HayHayComet
Chirping
Hello, I’m new to backyardchickens and new to hatching. I am currently panicking. I set eggs on 9/24. On Sunday evening, 10/13 with one surviving embryo; I set for lockdown. When candling, embryo was doing well and had beautiful healthy veins but appeared to be in the small side. Hatch date to be expected on 10/16, I gave a few more days since it appeared to maybe have a delay in development. I haven’t seen any rocking or heard any chirping so very early this morning I decided to candle and see if chuck was alive or dead. The egg appeared very dark, hard to make out any veins and the air cell grew huge and lopsided down the side of egg. Didn’t see any movement and it wasn’t looking good so I chipped away at air cell area, (which had a peck mark and cracks that were repaired with candle wax) and the air cell just crumbled apart and is now very wide open at this point. It revealed the outer membrane that appeared to be very dry and white, I dampened it and could see the inner membrane full with red veins and low and behold I can see movement. So I am sitting here panicking and believing that I have ruined the chance for my sole surviving egg. I have upped the humidity to about 80% and I applied a very light layer of coconut oil to outter membrane. I would appreciate any advice! I am so worried and upset.
You've oiled the membrane, so you can no longer tell what's 'rubberized', but you can tell where the veining is, so you can determine the best locations to remove membrane. You may need to continue to pinch and pull the membrane off of the chick. If bleeding occurs, stop, and put the chick back into the incubator for about and hour before attempting this procedure again. If at this point he's still thoroughly stuck in the shell, you may consider rolling the shell and squeezing it in your hand firmly (yet gently) to cause the outer shell to crack. Then you can flick these large portions of the shell off of the chick, typically the membrane remains on the chick while you're doing this, that's good, but not the end of the world if it comes off too. Again, if it bleeds blot with toilet tissue to stop the bleeding and put him back into the incubator on some more toilet tissue to sop up the blood, and leave him there for another half hour or hour. Sometimes the chick is finally able to wiggle their way out at this point, just by having a hole big enough to allow it. If not, and if you've finally discovered their beak, rock the beak with your index finger to get their head loosened from their normal 'tucked into the wing' position, once the head is loose, tilt the egg over your hand, with the head dangling rock the egg and allow gravity to help you deliver the baby from the egg. Sometimes a very gentle (never yank the chick from the shell as it's still attached at the umbilical cord) encouraging pull can help gravity feed the chick out of the shell and into your hand. With this method it's common to have the chick STILL attached to the shell. Put chick and attached shell back into incubator for an hour or more. You're hoping the umbilical dries out and/or the chick kicks the shell off of himself. Expect the chick to cry in the incubator, often long and loud... totally normal... he's had a rough entry into the world. If after 2 hours back in the incubator he's still not freed himself from the offending eggshell, take sharp scissors and cut the umbilical cord at the narrowest point midway between shell & chick. Do NOT cut the cord close to the chick. Afterward, put the chick back into the incubator until fully dry and fluffy, then transfer to your warm and waiting brooder.
