Jump to content
Chickens Dogs Cats Rabbits Guinea Pigs Hamsters and Gerbils Birds
The Bantam of the Opera

URGENT: egg hatching advice needed asap UPDATE:: PICS ADDED

By The Bantam of the Opera, in Chickens, Eggs and Hatching

Recommended Posts

The Bantam of the Opera Frequent Layer

The Bantam of the Opera

Posted
Posted (edited)

My cleo has been sitting on fertilised eggs for about 19 days now, i read that they should be hatching tomorrow and i just went out to find one of them with most of the shell cracked off but the membrane still in tact.

 

i don't know if she's cracked it herself by sitting on it or if its hatching :pray:

 

do i help it by breaking the membrane or just leave it to itself? it didn't seem to be moving much.

 

ive never hatched eggs before and im pretty clueless..

 

and don't worry, ive already got someone on hand to deal with any males that may be born.

thanks for any advice you can give

 

jem

xxxx

Edited by Guest
Link to comment
Share on other sites
superjules Chatty Chicken

superjules

Posted
Posted

Glad to see you back Jem - was wondering where you were.

 

They often take a whole line of shell off round the middle - like a mini equator - but I haven't heard of this before. It can take up to 24 hours for a chick to go from pipping to totally out of the shell. Is it cheeping or moving? It might just be having a little rest before the final push. If she's not still sitting on it then the membrane may have become too dry. Where's the egg now Jem?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
The Bantam of the Opera Frequent Layer

The Bantam of the Opera

Posted
  • Author
Posted

it's like the top side of the eggs shell has cracked off but the membrane is completely in tact.(made me think she'd just sat on it. :roll: )

the membrane looks very thick though which is why i was wondering if i should help.

 

i put the egg back under cleo but unnder her wing so its warm but not squished.

 

EDIT: oh yeah and it didn't look like it was moving and couldnt hear any noise. i think i saw it twitching slightly.

cleos a first time mum, i put the egg in front of her to see if she knew what to do and she pecked at it lightly then went back into her brood trance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
superjules Chatty Chicken

superjules

Posted
Posted

Well, from what I have read, sussex's make excellent broodies so your little egg is in the best of hands (wings).

 

My instinct with our hatch was to just let the broodies get on with it and whatever will be, will be. I really don't know what you should do Jem, probably Claret, Lesley or Crafthunnypie are your best bet, they have much more experience of hatching. Sorry I can't help but I don't want to advise you wrong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
The Bantam of the Opera Frequent Layer

The Bantam of the Opera

Posted
  • Author
Posted

yeah that sounds good, its cleo's first clutch but i she seems to know what she's doing.

 

yeah i've got a little wooden run buried in the ground slightly with very small mesh so the chicks can't get out and its quite a small run so they can stay lose to cleo. it has a ramp up to the bed area, will they be able to climb this do you think? and can i move her nesting area once they've hatched? her nest is in another house.

 

also, can she keep them warm enough herself? she just sits there in a trance 24/7 and wouldn't get off the nest unless i took her off and practically poured food down her throat. i hope she changes when /if the chicks arrive.

 

sorry about the delay in reply, i had to go catch the ducks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
superjules Chatty Chicken

superjules

Posted
Posted

Yes they will be plenty warm enough - they go broody at this time of year as it's the perfect conditions to give the chicks the best chance.

 

My pekin chicks were small enough to get through the bars of an eglu run (like little bumble bees!) but they only tried it once. They will stay close to mum and if they go too far she will call them back.

 

Once the chicks have started hatching she will start looking after them. That was the problem with our hatch, we had an early one on the Tuesday and the girls abandoned the nest that friday to look after the chicks, leaving cheeping eggs to go cold, which nearly broke my heart, but they were doing what nature dictates. Better than neglecting the chicks to sit on dud eggs but really tough to see it happen. :cry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
The Bantam of the Opera Frequent Layer

The Bantam of the Opera

Posted
  • Author
Posted

aww that's so sad, but as you say the chickens know what's best.

i didn't know eggs cheeped, i guess that means that one is probably not going to hatch, it's silent.

 

oh well, she'd got 15 more eggs to go and its only day 18 on the eggs. fingers crossed.

 

i was worried that the chickens might escape the eglu so i think ill keep them in my other run, its got like mesh wire so they definitely won't fit through. i might bring a few inside in a cage though if she proves to be a bad mum. that's how i looked after new born chicks at woodside and they seemed fine. i can break the old heat lamp out again, only jusy put it away from looking after ducklings.

 

i don't have much luck with chicksn with all the roosters ive had and fox attacks etc. i hope this goes okay. :pray:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Karen Pimlott Chicken Eggspert

Karen Pimlott

Posted
Posted

do not help it if you dont know what you are doing as the chick will bleed to death if you tear the membrane.

 

Chicken eggs will hatch at day 21 from day 18 onward they absorb the yoke.

 

if the shell has been crushed then humidity is lost & the membrane will become tough & stick to the chick plus the fact the air supply has gone.

 

I am afaid the outcome for this little chick is not good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
The Bantam of the Opera Frequent Layer

The Bantam of the Opera

Posted
  • Author
Posted

hooray! just went out to give cleo her morning feed and heard a little peeping, she's got one beautiful little grey chick underneath her and another egg has a hole in it and more peeping from inside. its so exciting. :dance::dance::dance:

 

i can't beleive my silly bunch of chickens have managed to create something so beautiful. :lol: i think it must be an orpington bantam chick, bella and snapes baby.

 

unfortunately you were right about the crushed egg from last night, looks like that chick didn't make it. should i remove the egg and throw it away?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
The Bantam of the Opera Frequent Layer

The Bantam of the Opera

Posted
  • Author
Posted

2 out now and had a quick look at the eggs and i can see 3 more with holes being pecked in them.

she was sitting on 16 eggs, 1 has died, 2 have hatched. 13 more to go.

 

i was wondering though, some of them i think are a cross between light sussex and a maran and others i think are a cross between bantam orpington and a maran. will these hatch? i didn't know if all breeds could mix. :S

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BeckyBoo Effusive Egg Layer

BeckyBoo

Posted
Posted

How lovely, I don't know HOW I've missed this thread, we've both been hatching chicks at the same time! We've got five so far with two eggs from our original clutch still left, I've a feeling they won't hatch now as the other five all hatched the same day. I'm desperate to clean the run too but I'm going to wait until everything that's going to hatch has hatched, then wait til any chicks are at least a couple of days old before I go in, ours are so much bolder after just 24 hours!

I'll never forget seeing that first tiny head - even though I've been looking forward to it and waiting and waiting it still took me COMPLETELY by surprise.

How fab is hatching chicks under a broody :lol::lol:

 

P1010060.jpg

 

Here's our line up - fabulously looked after by OUR first timer too!! Speckle.

 

Mrs B

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...