Trying this for the first time HELP!!!

[Chickz]

Hello

I'm new to hatching chicks and I'm new to this fourm so hello .

OK heres the background. I wanted to try hatching out some bantam eggs so I purchased 12 mixed pekin and silkie eggs. I dont have an incubator so I placed them in my vivarium, I got the temps stabilized at between 36 - 38. Out of the 12 when candled 6 were fertile so on day 18 I disposed of the rest. When candled all the eggs showed good development and good movement. As the viv is quite big I knew humidity would be a problem so I have a tub with water in it and I have a sponge that I soak and spray several times during the day. I know this is not ideal but it seems to be working... so far.

Ok so I get to day 21 and no pips no movement no nothing so I read your posts on here and it would seem that if you dont get conditions quite right then things can take a little longer. Well nothing happened until this morning.

Day 23 this morning at about 9am small cracks appeared and the little chcik started churping, nothing then for a few hours then still churping throughout the day today.

It's now 9pm and a small section of shell (about half a cm) has fallen off from the egg. The chick is no longer making churing sounds is this because he is resting? The membrane inside the egg has not been broken yet, I'm worried about him suffercating if he has not broken through... I have dropped several droplets of water on the membrane to try and keep it moist and the temp is stable at 37. Do I help him and break the membrane myself or will he be ok overnight untill he does it himself? Help please..

 

[Chickz]

This is how it looks 12 hours after first crack is this ok????

 

[Chickz]

I keep refreshing and no replies please please someone help!

 

[kandyg_99]

It Takes awhile for the chick to get out of the shell.I would leave the egg alone and continue to watch and see what happens...

 

[Chickz]

Ok thanks xx

 

[Neheigh]

im sorry ive not been doing this long either but ive just called my friend and she asks where the egg has been cracked is it by where the air sac is ment to be at the large side of the egg? if so to crack the egg it must have at least peirced the membrane but it may have became to dry for the chick and created an overlaping seal on the membrane.

she also says that sometimes the membranes can be really think and she has in the past (with duck eggs) justed pointed twezzers to create a pull back in the membrane to allow the chick to breath but to do so you need to be able to increase the humidity and heat in the room so i.e in a small bathroom turning the shower on hot and allowing the steam to fill the room and very quickly and carfully doing whats needed.

i hope this helps a bit and im here with all the support i can give xxx

 

[FLITZ]

is the membrane moving if you look closely. I can usually see them breathing or some form of life. As for humidity. You really need a hygrometer so you know what the humidity is. I'm not an expert, but for the last three days you should get the humidity up and not open the incubator. Maybe they are stuck inside the egg. I had one that i tried to help out of the egg. It was soooooo sticky. I've heard of them getting glued inside, but until i actually touched one with my own hands...I had no idea they could get sooooo sticky. It was the cutest chick until it passed two days later

I hate it when one doesn't make it.

 

[Neheigh]

It Takes awhile for the chick to get out of the shell.I would leave the egg alone and continue to watch and see what happens...

so glad someone who knows more about chicken eggs than me or faith answered you

 

[Chickz]

The bit from where the shell dropped off is from the large end of the egg where the air sac is thats what worried me about it not being pierced, I cant see any movement or hear churping. I dont have any real way of raising humidity apart from spraying them, I have been placing a wet t towel over them from time to time. Should I pierce the membrane.

 

[Neheigh]

ok sorry had to phone my friend again she's says that Kandyg_99 is correct they can take time to get out of the shell but as Flitz says you should be able to see the membrane moving even if it is very shallow movements in this situation she would just make a small pull back in the membrane but all her experience is from duck eggs and she does stress they are diffrent than chicken eggs xxx