# Help please? Early hatchling.



## Dreamcatchers (Apr 17, 2011)

So my experienced pair had 4 fertile eggs due to hatch roughly about now to midweek next week. Early this morning I saw a pip on one egg but did not hear any chirping. I checked the egg this afternoon and apparently mom or dad must have stepped on the pip area and broke off the end of the egg. Baby is breathing and chirping but has not come out of the shell. I am also seeing part of the yolk which has not been absorbed. I am concerned at this point because it looks to me like it should have been a day or two more before this baby came out. Mom and dad do not appear to be upset and are continuing to sit on the egg. I have not experienced this before. The whole end of the egg where the air sac was is completely opened. The birds have a bath dish in the cage and I have sprayed the inside of the nest box a couple times with water being very careful not to hit the eggs or the babies, however, the humidity is not very high - only about 58% according to the sensors. The aviary is an insulated barn but it was 83 degrees out today and we had the doors and windows open to let in the fresh air. The baby's head is free so the membrane is not restricting its breathing but it is very small and already has a slight cut from the eggshell or parent's foot. Is there anything else I can or should do? Because there is still yolk and clearly blood filled veins indicating this baby is early, I don't know if I should assist hatch or let it be?


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Please post a good clear pix....I can tell more from it, and make any notes on the pix and repost it.

To do a close-up....take the pix from 18" away, download and *crop* the pix so that only a little area is surrounding the egg.


See if any of the pix's help at the bottom of this page: http://justcockatiels.weebly.com/assist-hatches.html The 6th row shows a chick restrained in the shell suing tissue wrapped artound it.


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## mitch2006 (Jan 15, 2011)

dreamcatcher please read this carefully....

its a link to srtiels website ive had to use this before in past

http://justcockatiels.weebly.com/assist-hatches.html

read it carefully and throughly it can help you decide what needs to be done


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## Dreamcatchers (Apr 17, 2011)

Srtiels, I can't seem to get a picture as there is something wrong with my camera. But, based on the info and images you sent, I went ahead and did the assist. It looked nearly identical to your image titled yolk almost absorbed into the body image number 39. Baby seems exhausted but chirping and almost all of the yolk has passed into the chick now and mom and dad appear to be highly interested in the baby. Took about 20 minutes to massage the yolk in as I was a nervous wreck that I would rupture it. I've tied off the last bit with some dental floss and there appears to be no bleeding from anywhere else. Anything else I should do or is it just a waiting game now?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Did you place a little cornstarch or flour around the tissue? I had this happen recently too and that's what srtiels recommended to me. It helps dry the tissue. You want it dry because otherwise it can stick to the bedding and the yolk can be pulled out of the body.


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## Dreamcatchers (Apr 17, 2011)

Hi Roxy - I did put a tiny bit of cornstarch around the umbilical.


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## mitch2006 (Jan 15, 2011)

glad to hear the baby is doing good
post pics of the birdy family asap
we love pics


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

How nerve wracking for you! Please keep us updated!


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## Dreamcatchers (Apr 17, 2011)

Well, my thanks to the help last night. The baby appears to be holding his own this morning. He is a good color and has been fed by mom and dad. Srtiels, I can't thank you enough for such a well written and informative article.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Yay! I've been following this thread; I'm glad the chick made it.  you'll have pictures on your page once they've feathered out?


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## Dreamcatchers (Apr 17, 2011)

I will.  Right now my website is undergoing a HUGE redo. We are trying to get new photos of each bird up. 

And, it looks like the second chick is starting to hatch this morning. I saw the pip mark when I checked the hatchling.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Another redo? Are you changing the profile setups again?

Is this whole clutch coming early or what? I hope the second goes as well as the first!


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## RexiesMuM (Sep 7, 2011)

Glad the baby is doing well


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## Dreamcatchers (Apr 17, 2011)

I don't think the whole clutch is early. Based on the markings I put on the eggs, the one that has pipped today should have hatched today. The one that went yesterday should not have hatched until mid week. The one today is at 18 days. The one that went yesterday was only at 16 days.

Not changing the profile set ups but trying to get several photos of each bird onto their page. The problem is that the camera is messed up so it has to go for repairs and then hopefully we can finish photos and get them posted. It takes about 70 photos per bird to get 4 or 5 decent ones. LOL. With my flock at 40 right now, it takes days to get them all done.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

I'm glad to hear the baby is doing well.


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