mum gave up/can hear chick in the egg

[Anonymous]

Hi again after my post on staggered hatching.
Mum hatched two eggs then decided to call them down from the nesting box. I took the two chicks so she went back to sitting. Following day third chick was running around screaming below while she was sitting on newly hatched wet chick. I took the third chick, but about an hour later noticed her out of the box. When i checked she was stomping badly on the fourth chick as she was trying to settle. So I took the 4th chick as well. Yesterday she hatched number 5 but was off the nest and scratching around madly when it was only just fluffy.
I took number 5 and left the last 4 eggs.

This morning she had given up and just wanted to go into the run with the other chickens. The eggs were cold but I could hear pecking inside one of them so put them in with the chicks directly under the light. An hour later I could hear peeping from inside the egg. Now (3 hours later) I can hear faint pecking.

Should I try to help this chick out of the egg. I don't know how long they were cold but it's still alive and trying.

Jo

 

[Chuck]

To help it at this stage would be very risky.

 

[Anonymous]

Well the little fella has been pecking at the shell all day, and after 15 hours has made a hole in the shell surrounded by cracks. I've moved the eggs from the chicks box to a box of their own, to stop the little darlins pecking from the outside and trampling all over them.
I have to get some sleep now, but am hopeful the little trooper will have made it out by the time I wake up.
It's very exciting. Two of the other eggs are also making pecking sounds.
It's amazing what you can do with a cardboard box and a lamp. Nature is amazing. Fingers crossed.

 

[daniellesdogs]

i had given up on mine was going t turn off inc and clean and 1 chick and sevral pipping eggs hoping all the others will hatc now iv 2 out sofar

 

[Anonymous]

It just goes to show you shouldn't give up on the little peepers too soon. Great to hear yours are hatching.
Meanwhile 13 hours after the hole appeared in my egg, the little fella is still at it.
How long does it take for them to get out once they have made a hole in the shell? (did he spend all night sleeping)

 

[Anonymous]

I helped it out eventually, about two hours ago. I pulled off the top half where the air was. It's almost fluffy now and moved itself away from the heat. I gave it a few drops of water from a syringe.
I'm not sure the other 3 will be ok yet as I have no way of controlling humidity.
I'm really happy this little one made after being cold then only having a lamp in a box (& container of water) to finish off the hatch.

 

[Anonymous]

I just thought I would put an update on this saga. Out of the four eggs that were abandoned after the staggered hatching, 3 hatched and the fourth was a dud. The 3 that hatched under the lamp all needed help to get out. I guess it was because of humidity. The last one was the hardest. The skin inside the egg was really badly stuck to the chick so I had to dip my finger in warm water and saturate under the shell to be able to pull it off a bit at a time without damaging the chick. So 3 weeks later and I have 8 healthy chicks (10 days apart in age) in a hutch in the house. They love rice, grass and noodles (as well as chick crumble) and peep happily all day. The little darlings are just adorable. They seem to all be gold laced (dad is gold and mum is silver if they were all her eggs)