Thought egg was dead... cracked it a bit to make sure and sure enough it’s alive!!

[Caitlyn707]

So the broody hen abandoned a few eggs. One was about to hatch so we took it in, I kept it warm with my breath and YES.. I did help it the rest of the way, it is healthy and back with mama now. There were about three other eggs that looked alive, so we got a heating pad in a pet crate, with a towel on top and my soft pj pants as a nest lol. One pipped but died, and another pipped and made no progress, so I helped it slowly throughout the day, it is out now and drying getting stronger every minute. But.. we candled the other, and it looked dead, it wasn’t making a sound! But then before doing anything too drastic, we thought we would crack it a bit to see if it was alive.. and it is. Unfortunately the inner membrane got opened and it started to bleed, but it did not bleed a lot, I put a small amount of the shell from the other egg on the opened spot to help keep it from bleeding. The paper-like membrane is quite exposed, and I know that needs to stay moist, should I try wrapping it in moist paper towel? It could have been another day or so before it was ready to hatch.. can I keep it alive that long?
I don’t know how to upload photos from my iPhone or I would!

 

[Caitlyn707]

 

[ChickensForEggs2500]

@MGG

 

[Chickeria]

From what I know a moist paper towel would cool it too much down, but there are ways to keep the membrane moist, in this article
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/
coconut oil is recommended.
I hope someone with more experience will chime in soon - good luck for/with your little one, fingers crossed

 

[Chicalina]

it needs to be in a warm moist humid place. I'm not sure what to suggest if you haven't got an incubator. Can you put it back under the hen?

 

[Chickeria]

Just read part of the article - coconut oil or "...bacitracin or neosporin without pain relief if you would prefer or have it on hand." (quote from article)

 

[Caitlyn707]

From what I know a moist paper towel would cool it too much down, but there are ways to keep the membrane moist, in this article
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/
coconut oil is recommended.
I hope someone with more experience will chime in soon - good luck for/with your little one, fingers crossed

Thank you!! That was a helpful article! Got some coconut oil on the membrane now!

 

[Caitlyn707]

it needs to be in a warm moist humid place. I'm not sure what to suggest if you haven't got an incubator. Can you put it back under the hen?

Unfortunately no, she moves around with her chicks too much now as they are a few days old

 

[Chickeria]

Good luck - please keep us posted!

 

[Chicalina]

How did you manage to get a staggered hatch? This happened to me last year and I couldn't understand why.