okay I'm going to try and describe this since I can't take a photo.

 

I candled some eggs today as I wanted to move some to another nest as the hen they were under seems to be loosing interest in sitting now that she has three chicks so wanted to move them before it was too late. One of the eggs looks like this:

 

Very dark, basically can't see through it except for at one end where it is empty (the air bubble) and I can see the faintest bit of moment in one spot in the air bubble. Does it sound like this baby is getting ready to hatch?

 

I have left this egg with the hen for the moment as four would be a nice clutch size for her and the other eggs are a fair bit younger.

Sounds like it to me :cake:

Cool :cake: So how long should I expect until hatching at this point?

Probably by the morning or mid morning tomorrow :cake:

Approximately 24 to 72 hours before hatching, the air sac membrane drops and blood vessels in the shell membranes begin to recede. In this end stage of development, when the chick is ready to emerge from the egg, increased levels of carbon dioxide in its blood system cause the neck muscles to expand and contract bringing the egg tooth on the tip of its beak into contact with the air sac membrane. As the egg tooth punctures and tears the membrane, oxygen stored in the large end of the egg is released. Gradually, the neonate begins to switch from obtaining oxygen through the chorio allantoic membrane to circulating air through its lungs. As the newly released source of oxygen from the air sac is depleted, carbon dioxide levels in the chick’s blood rise. Somewhere between twelve and twenty four hours after piercing the air sac membrane, the neck muscles again begin to work forcing the egg tooth into the shell itself. Once chipped, air enters rapidly oxygenating and strengthening the chick. After resting, the chick in a combination of repetitive jerking motions of the head, and rotation of its body, cuts and pips a circular path around the central circumference of the egg until the shell is weak enough that it can be pushed apart.

 

 

...if you are interested in how a chick hatches.

Edited December 6, 200816 yr by Darryl

That is oh so cool Daz. I'm a biology science grad at uni so I find things like that very interesting :cake:

It is possible to assist a chick out of the egg but the timing of this is important. It is not until the 18th day that the final traces of yolk are absorbed into the chicks abdomen and the umbilicus is sealed shut. Assisting the chick before that time will cause its death. Often, you can candle the egg to see if the yolk sac has fully retracted and that membranes below the shell no longer contain viable blood vessels.

 

The actual time from which the first expansion of the neck muscle broke through the shell until the chick emerges from the egg can vary from 48 to 72 hours. Initially, you may hear a quiet tapping or even weak squeaks, and find a fine crack, group of cracks or crack plus a tiny hole in the shell. This is the beginning stages of the hatching process and no action is required. If you can hear loud squeaks, see creamy off white patches on the shell with a crack line around its circumference, and detect moist membranes you are observing the latter stages of a normal hatching and it is not necessary to assist the chick.

 

If you can hear loud squeaks and find a widened crack line around the circumference of the egg or a large hole in the egg, and can observe a dried or drying membrane, then you can assist the chick, as it is having difficulties. To do this, take a haemostat or tweezers and gently work your way around the crack line with the air sac end in an upright position. You will be able to see the position and movement of the chick as you do this. Once having separated the egg, most chicks will be pushing and forcing the shell apart. If this is the case, gently return it to the nest box and the chick and hen will do the rest.

 

If on the other hand, the dried membrane has adhered itself to the chick or shell, moisten a cotton swab in sterile saline solution and place it on the membrane. This will loosen it enough so that you can remove the chick safely from the shell. If there is slight bleeding at the navel, swab the umbilicus area with a 1% solution of Betadine and place the chick in the nest box. If the egg sac has not completely retracted, you should leave the chick in the bottom part of the shell and place it in an upright position. This sometimes works as it allows extra time for the yolk to retract.

 

 

It is interesting to see what they go through ... It is not easy and the mirical of hatcvhing/birth is some thing special.

That was very interesting Daz

Well the chick still hasn't hatched but not far off I think. Looking at it now I would say it had only been just starting to break the membrane last night as I can see much more movement in the air pocket now,plus hear a tiny bit of cheeping (I could actually see it flexing in the egg and moving in circles!). There is a spot on the egg where the shell has a tiny hole so I'm leaving it to do it's thing for now. I'll keep an eye on it and if it doesn't look to be making any progress I'll help it but for the moment it's doing what chicks do

Very interesting Daz

DAZ IS SMART!!!!!!!!!! i know who to ask advise of now the rest of you are smart too but... :rofl:

DAZ IS SMART!!!!!!!!!! i know who to ask advise of now the rest of you are smart too but...

:rofl: :rofl:

Thats awesome news MB hope the chick hatches and everything goes well with it...

 

DAZ is a very smart guy with a lot of knowledge... If you don't wanna take advice from me thats cool I won't respond to your threads from now on....

 

 

:rofl: I am kidding of course...

I have four babies!!! I gave the little one a slight hand this arvo as it had been at it for a while with not much progress. I didn't do much just broke off a piece of shell about the size of my little finger nail to provide extra air and that got the baby moving. It had stopped moving and gone very quiet in the egg so I think had I not intervened I would have lost it. Once it was moving again I left it in the egg and popped it back in the box and checked on it half an hour later and it was out and kicking

congrats! but MB really... I think you need a Camera and Memory Card for Christmas...

That's great MB!

Oh gosh JB, I was so worried about the little guy I didn't even think to take photos

Terrific news