Juvenile Rhea

This juvenile male rhea is a year old this week.

Chick's position in egg

This turkey poult pipped earlier than expected, and was still in a forced air incubator at the time. This meant that humidity was too low for hatching, and added to that, the forced air system quickly dried the membranes onto its down, making it impossible for it to move. Whilst I don't usually help chicks to hatch (they are usually too weak to survive long, or malformed), I did on this occasiion as the bird had good reason for being unable to break out unaided, so I soaked the membrane in warm water and removed it. The grateful bird was kind enough to remain in its final position long enough for me to take a photo, giving a good view of a typical chick immediately prior to hatching. As hoped, it made a full recovery, with the only apparent problem being short-term exhaustion caused by its futile attempts to escape from the dry egg.