I had a Black Giant hatch out two days early, and had a wiggly blue egg. These are from my disastrous USPS shipment. The blue egg wiggled and jiggled and peeped...for two days and two nights. Then stopped. The peep got quieter and then stopped. Nothing. I was prepared for nothing to hatch from these, but I wasn't ready for them to try and hatch and not make it. I was very sad, and finally I took out the egg and peeped at it. Nothing. then I put it back and waited some more. I talked to my husband- who is a terrible "help it' enabler. I talked to my egg. It didn't move- I spent so long just staring into the window of the incubator, hoping for a jiggle. Nothing.
Finally I decided that I had nothing else to lose. I was going to open the egg. I didn't post here because I didn't want anyone new to think it is okay to assist, to jump in, etc. I had many many variables Temps up and down, weird air cells, temp spike...etc. I was prepared for whatever I saw- even if I intervened and ended up killing the chick inadvertently (I think if you help, you have to realize that you may do more harm-and accept that responsibility).So, anyhow I took my little blue egg and I started to chip away the shell where the air cell used to be in the large end. It was so TOUGH! I had such a hard time breaking this shell, it just wasn't normal. Well, finally I got a small amount away, and there was dry feathers! Dry...what part of the chick was this anyhow in the air cell spot? This chick had its back in the air cell, I started zipping up the egg- found this poor chicks beak way up at the small end of the egg between its foot and wing. Big chick, It was so wedged and twisted in there..then it peeped! Very small weak peep.The membrane was moist at the small end so I stopped. No yolk, it was absorbed. Once I had the beak cleared, I could see it breathing, real weak. I covered the membrane with paper towel and I put it back in the incubator. I added a coffee mug of hot water. I just sat the mug right in there. I proceeded to watch him breathe for two hours. Never struggled. His breathing did get stronger. No peeping though.
I had to go to work, and had a decision to make. I took more of the shell off- sort of like left just half an egg, length-wise. I took enough shell off for its leg/head to clear, rolled the membrane to clear the chicks head then I added moist paper towel and put it in the incubator and hoped for the best.
I just got home from work and the chick is out and flopping about the incubator. It has a slight twist to its neck, and its legs aren't working that great- but I will give it time. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that it would have died in the shell- was dying when I helped. It was so large, and so twisted and 'breech'. This isn't going to be a production chick, it will not be used for breeding- no way to pass on its genes. So, no further worries except for it living a normal life now. Time will tell. Hopefully it will straighten out now that it is no longer crammed in that too small egg.
Finally I decided that I had nothing else to lose. I was going to open the egg. I didn't post here because I didn't want anyone new to think it is okay to assist, to jump in, etc. I had many many variables Temps up and down, weird air cells, temp spike...etc. I was prepared for whatever I saw- even if I intervened and ended up killing the chick inadvertently (I think if you help, you have to realize that you may do more harm-and accept that responsibility).So, anyhow I took my little blue egg and I started to chip away the shell where the air cell used to be in the large end. It was so TOUGH! I had such a hard time breaking this shell, it just wasn't normal. Well, finally I got a small amount away, and there was dry feathers! Dry...what part of the chick was this anyhow in the air cell spot? This chick had its back in the air cell, I started zipping up the egg- found this poor chicks beak way up at the small end of the egg between its foot and wing. Big chick, It was so wedged and twisted in there..then it peeped! Very small weak peep.The membrane was moist at the small end so I stopped. No yolk, it was absorbed. Once I had the beak cleared, I could see it breathing, real weak. I covered the membrane with paper towel and I put it back in the incubator. I added a coffee mug of hot water. I just sat the mug right in there. I proceeded to watch him breathe for two hours. Never struggled. His breathing did get stronger. No peeping though.
I had to go to work, and had a decision to make. I took more of the shell off- sort of like left just half an egg, length-wise. I took enough shell off for its leg/head to clear, rolled the membrane to clear the chicks head then I added moist paper towel and put it in the incubator and hoped for the best.
I just got home from work and the chick is out and flopping about the incubator. It has a slight twist to its neck, and its legs aren't working that great- but I will give it time. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that it would have died in the shell- was dying when I helped. It was so large, and so twisted and 'breech'. This isn't going to be a production chick, it will not be used for breeding- no way to pass on its genes. So, no further worries except for it living a normal life now. Time will tell. Hopefully it will straighten out now that it is no longer crammed in that too small egg.
