Who is with me?

[chickie_mama]

My husaband called me Monday and said I had 2 guineas hatching out. I kinda did the head scratch thing because I knew my guineas were not due for a week or so. Anyway, when I got home, I did indeed have 2 little chicks hatched out... but they were not guineas! I have 2 little silkies... one black and one splash. The person I bought the guinea eggs from included extra surprise eggs. Both are cute as can be!

 

[riqui1]

Haha! That is crazy!! As long as you are happy about it, then that is a great thing!! But it would have been nice if they had warned you!! lol

I have some peeping going on - today is hatch day. I don't see any pips yet, but I look every 10 minutes or so! lol I really think that I should be hearing more though, considering the fact that there are 16 eggs in there all due to hatch today!

If you don't hear peeping from the egg, do you candle it to see what is going on or do you guys just jump right in and pip for them? I am not intending on butting my nose into the hatch right now, so don't think that. I was just thinking about this last night. I was too late to save any last hatch and I don't want to do that again.

 

[chickie_mama]

If there are huge air sacs (shrink wrappage) and you can see the membrane is pipped when you candle and there is movement, I would go ahead and make a tiny hole so they can breathe.

That's just me. I've lost too many to shrink wrappage.

 

[riqui1]

That is my thought too, as I lost those 4 during the last hatch. I felt guilty - that I shouldn't have waited so long to check. When do you intervene though? The peeping started last night and today is just hatch day. Do I wait until tomorrow? Do I start checking on them this afternoon? I am worried about messing something up by sticking my nose in too early too!! lol

 

[chickie_mama]

If you had some actually peeping inside the shell last night then I probably would go ahead if the air sac is huge. If you wait too long, they will suffocate.

 

[riqui1]

Okay, of the 16 eggs that were supposed to be hatching, two have pipped on their own. EVERY OTHER EGG IS SHRINK WRAPPED! I have wet the membrane in them all and only see two of them moving. Should I let them alone with a wettened membrane to see if they can do it themselves? The membrane appears to still have veins through it and I am afraid to touch it - especially since my novice eye cannot tell where the beak is!!

I hope someone is on here, as I don't want to lose those two!

Thanks!

 

[chickie_mama]

Mine have usually pipped the membrane by the time I actually put a crack in the egg. Maybe WWD or CB will be along real soon to help you out. I think by wetting it right now you are ok....

 

[riqui1]

Well, I took one of the two and I went looking for the beak. It was way down at the wrong end. As a result of pulling stuff away, I ended up with blood. Is this a bad thing? I have found and exposed the beak, but he isn't peeping. He is still opening and closing his beak, but it is more like he is gasping. I am afraid that I screwed up. Now I don't want to touch the silkie egg. Darn it, I wanted more than four chicks from this hatch!!!

 

[riqui1]

Okay, there is still the potential for 3 chicks, but the one that I tried to help has since passed. I am hoping that it won't be because I made him bleed, although when I was trying to uncover his beak, it was blood that was all around the area. If he drowned, it was on the blood - also making it my fault.

My sister, who was here with me while I was doing it, kept trying to tell me that since his little beak was buried way down at the bottom, he wouldn't have made it if I hadn't tried... It really doesn't help much; I feel horrible.

 

[chickie_mama]

I always quit and wait at the first sight of blood. Maybe this little guy was backwards. I can always see the head and beak when I "help".

Just chalk it up to learning. I know it is hard, but in the end, you were doing what you thought was best.