Update 2: Chick is out w/help and OK!!! Zipping at the wrong end

[Hennypen]

FINAL UPDATE:

Mr backwards got out with help and is doing great! At first he was unsteady and would flip to his back but gradually gained strength and was able to stay upright while hunkered down. This morning he was walking around and would occasionally act dizzy. I think he'll be A-OK.

After my scare last night with water spilling out of the water troughs.... I woke up to 3 eggs zipping. YEA! But, one is at the wrong end.

Can they make it out like this? I was able to get the egg out of the carton with a coat hanger poked through a hole so its now laying on it's side vs upside down. (thank goodness for cutting the sides of the carton down) It looks like there's a 1mm line of dried blood coming from the hole but I can see the chick moving. He's got an airhole - I think.

Can they make it out alive in this position?

 

[FenDruadin]

Yup--they sure can. They don't always--sometimes they poke a hole in a blood vessel and bleed to death, or they drown in fluids from the egg--it's amazing to me that they can make it out. But yours sounds like it's doing fine--there's bound to be some fluids and blood when they're working from that end, but the good news is that he's breathing and working, and I think there's a good chance he'll make it. Good luck to the little one!

 

[bigstack]

YES! they can hatch from either end. They are supposed to hatch the other way BUT I guess you always have to have the renagade! LOL I would just keep an eye on it. I have had to help a lil bit in the past. All I do is gently use a butter knife to tap and crack the shell. I DO NOT open the egg! And I only do this as a last resort! If and when they are ready they can push and break out. Just make sure the membrane doesn't get dry!

Good Luck and God Bless!

 

[duckyfromoz]

I just had a duckling hatch from the wrong end...he was two days later getting out than the others...but he made it in the end. I have lost a few that pip that end. I found that they take a little longer to absorb the yolk to as turning in the egg helps that to happen. A baby pipping at the wrong end doesnt have as much room to turn and manouvre- but they can make it out in the end.

 

[Hennypen]

How long do I have to do that before it dies (I know.. 20 mil $ question)...

I have to leave for work.. is this something should be attempted sooner rather than later or should I wait until tonight and give it a chance to do it on its own?

 

[FenDruadin]

I would wait a good long while before helping. There are a lot more blood vessels in that end, and less room to maneuver, so it's especially important that the chick be allowed to zip itself. The process of punching holes in the shell *from the inside* helps trigger mechanisms that shut off blood supply to that part of the membrane, which prevents the chick from bleeding to death. If you punch holes from the outside, this mechanism doesn't get a chance to work and the chance of puncturing a functioning blood vessel is greatly increased.

Unless it drowns (which doesn't sound likely at this point), the chick can survive for days after zipping. I would wait until you see absolutely no progress for at least six hours before even thinking about helping. Twelve hours might be even better.

Be patient, don't jump the gun, but in the end, do listen to your gut. Good luck.

 

[Hennypen]

 

[klf73]

I would go as far as saying give it 24hrs. It looks fine

 

[chickee]

Quote:
My last hatch the first to pip, pipped low like yours is doing. He was the last to hatch 31 hrs after he had pipped. He just sat with his beak towards the hole breathing, then at the end quickly zipped! I couldn't help him because other chicks had pipped. When he finally zipped and popped the shell off he was upside down! Took him a little bit longer to get out because he was in the carton, but he did and is a happy, healthy 7 wk old rooster

Here is a picture~ notice how little shell is left under him, he pipped about as low as yours

GOOD LUCK!

 

[bigstack]

24 hours from pip to zip and hatch is normal! It should be fine. You deffinately don't want to be too early and cause it to bleed out!

Good Luck and God Bless!