[brenda]

Hello to all
At the moment we have two clocking hens on phesant eggs, the problem is that the wee chicks are having trouble getting out of the shells.  The shells seem to be very hard and the membrane preety tough, we have lost two already
Any advice please?
Brenda

[Vember]

If the membrane looks dry cotton wool bud and some warm water on to it and this should moisten it enough for the chick to move around and poke about more then hopefully get out

If they have externally pipped then try removing a bit of the shell, any blood stop and put back under the broody


Sarah

[brenda]

Thanks vember
were just gona head out now and do that.
Brenda

[brenda]

Just been out, we now have 5 out of the shell, had to help one out but they are looking good!!
Brenda

If the membrane looks dry cotton wool bud and some warm water on to it and this should moisten it enough for the chick to move around and poke about more then hopefully get out

If they have externally pipped then try removing a bit of the shell, any blood stop and put back under the broody


Sarah

[Vember]

Ahh thats fantastic news

Do they look like little bumble bee's ?

If you can pop some pics on Chicken chat


Sarah

[Chookster]

i lost 4 still born chicks cos i thought mother nature should do its thing and i should hold back and not interfere.  

Next time, if they're cheeping and scratching way for more than a whole day i'm going to help them out in future.  i should have followed my instincts.  Mine just couldn't get out.  

The horrible thing was they were incubated and when i finally got it and tried to open them they were still warm (as they were incubated) but it didn't sink in straight away until i saw their eyes.  The night before they were as alive as could be. You live and learn I guess. Very sad but next time i will do things differently from now on.  That's just my opinion  

[brenda]

lovelly little bumble bees !!
Hi chookster
yep your right, its so hard to know when to intervene, we haven't got an incubater just a very broody white sussex. She's a brilliant mum!!

[Chookster]

aaaw brilliant!

any chance of some pics sometime?? :Dx

[brenda]

Hi chookster!

I will see what I can do about pic's, I might have to get my daughter to do it for me!!
It's a little bit to technical for me
But they are sooo cute!

[woodside farm]

I don't want to worry you, but when I had a chicken hatch pheasant eggs, she killed all of the chicks, she seemed to know that they were not chickens.
She was a really good broody and mother to chicks.
This might not happed but get a brooder ready just in case.
You shouldn't  help chicks hatch, if they can't get out by theirselves they are usually weak, I used to do this until I realised weeks later that it was these chicks that I helped died.

Michelle

[Kate and her Ducks]

I have heard that you shouldn't help out chicks as it is natures fitness test. To be perfectly honest I have helped out a lot of my ducklings (they are pets more then anything) and have healthy laying ducks as a result. Not had any die other than those that I didn't help out and died in shell and one with a congenital abnormality that I culled. Guess we all have different experiences and I understand that ducklings can be harder to hatch in an incubator so probably a scewed experience from  both of us.

[woodside farm]

I have heard that you shouldn't help out chicks as it is natures fitness test. To be perfectly honest I have helped out a lot of my ducklings (they are pets more then anything) and have healthy laying ducks as a result. Not had any die other than those that I didn't help out and died in shell and one with a congenital abnormality that I culled. Guess we all have different experiences and I understand that ducklings can be harder to hatch in an incubator so probably a scewed experience from  both of us.

I agree it's really hard when you see them in diffuculty, and perhaps some do live to a good age.
I have just hatched my first ducks, they came 3 days early with the humidity at only 45.

Michelle

[too many girls]

there are mixed feelings on helping chicks out, i have helped mine both chicks and ducklings, they survived and are doing well, out of the last batch of ducklings only the ones i didn't help died in shell.

[Rubellite]

I wonder if we worry too much about the hardness of the shell. After all, it is us who fret about weak shells and then add limestone flour, calcium, etc. Maybe we are making the shells too hard for the chicks to get out of?!!

[joyfull]

good point there rubellite