Bubbles coming out of a hatching egg

[Sharon Yorks]

I just hatched out 20 more chicks this past weekend and had something unusual happen. My incubator has a clear top on it so I can watch chicks being hatched. I noticed that one of the eggs that was pipping suddenly started bubbling goo up and out of the pip hole and down the side of the egg. The hole was large enough to see the chicks mouth chirping. The bubbles quickly grew larger and started filling up the hole. I was afraid that the chick was going to choke and drown so I grabbed it out of there. I smelled it and there was no odor at all, so I peeled the top of the egg off so the chick could breath okay and to let the goo out (the goo was kind of thick, not watery) then, since it didn't smell, I placed the egg back in the incubator. I didn't want to peel the bottom off because they were hatching a day early and I didn't know how much yolk had been absorbed.

A few hours later, I noticed the chick was laying in the same spot, not moving, and was chirping a lot! I took it back out and the poor little thing was stuck solid and stiff. Whatever the goo was had dried around it and it was stiff as a board. I took it in the bathroom and rinsed it off with warm water, gently worked the egg off and cut the cord so it wouldn't pull out a hole in the chicks belly. I got as much of the goo off as I could, then wrapped the chick in a paper towel to dry it off a little before putting it back into the incubator. The chick seems fine and is running around with the other ones like nothing had happened.

Has anyone seen anything like this before? I don't like to interfere with a hatch, but I have no doubt this chick would have choked and drowned.

--Sharon

[OldChurchEggery]

What color was the goo? I know when I look inside of empty shells after a hatch is over, there's usually a white glob that looks like a big, pale plop stuck to the inside of the shell. I've wondered if it's whatever shed cells come from a chick's digestive tract, sort of like how meconium is for newborn babies. I'm no plop-otologist, so I can't say for sure that's really what's in there. Maybe this chick was struggling and straining and pushed out the goo from its business end. I've never heard of such a thing, so there's a wild guess for you!

[Sharon Yorks]

I had a little bit of a greenish cast to it and was very sticky. I was very surprised it didn't smell. The chick is still doing fine. It's a mystery to me what it could have been. Just thought someone else may have an idea. You could be right. Maybe that's what it was. Huh.

--Sharon

[Jean]

Generally, the bubbles indicate that the egg did not dry down enough.  This can be caused by too high of humidity in the incubator or you set an egg that was bigger than the rest.

The bigger eggs take less humidity to hatch.  I have found that setting medium sized eggs produce better hatches for me.  The bigger eggs don't dry down as well and then you get sticky chicks or chicks that will asphyxiate from the goo.

[Sharon Yorks]

Thanks for the information, Jean. You just helped me figure out what's been happening with another problem I've been having. I have one particular hen that sometimes lays a larger egg and a lot of her chicks aren't making it out of the shell. They are fully developed, but a lot aren't pipping. Then, after the hatch when I break open the eggs, I find the inside of the eggs are very wet and runny. And yes, this was one of her eggs. I know the humidity isn't too high, so it must be the egg size factor. Wow! I'm learning something new all the time. I'll have to watch for this and only set eggs from her that are not so big. All of the chicks that DO make it out are really nice and so friendly. Her chicks are my favorite. Thanks again for helping me figure this out.

--Sharon 

[greeneggsandham]

Thanks for the information, Jean. You just helped me figure out what's been happening with another problem I've been having. I have one particular hen that sometimes lays a larger egg and a lot of her chicks aren't making it out of the shell. They are fully developed, but a lot aren't pipping. Then, after the hatch when I break open the eggs, I find the inside of the eggs are very wet and runny. And yes, this was one of her eggs. I know the humidity isn't too high, so it must be the egg size factor. Wow! I'm learning something new all the time. I'll have to watch for this and only set eggs from her that are not so big. All of the chicks that DO make it out are really nice and so friendly. Her chicks are my favorite. Thanks again for helping me figure this out.

--Sharon

Same here.  I have been trying for four years to get more chicks from mine.  She is a large hen and I would love to have a large hen from her, but so far I only get cockerals from her if I am so lucky to get one to hatch. 
So, does anyone think trying a dry incubator run on these eggs would work?  I might give that a try next year with my large eggs.

[Sharon Yorks]

I plan to try that this fall with one batch of her eggs. I'm thinking no humidity during the first 18 days, then just add a little water during the last 3 days. Don't know if that will work, but I'm a gonna try it.

Sharon