# Helping hatch young ones



## PigeonX (Oct 17, 2010)

This is an interesting topic i just wanted to post on. I was just wondering if you helped a young hatchling break through it's egg, would it do anything to the young bird? I first began helping hatch the young pigeons when i noticed that a young squab was having troubles hatching because it had punctured through the egg shell but it had been over one and a half days and so i figured the youngster was getting hungry and would've dried up inside the egg and so I decided to crack open the egg. The baby was successful and came out nicely. I also had other instances where i broke the egg open too early and the veins that supported the young squab bleed and it eventually died.Through the last year I began to help the baby pigeons out more but i am sure that most of them can hatch on their own. Now I am pretty good at helping hatch babies out because i know how to handle them. You have to have perfect timing not too early and not too late. First thing you want to do is crack the part of the egg where there is the air bubble because there are no supported veins there. then you break off that part and carefully remove bit by bit around the hole you punctured open. When ever you hit blood stop, and only peel off the parts where there is no blood. If the youngster is bleeding hard stop because that means you helped it out too early; so just put it back under the parent. When you finally can peel off the hard shell without making the baby pigeon bleed, peel it down more until you've taken about half the top part off. When it about half way off you should then leave the young bird under it's parent because it will most likely be able to struggle out on it's own and with the help of it's parent. When the young baby fist comes out of its shell it will be in the shape of the egg and depending on how ready it was there should be a yolk sac attached to its abdomen where it feeds off of until that is small. If it is premature that yolk sac would be big, but if it was not that noticeable it means it came out right on time. HOWEVER you should not try to help the young squab out of it's egg if it looks like it does not need help. You should only help if the squab is having troubles! Baby squabs are good at hatching and only need assistance if they have a problem. You should not bother the youngster that much but monitor it just in case. And that is how you assist in a baby pigeon's dilivery.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

I never had problem with eggs needing assistance to hatch. If you have that often either the babies are weak birds (as in sick) or there is not enough moisture(humidity?) in the loft. What I do on mine is that I give my birds a bath once a week and I suppose the parents help moisten the eggs while incubating them. I noticed that my breeders, while they are still wet, go back to incubate their eggs.


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## ValencianFigs (Jul 10, 2010)

I don't think this is true but I heard if you let them hatch by themselves it makes them really independent and strong. But it may not be true.


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## soymi69 (Nov 12, 2007)

RodSD said:


> I never had problem with eggs needing assistance to hatch. If you have that often either the babies are weak birds (as in sick) or there is not enough moisture(humidity?) in the loft. What I do on mine is that I give my birds a bath once a week and I suppose the parents help moisten the eggs while incubating them. I noticed that my breeders, while they are still wet, go back to incubate their eggs.


I agree to this, the moisture help soften the eggs. I also help out the squab but not to break the egg I just give the squab while struggling out of the egg some drop of water, specially if I see that the egg is drying up, you will see the squab drinking and actually will regain some strength and start moving around to break the egg.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

There is no reason to touch hatching eggs, it is very unusual for one to need any sort of help, it has been done, not for intertainment... and only perhaps needed, maybe once or twice in ones lifetime, just leave your birds eggs alone, your touch can carry bacteria and their immune system is new..so hands off, I find it troubling you think they always need help.. I would say in most cases helping can kill the squab rather than the other way around.

and just to add, I know it has been done and saved the squab... Im talking about most of the time...not exceptions..


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## PigeonX (Oct 17, 2010)

Yes I do understand that you may kill the young squab by helping it out, I've probably helped over 5 times this year in my loft and they all survived. These were all necessary too. I even had one that i let stay in the egg too long and it dried up, but luckily I was able to crack it open in time to save the young squab. I do give my birds baths every single week which helps with the hatching also. It depends on how careful you are when handling the young. You must of course wash your hands before you attempt to help it! It is pretty much common sense, you just have to know how to handle the young egg when helping. It is not that much true that if you let them hatch on there own they are more healthy, they all eventually get fed by there parents and grow strong. It is not always necessary to help the young hatch but as I said, you could always monitor it.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I have to agree with spiritwings. Babies normally hatch out fine on their own. You can do more damage than good by helping the process. If you have that many babies needing help, then there is something wrong in your loft. My guess is that you are imagining they need help when they really don't.


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## Pip Logan (Oct 6, 2009)

Not to sound like were ganging up on you but I think jay3 is wright. I also think that if the baby can't hatch there is usually a reason.


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