# Hatching egg question.....



## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Ok. We've been raising birds for 6 years and this is a first for me. I had three hens lay on the 18th. All but one of the eggs has hatched, one hatched late last night. The last egg is pipping, I can see cracks in it and I can hear the little pip pip pip when I hold it to my ear. Thing is, it's going on 21 days. I thought this afternoon around 2:00 that it would be hatching very shortly. I checked it again just a few minutes ago and nothing has changed. Any one ever had it take this long before? My husband says it's the cold weather but that baby don't know it's cold, and we've always raised our babies in cold weather and this year so far has been very mild as far as temps go. I'm beginning to think this little one may not make it out?


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## GimpieLover (Dec 18, 2005)

cant you help it out? or is that not an ok thing to do?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Some people do that but you have to know what you are doing or you'll wind up killing the baby. That's probably what would happen to me! LOL I'm not very good at all this re-hab/medical doctoring stuff.............


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## GimpieLover (Dec 18, 2005)

well if you consider how close the baby is to the shell and find a sketch of a bird inside a shell and just lightly make a tiny hole and break away slowely from there. and from the sounds of it that this baby cant make it out of its own and it will die if not then you could always give it a try and have a 50/50 chance of survival. you might just save the little guy. that is if you deffinately know he cant get out by him self


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

well, it's dark out now so I'll just wait until in the AM and see if anything has changed.


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## armin369 (Jan 7, 2006)

yeah this might be because of the cold weather
and maybe my eggs will hatch late also


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

With winter comes dry weather, and that means the air is dry.

If the egg is too dry the baby will adhere to the wall of the shell, and may need a little help. You can do one of two things:

1. Put a little saliva into the hole in the egg, the saliva is warm and slippery and will allow the baby to hatch, if it is healthy. Sounds yukky, but it works.

2. Gently remove a tiny bit of the shell so the chicks head is free, but nothing more. Put it back in the nest, but keep an eye on it!

Hope everything works out will for the little one!


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

That's the thing, there are no holes, just cracking in the shell. I looked at the egg again this morning and it hadn't changed. I left it. After cleaning and feeding I pulled a 1 day old baby from another pair and put it under her. She's happy and sitting on it. I just came in from the loft and checked that egg again and I SWEAR I can still hearing it pipping.............I don't know what to do now. I'm going to check it every hour for a while longer and see what transpires. If I intervene and that baby dies???????


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Isn't there something in the shell with the baby that their body absorbs? Man, I sure do like it better when mother nature is doing her job. I'm scared to death to try and open this egg...............I'm just wondering IF the baby really is pipping and trying to get out, this has been going on for 2, maybe 2 1/2 full days.....how is that baby even still alive???


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Lovebirds said:


> If I intervene and that baby dies???????



Hi Renee, it's possible it will die as well if you do nothing. The chick might be too weak to get any further along in the hatching process and will soon die if it can't get out. It's totally your call what you want to do and I know how scary this kind of thing is. 

How much overdue is it now? Perhaps you could sterilize some tweezers and work on expanding the crack, by carefully trying to peel some of the shell away. I just know that if it doesn't start making some progress really soon, it will die in the shell


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

The nest mate or the other egg hatched out on Feb. 7th........see, I've been switching some eggs because we had a couple of clear ones and these are our widowhood hens who I want to raise at least one baby each before race season start. I had taken an egg from another pair that laid the same time as this foster pair. Anyway, I just checked it again and still hear pipping. I'm going to get my husband and see what he thinks. I hate for it to die, but if it's to weak to get out by itsself, then shouldn't I assume that there may be something wrong with it anyway? Oh crap..............why did this happen to me?????????


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Renee, 

Did your hen start incubation on these two eggs at the same time? If she didn't, then there could still be time and the chick might be fine. Today is the 9th so if the hen started incubating the first egg as soon as it was layed, then the timing wouldn't be very far off. This would mean that this egg should have hatched today and still might.

Just remember that when a chick is ready to hatch, it's yolk sac is nearly gone. It would have enough energy from this to last about 1 day at most before it would start to dehyrate, get weak and die.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

She would have laid her egg on the 18th, I would have found it on the morning of the 19th and pulled it and given it back to her on the 20th after she laid her second one. In our breeder loft, I check every night around 9:00 and pull any eggs that are laid, but because we don't use lights in our widowhood loft, it's dark when they lay their egg so I gather them the next morning. Out of 12 pairs of birds, this has worked for 11 pairs and they all hatched with in a couple of hours of each other. I'm going out to check it again. We decided to just leave it for a while longer.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Renee, 

So it's nearly 2 days late in hatching then, since you pulled the first egg and replaced it after the second one was layed. 

Well this is very worrying then. When hatching goes on this long, the chick will grow progressively more tired and weak. Like you said, it could have been a weaker chick anyway. Again, it's up to you here and I don't want to push you to do something that you're not comfortable in doing. 

Have you tried misting the egg with warm water and replacing it? This might help as well if it's not too late already. 

Maryco had to assist hatch one of my runt chicks when it didn't hatch on time. The chick was about 12 hours late and the circumstances were a bit different. It had poked a hole in the shell large enough for it's beak but didn't get any further. She peeled away the shell and actually pulled the baby out. This isn't advised but in this case, it all worked out fine. 

Good luck and I hope it all turns out ok!


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

Is the pipping on the large end of the egg. As sometimes a bird will try hatching on the small end. And not be able to do so. IF the egg has been pipping for 2 days. And has not hatch. You could make a small air holle for it to breeath air. And the about 2 hours later assist it by opening the first half of the eggs. pull its head and feet free. And then leave the rest protected by the last half of the egg. So it can finish the hatch protected. 2 days it should be getting weak. And may die in the shell. you will have to decide what is best. I have helped several out of there egg over the years most often they make it. Some do not. Also the spread in age of hatch time. It will not be taken as well cared for by its parents if much more time goes by.


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

when it takes some extra day or two for a bird to break out of the shell i help it come out by taking peices of shell off like the otheres have said and u do have to be carfull not to break a vain on the egg or it could start bleeding and die but iv had none of that with my eggs because im exsperienced now with birds.<(*)


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

well, after my last post I went a laid down for a while. At 2:00 I went out and could still hear the pipping so I brought the egg in the house, sterilized a pair of tweezers and got the baby out, but there was some blood and I think I may have gone to far with it. The baby was alive so I put it back under the parents. I really don't think it will make it. Of course I did all of this BEFORE I got on here to see if there were any replies. 

PS: I said the baby was live but it doesn't look as developed as it should considering the age of growth in the egg. I don't think I'll be trying this any more........


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Renee,

The baby may do just fine. I literally had to peel an egg off of one and there was blood everywhere, but it did survive (her name is Blacky) The baby was fine, the blood came from the shell.

Hope the "wee one" makes it.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Renee, have been checking in an out on your baby. I so hope he makes it. Sending prayers north.

Maggie


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Trees Gray said:


> Renee,
> 
> The baby may do just fine. I literally had to peel an egg off of one and there was blood everywhere, but it did survive (her name is Blacky) The baby was fine, the blood came from the shell.
> 
> Hope the "wee one" makes it.



Well almost an hour later, it's still alive. I'm running out to the loft every 15 minutes to check it. My husband thinks I've lost my frigging mind!! 
Thanks Maggie. I'll keep ya'll posted..............


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Lovebirds said:


> Well almost an hour later, it's still alive. I'm running out to the loft every 15 minutes to check it. My husband thinks I've lost my frigging mind!!
> Thanks Maggie. I'll keep ya'll posted..............



I went thru the same thing Renee, I was a nervous wreck and felt guilty about helping the bird out of the egg, even if it meant it would have died. The parents must have wondered about me too, checking and checking, but I got my excercise running back and forth to the coop! LOL


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Trees Gray said:


> I went thru the same thing Renee, I was a nervous wreck and felt guilty about helping the bird out of the egg, even if it meant it would have died. The parents must have wondered about me too, checking and checking, but I got my excercise running back and forth to the coop! LOL


Now two hours and it's still breathing but is laying on it's side but maybe that's normal? Anyway, it will be dark soon plus Mom is on the nest and she gives me a hard time about looking........Dad is ok with it. I'll probably check a couple more times before dark and then just wait and see tomorrow morning. I figure, I got it out of the shell and I don't think it was going to get out on it's own and it's under a "real" parent so I've done all I can for now.
Later.......


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Almost three hours and the baby is still with us............this time when I checked it, it had moved further up under Mom and is cuddled by it's "BIG" brother/sister..........if this baby lives, now another problem presents its self in that the older youngster is so much bigger not only is it going to win the fights for feedings, but it will also be ready for a seed/crop milk mix way before this little guy is ready. I do have some other babies hatching tomorrow so I may have to move this little guy again, but I'll have to mark it some how so I know which baby it is. I wish I could have gotten a picture but it was so tiny and frail that I hurried to get it back under Mom where it could get warm. Never really thought about it, but I assume they feed their babies all through the night at this stage? Even in the dark..........


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Just flying in to add my hopes and healing thoughts for the little one! I sure can understand your "wreckness." 

You can mention to your husband that this is a "mom" thing and since he can't have babies....  

Will be keeping an eye open for future updates! I soooo hope he/she makes it!!


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Renee, thanks. Good news so far. You'll probably worry all night.

Maggie


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Yeah..........I thought about going out there again, but it's dark and I've got 11 other pairs on babies and I don't want to disturb them so I'll be good and wait till tomorrow morning EARLY!!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I take the flashlight...LOL

Yes, the parents do feed the newbies for a few days around the clock.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Renee, 

You did the right thing here I feel. Because at least now it has a chance to survive, whereas it was looking like it wasn't going to get out of the egg and would have surely died.

Hopefully this little chick will make it through the night and get stronger. If it doesn't, then it just wasn't meant to be. Nature works in strange ways and if there was something wrong with the chick to begin with, it might not have been destined to survive no matter what. All we can do is try in these cases but the outcome could remain the same.

Hoping to hear good news in the morning!


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Thanks for giving this baby a fighting chance! Sometimes all they need is a little extra help. This has certainly been educational!


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## alaska (Mar 17, 2005)

Hi Renee,
I too think it was the best idea to help this little one out of the shell...by your description I don't think it stood much of a chance trying to get out by itself.
Fingers crossed for this little one and I hope to hear good news in your morning 
Keep us updated.
Regards
Alaska


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

The little one is still alive as best I can tell. It's 18 degrees here this morning and MOM pitched a fit when I tried to look. At a quick glance, the baby looked to be sitting up right so............it's suppose to warm pretty quickly, I"ll get a better look later........


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I'm so glad  to hear the news...I have been thinking about the "wee one" .

Please get back with us later for another update.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Well the little guy didn't make it. I just went out and he was gone. I tried but it just wasn't meant to be. I guess at least he died warm and snug. Appreciate all the advice and well wishes. Like my husband just said.......we can't save them all.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Renee, 

I'm sorry that the little chick didn't make it To me, this emphasizes that there was a reason it was taking him so long to hatch. He was just one of the weak ones, perhaps compromised in some way already. Either that or all that effort he made trying to hatch just exhausted him to the point of no return even after he was out of his shell.

You did your best and like your husband said, you can't save them all but you gave him a chance anyway.

Sorry it turned out this way


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Renee, sure am sorry. Like you said he was warm and snug (and loved) until the end. It still hurts though.

I had mentioned in a post or two about our getting another baby cockatiel. I just found out from the breeder that all four babies died. Didn't even know them but had so looked forward to getting one that it hurts.

Love, Maggie


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

I'm sorry about the teils. I know you were looking forward to getting one. I'm sure you'll find one though soon...........


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Renee,

I'm sorry to hear about the little one, it is very hard when these things happen, but he was probably compromised with health issue from the very beginning. Bless you for all you did.


Maggie,

I'm sorry to hear about the baby cockatiels, that had to hurt, but you will probably get one when you least expect it, that is how it works for me.


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## BirdDogg10 (Aug 23, 2005)

So sorry... to hear that I hve a pigeon egg right now! with a live embryo in it which I have named Rudy... EEK! I hope Rudy doesn't get the same results right now I'm hoping and praying that Rudy will be ok and hatch.


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## GimpieLover (Dec 18, 2005)

i am very sorry to hear a about the little one but you did the best you could. you gave him the best fighting chance but it just wasnt ment to be. im very sorry


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Darn! I was really hoping the little one would make it! I'm so sorry... 

And, I'm also sorry about the 4 babies, Maggie...I'm sure one will be along just for you - timing will just be later than sooner...


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