Trouble with hatchin bantam eggs.

[4-H chicken mom]

It has been 12 hours since the inital pip, so we have decided to help. We pulled off part of the shell and it's a wonder how any chick that fills up the entire shell ever gets out. It's head had definitely no room to zip. I had this same problem with my last bantam eggs. The chicks were so large that their legs were wrapped around it's head. Does anyone else have this problem with bantam eggs? I have never hatched standard eggs, so I don't know if it's just bantam eggs or any egg that has so much trouble.

 

[Pinenot]

I have hatched a ton of bantam eggs and never had that problem. I can't wait to see what others say about that.

Wishing you better luck!

 

[hinkjc]

I hatch bantams and standards and do not have that problem either. They do fill up the shell once they break thru the internal membrane. As long as they are not malpositioned they can turn to hatch just fine. I would think with a pip, your chick would have been fine without intervention. They do sometimes take over 24 hours to complete hatch from first external pip.

Jody

 

[4-H chicken mom]

I wish I would have taken pics to show how this chick was crumpled up in the shell. There was absolutely no room. It's head was between it's feet and the wing was over the beak. Even after taking off part of the shell, the chick still can't move. We'll give it time to see what happens.

 

[hinkjc]

The head is supposed to be under the wing. That is the correct position of the chick. The head doesn't unravel until the chick forces the top of the shell open.

Jody

 

[4-H chicken mom]

OK but what about the feet. Are they supposed to be wrapped up in the head? I don't think so

 

[sara]

I want to say the feet are up along side the head. They are really curled up in there.

 

[Frizzledhen]

I have had a few pullet eggs that needed help. The egg is smaller than usual because the pullet has just started to lay. Those that I have helped out have lived. Those that I let be did not. I always open eggs that do not hatch and the small eggs have fully formed chicks that just didn't make it out. My banty cochins have been sitting eggs all winter. I have 20 young pullets that have only been laying for a short time. Out of 10 eggs that just hatched, (one nest, 2 hens) 3 were small. I helped 2 out and the third I missed somehow and when I did fianally open it, it was too late. I have never had to help a chick get out of a normal size egg though.

 

[ksacres]

That actually sounds like the right position to me. I know it sounds crazy, but it's how they can turn in the shell, if their feet were in the bottom of the egg, they wouldn't be able to turn at all. They do a kind of shuffle around the egg when they are breaking through the shell. If you took the top off, just leave it, when it's strong enough and ready, it will push out of the shell. If you take them out too soon, sometimes their navels won't be healed and they can bleed a lot. There is never a lot of extra space in an egg, if there were, they couldn't get the leverage and pressure they needed to get out.

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
I agree, the position of that chick sounds normal, feet by head, beak under wing. 12 hours from pip, the chick is still resting. Give them at least 24 hours from pip or after day 21, which ever one is later.