Turkey egg help?

[skeleroo]

I've heard that turkeys are dumb. I've also heard they are hard to hatch. I've got six eggs in the incubator right now and two had pipped yesterday. As of this morning there was no more progress. One chick is moving but the other, unfortunately, had died. So frustrating when they get SO FAR to die right at the end.

This other chick though... The membrane was dry so I took it out to wet it a bit and perhaps see if I could do anything to help. After investigating I found that this chick pecked through it's wing to get out of the egg. I've hatched a lot of chicks in my day and I have never... I... I mean...

What do I do now?

 

[Pyxis]

I'm not seeing that it pecked through its wing in this picture - it looks like the normal head under wing position? But maybe I'm just not making the picture out well.

Anyway, normally if it's been more than 24 hours since the external pip without progress, you may want to start an assist. You can follow the steps in this article to do so: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

It also looks like it's malpositioned and has pipped in the wrong end of the egg, so actually you want to give it about 36 hours from external pip before worrying something is wrong, because it didn't get a chance to internally pip into the air cell and rest and absorb like a normally positioned poult would have.

 

[skeleroo]

I'm not seeing that it pecked through its wing in this picture - it looks like the normal head under wing position? But maybe I'm just not making the picture out well.

Well he hatched. He's about as cute as a baby turkey fresh out of the egg can be. Definitely has a hole in his wing, though. Guess there's a first time for everything...

 

[Pyxis]

Wow, look at that! Glad he hatched okay. I would be more inclined to think that's a 'birth defect' rather than that he pecked through his wing when pipping. He might always have the hole, or maybe it will close up