First baby of 2005...second baby ever...but.....

Well...the little one seems alert...but looks a little premature and still had the yolk attatched to its little tummy...but its broken the yolk off! I have him/her in a shoebox size thing on damp paper towels...since the yolk sack fell off should I change it to dry paper towels? Does the little one have any chance at all?? It also looks like he/she may not have upper eyelids I'd appreciate any advice anyone can give me...I'm just not sure what to do with the little one! We've decided to name it Bailey...something nice and Irish (and alcyhol related...lol) for St. Patty's day...who knows...maybe the luck of the Irish will help little Bailey through...

No advice, but wishing you good luck that little Bailey is strong and fine.

did you remove him from the shell at any point durring hatching?

Nope...found Bailey in opposite corner of where the egg was...little bugger dug the perlite all over too...covered up all the other eggs almost completely...lol

Here's a couple pics...the first one you can see the eyes...but I really can't tell what is wrong with them...but something is definitely not right!...perhaps he/she just needs a little time to develop?...it looks like everything might actually be there...I don't know...if Bailey survives he/she will probably have to be a pet only. At any rate...the second photo shows Bailey's size and the yolk sack that broke off.

man those eye lids look kinda funny, other then that just by the way hes standing he looks like a heathy little guy, is he drinking yet?

Can Baily blink? As long as they can open and close their eyes I do everything I can to help them pull through.

Last year I lost a bunch of eggs and had some babies hatch out deformed due to a temperature spike. I had one hatch out without eyelids. The poor little guy was constantly licking his eyes, he looked miserable. In these cases, I think euthanising them is the most humane thing to do.

With premies, I usually set them up on moist paper towel in the incubator. I change the towel daily. I usually keep them in there until I can get them to take a meal, and they start looking "normal". Sometimes all I can get them to do at first is lick guts from squeezed mealworms. I keep offering them squeezed mealworms in the incubator until I can get them to take a whole one.

-Alice

I just saw the pics. He actually looks well developed and I have babies hatch out fairly regularly with yolk sacs that size which break off. As long as he can blink, I think that he has a good shot of growing up happy and healthy albeit a little bit different.
-Alice

Well that makes me feel a bit better...as far as the eyes...I have seen Bailey licking the right eye...but not the left...I haven't seen any blinking...but I might just not be seeing it. My biggest problem is that I am leaving at 7 tomorrow morning and won't be back until Sun night...will Bailey be ok without food until then?...I just don't know what I could do with him/her if not.......

ok...well I just looked at Bailey's eyes...it appears as though he/she can close them at least most of the way