The 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: I don't know how I missed these, oh yes I do! tons of posting at the same time! LOL

It gets even harder to judge when you only have one messed up questionable egg, when you have more you tend to get a feel and KNOW for sure something is wrong. I don't hesitate to make a view hole if I know my humidity got low or whatever, as long as you don't open below that inner membrane you should be fine with an internal pip. Its when people go opening them up or moving membrane 6 hrs after a pip, that's too soon. Most chicks will get out on their own even when you leave the entire membrane intact! like the article says, I use antibiotic ointment bacitrim (No pain relief though) to keep membrane moist, I switched quite a few hatches ago. No opening the bator every hour to wet the membrane as it stays fairly long and makes it easier for the chick to thrust out when he is ready.

Membranes must be watched, and sometimes even when the membrane looks clear the chick still didn't absorb everything. Its very hard, experience teaches you so much for sure!

 

[CayuseRanch]

I assist if I notice them drying out while still in the shell. I had almost the exact same situation occur with my December bunch. His was the first egg to pip, but everyone else had hatched and he was still struggling. He managed to zip part way but I noticed the membrane dried and stuck to the chick so I helped it hatch the rest of the way by gently wetting the membrane with warm water and pulling apart the shell.

I'm not getting much help either, I feel like I'm really downing this thread

but, I'm so new to this and it's so scary doing it alone.

Anyway back to that, This is what my egg was doing as well I could see feathers dried to the egg and when I noticed the outter membrane had turned brown it was TO late...The chick ended up flipping itself I believe to the wrong end of the egg (on bottom) and I never even noticed until I picked the egg up to check. It's whole body was stuck to membrane and egg it was so sad trying to slowly peel off the egg and not hurt the chick. I did wrap a damp paper towel around the egg all but the part where the chicks beak was, upped humidity and temp by .1 degrees and this really helped loosen things up to. I gave it around 36hours and glad I assisted or this chick would be dead. I would pick the egg up personally and check, I know it is preached here to not assist unless absolutely necessary but I'm reading a lot of those not assisting losing the chicks they wish they had assisted with, it's sad. I didn't trust my first instinct and now I wish I would have, this chick is having a foot problem and in it's own separate box in the brooder.

I did go ahead and begin assisting. I found the beak a little ways to the right of the pip, but the crack went to the left, so that was a pressure crack. When I started the assist I was able to fairly easily lift the shell away from the membrane at the aircell and could see that the tear/break was to the right unlike the crack...not sure if following. I didn't take pics due to time of the essense. There was really only a tiny bit of fuzz there that was drying, the rest of the drying was actually some of the membrane...at the same space as the beak, I also bumped the membrane ( went up higher than the aircell line so I didn't hit it) when I did that I got a little bit of blood. Wet the membrane and can still see blood vessels, so I dont think this chick is ready but because the hole is bigger now than the average pip, I bet I will have to assist more later. Leaving her there for now to see how things go on their own. Just a guess but with the bigger hole, I think the membrane surrounding the chick will dry out more also.

Nothing at all happening here. NUTTIN!!

Hey Kim...I almost put your name on my first post this morning when I said nada...I almost said...Maybe Wolf will come on and make me feel better Lol...Hope you know I am teasing with love ;p
Also, the early bird here is the only thing I have going right now and as you can see its not going that great. As stressful as it is, I would much rather have on time babies that are healthy and hatch on their own. Ohhh and when I put the egg in again I cheeped over the eggs and heard nothing. So we shall see.........

 

[misskeeter]

wow... I had a busy day and missed so much excitement.

congrats to everyone on their new babies!!! loving all the pictures.

 

[misskeeter]

Update on my little spraddle leg chickie...

She has a TON of energy and is figuring out how to move around and find food and her water, but she will still not even attempt to stand up on her feet. I've got the band aid on there to keep her feet together and under her, but she just frog hops across the floor of the brooder... I'm still giving the vitamin drops. I've tried the little chick physical therapy, but she refuses to put any weight on her feet and stand at all... not sure what else to do. I can't find anything when I google it either...

ideas?

 

[loves2hatch]

another good thread that I've read is Pete55 goose hatching guide. I've applied this to the quail, chickens and duck hatching too, very helpful and has pictures. More reading to do while we wait.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/491013/goose-incubation-hatching-guide-completed

 

[noahsmom]

This is not an exact picture of my silkies foot, but similar except the outter toe is sitting under the entire foot.

I read a lot and just made a splint for my silkie...He is NOT happy lol but the toes are stretched out where they should be. However the splint I made which is a piece of cardboard on bottom for support and packing tape. S.O. held him on his back while I worked quickly, and is able to walk on it and get around. I will re evaluate tomorrow, and am SO open to any other suggestions or ideas. Should his toe joints be able to move or is it ok that they are flat for now?

 

[CayuseRanch]

You know Im a big believer that the first to pip is never the first to hatch (of course there are exceptions to the rule but I seem to run that way) 9 hours pipped did not bother me, it was the absence of the beak and the saddle aircell and the dry appearance of fuzz & membrane. But now that I got in there and found the beak less than 1/2 an inch to the right of the pip? wrong decision....it would have eventually pipped a hole and zipped around most likely so now I will probably have to continue to assist. So I say that because we never really know what the right decision was until we made the wrong one. Knowing that the best you can do is try to minimize your errors and the effects of them. I am sharing this hopefully to help anyone else trying to make those decisions.

 

[audrey02026]

awesome! congrats

Wow i just read your signature....thats alot of animals!!! I have 24 chickens, 2 dogs and now 3 ducks. I want turkeys but i just don't have the room.

 

[LFchixranch]

wow... I had a busy day and missed so much excitement.

congrats to everyone on their new babies!!! loving all the pictures.

This one is for you...

 

[uphilljill]

We have a pip! We have a pip!

Looks like a German New Hampshire is first. 24 more eggs to go. Probably wont get much sleep tonight!