humidity in the incubator as well.

 

[tiddlerwriggler]

Yeh I quickly dampened him up and had a listen to the other eggs and two more are cheeping inky lid is back on and I've left them to it now. Will check on them this evening thanks though for easing my worries

 

[sumi]

I hope the hatch goes well for you