Can you fix a cracked egg?
Ben Langton
there is now a crack about the size of a small coin. Is there any way of
repairing the damage so that the duckling will survive? The membrane underneath
the shell appears to be intact.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Ben
Doug Cook
Depending on the extent of the damage,
if you handle/roll the egg carefully, it should be ok without a repair.
It is possible to mend a crack - some people will "paint" over the crack
with some white glue (like Elmers). Don't over-paint, or you might make
the shell too hard for the duckling to break out of it.
Just kiind of trace over the crack.
I've also heard that you can make a paste out of flour and water for
this repair. Some
folks use clear nail polish for this sort of repair, but I'd be
concerned with that being toxic.....stick with he glue.
Doug
"Here I sit in my mediocre splendor..."
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Mamabird
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"A bird's life is so frail, so threatened, that each is a miracle - each
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------
Doug Cook <pier6s...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:25124-37...@newsd-223.iap.bryant.webtv.net...
Baymare25
and separate the plys so it is very thin, then use some Elmers glue. Use as
little ELmers as possible and make sure the edges of the tissue are down well.
Good Luck
Ben Langton
job or should we remove them and use glue instead?
Ben
Kelly Flynn
: We have already put some plaster strips over the damaged area. Will this do the
: job or should we remove them and use glue instead?
: Ben
Elmer's glue is, imo, the least toxic mending tool for small egg shell
cracks. Whether the chick survives depends on the size and depth of the
crack as well as how far its developed already. I've seen a lot of
techniques, from the breathable 'tegaderm' skin patches, to crazy glue and
such. What are 'plaster strips'? I guess I don't know what those are. Its
a hard choice to make, since if you disturb the shell more by removing
those, then it could cause additional damage. You might be best to leave
those on for now, and keep elmers handy in the future. Then again, if it
was a bigger 'dimple' indentation, something like tegaderm might work
better. 'Dimples' are hard to fix, cracks are easier.
If you glue it, be sure and candle it to check whether the embryo is
still alive (sometimes a sharp jolt at a young stage can damage the blood
vessels and result in mortality.) Also check for other cracks which will
show up under light, but may not be visable to the naked eye. If you need
suggestings on candling techniques, let us know and we'll assist.Candling
is a good idea to check on the embryo's progress whether you choose to
glue or not. And you have the option of gluing any additional cracks you
notice.
Have you artificially incubated the egg since day one? Or when did AI
start? Did you weigh the egg on that day it first went into the incubator?
This would prove very useful since most eggs are 'happiest' if they lose
12-15% of their weight during incubation. This can be easily graphed and
if you choose to weigh the egg regularly, you can follow its progress.
Most changes (to be effective) need to be made during the first third of
incubation, but trying later won't usually hurt much, if you feel its the
best thing to do.
You can use the same scale you use for handfeeding your birds with (if you
don't have one, investing in one or two would be wise since you'll need
one that weighs to the tenth of one gram for egg and chick weights (during
the handfeeding process,) and depending on the size of the birds in your
family, the second scale can be used for adult weights and be accurate to
1 or 2 grams. If you need more scale advice, just ask...) Anyhow, I would
start weighing the egg and candling it every day to every other day. You
can do this when you turn the egg (if you're handturning it, which is
HIGHLY recommended since its now cracked, take it off any artificial
turning device you have,) at the same time each day (if you need advice on
how much to handturn the egg, etc., just ask. I'm not sure what your base
incubation knowledge is, sorry, so I'm starting basic.) If the egg isn't
loosing weight, you'll need to increase humidity (either change the whole
machine if you have no other eggs there, or you can also put the egg in an
open, breathable (like they have for vegetables,) ziplock baggie. Don't
zip the ziplock, leave it open. This will allow some airflow. If the egg
isn't loosing enough weight, all you can really do is decrease humidity
for the whole machine, hopefully you have a spare incubator, or no other
eggs in the one you have.
The biggest threat to the egg is bacterial growth now that the protective
shield has cracked. Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands before turning
(this should be done with any egg before you touch it,) and check for
fecal matter or debris around the crack and gently remove it with a
moistened (in steriule/boiled but not hot, water,) Q-tip without rubbing
any in. The egg shouldn't be soiled at all, and you probably won't have to
clean anything off. There's not much you can do about contamination now,
since it probably occured right when the egg cracked, but just be aware of
th epossibility and look for anything odd (odd growths, movements, etc.,)
when candling.
Also, once the chick hatches, watch it very closely (hopefully it will
hatch on its own and you won't have to assist it.) It could have an
increased risk of a yolk infection and you'll want to discuss having some
antibiotics and fluids to have on hand and how to administer them.
The chick could also be septic or potentially ill in another way. Chicks
that are compromised in any way usually get prophalatic antibiotics right
away no matter how they look, since a yolk infection can strike quickly
and is lethal. Chicks can die insanely fast, you'll never see it coming,
so if the egg looks good (as you continue to candle it,) discuss your
options with your vet and decide how far you want to go to save the chick
(to assist or not, etc.) Make a plan you're ready to follow during hatch.
Many amazing chicks have survived many amazing cracks and egg shell
injuries so don't give up hope, but you'll have to be very watchful. If
the parents are caring for the chick, they know what to do, so I wouldn't
disturb them too much, and keep your fingers crossed. If its AI,
definitely be on guard for future problems.
I hear rumors that Elmer Glue will be running an ad about a special chick
that survived a crack that was glued with Elmers. They named him Elmer of
course, so keep your eyes open (and someone save me a copy!)
Good luck,
Kelly FLynn
as...@Primenet.com
TOBY4W
in an earlier post let dry /return to nest and leave alone--
Toby
Ben Langton
We'll know in about a week how things turn out. Here's hoping!
Cheers,