no , usually they absorb the yolk sac on day 19! they then take their position and grow just that tiny bit more. u are always advised to leave them for an extra day , but if there is still no pipping or even cheeping from the egg u shud dispose of it. i think that disposing of it isnt right so i make a tiny hole in the egg wg=here the beak should sit. ive done thid many times before and it has saved many weak chicks! thankyou for your help , but they died! we left 4 in the eggs and after a week we opened them and they were dead too!it really is driving me too the brink! im puting more on 2moro ill let u know how i get on with this lot!
Who says they absorb their yolk on day 19? They don't start absorbing the yolk and blood vessels until they pip and start breathing.. Many hatchers will tell you the same thing, you are assisting to early and causing the death of your chicks.. You said yourself the chick was obviously premature...
Stop helping the chicks and quite possibly your hatch rates will improve.
I have had chicks pip on day 19 and then some from the same batch that pip on day 22... hatching is not an exact science and everything from flock health to incubator temperature can play a roll.
