Should I crack the shell of the baby's egg?

I noticed that an egg (feral pigeon) started to hatch today morning about 5 hours back.
The egg was somehow cracked from the top where the baby's beak showed up.

The egg still looks the same now, the baby seems to move more and one of the leg seems to stick out. But it hasn't hatched yet and I'm afraid it might die since the egg is partly open and I don;t think the parents can feed it.



Should I gently crack open the egg shell by pulling the shells off into small pieces?

My brother said he may have seen a crow around recently, so I wonder if the egg shell was opened by the crow, since the baby doesn't seem to be coming out of the shell in such a long time.

I'm just now getting on and saw your post, Rashu.
Was the egg found on the ground?
Did it hatch completely?

No, don't open any more of the shell. As it is, the hole is uncomfortably large, and it sure wasn't made by a crow!

Sometimes babies have difficulty hatching, and to help them it's a good idea to take out just a little of the shell, just enough to free the baby's head, but no more. Then give the baby some time to get his strength back and continue the work.
Another reason for difficulty hatching can be if the egg shell is too dry, and the baby sticks to it. Now, I haven't tried this, but an expert said you can put a little saliva in the egg hole, because it's warm and slippery and it helps the baby to hatch.

Teresa wrote:

No, don't open any more of the shell. As it is, the hole is uncomfortably large, and it sure wasn't made by a crow!

Sometimes babies have difficulty hatching, and to help them it's a good idea to take out just a little of the shell, just enough to free the baby's head, but no more. Then give the baby some time to get his strength back and continue the work.
Another reason for difficulty hatching can be if the egg shell is too dry, and the baby sticks to it.

Now, I haven't tried this, but an expert said you can put a little saliva in the egg hole, because it's warm and slippery and it helps the baby to hatch.

That's interesting. I hadn't heard of that.

:pale:I wonder what happened to the newly half-hatched egg/chick?

technocactus wrote:

:pale:I wonder what happened to the newly half-hatched egg/chick?

The baby hatched fully that very night and is now 2 days old and seems healthy. :)

That's brilliant!
I'm sure you will have a wonderful time watching it grow. Remember, in your enthusiasm to interact with the baby, not to scare the parents away, especially at feeding times -- and he will need to feed very often in the first couple of weeks.

Teresa wrote:

That's brilliant!
I'm sure you will have a wonderful time watching it grow. Remember, in your enthusiasm to interact with the baby, not to scare the parents away, especially at feeding times -- and he will need to feed very often in the first couple of weeks.

When and how should I interact with the baby?

If the parents already know you and don't get scared, try spending some time where they can see you, without moving, so they will end up feeling comfortable with you. Giving the parents something nice to eat will help a lot!!! That way the baby will grow up knowing your face.
Then, when the baby starts exploring, at about 3 weeks of age, offer him treats as well. At that age they can learn to be very friendly.
Important tip: avoid sudden movements, sudden noises and loud voices near the pigeons. Always move slowly and speak gently, and keep your hands below their eye level.

Good luck!

I'm glad all went well with the little one hatching.