HELP!!!is egg too thick for chick to get out?

[davimi]

1 of the eggs that i brought in after the hen stopeed sitting on, is chirping and rocking...but no first holes in shell..the shell does look like a thick one....can it be too thick for the chick to get out?....i just dont want it to die because it was stuck

 

[CrazyChickieMama]

How long has the hen been sitting on it? It can take 24 hrs for the chick to hatch, but in some cases the shell can be a bit hard. incubation period is usually 21 days, so being the interventionist who can't sit on her hands, I would try to make a small hole in the large end of the egg to see if the chick can finish itself, but others would not recommend it...

Let us know how it goes!

 

[Germaine_11.20]

What day is the incubation on? Eggs will rock and peep up to two days before they hatch. Be patient and count the days. Listen and watch.
If it is over day 21 then you can try to help it out but it is very difficult to do and not harm the chick. Too fast and it will bleed to death.
Typically they hatch over a 12 hour period so it is ok to pick a little and put it back.

Shells are usually not too hard to get through. The issue is being "stuck" in there due to a tough membrane or too gooey super glued membrane.

 

[Kedreeva]

Agree with Rusty- shells are not usually too thick.

I also don't typically help unless they are capable of pipping externally because these are usually chicks that will not be strong enough to survive afterward.

 

[todtrac]

If it is any relief for you... I just helped out my very first hatch yesterday evening. The chick pipped out Tuesday late, I waited 24 hours and decided to assist it. It was amazing!.. I used very fine tweezers and first picked the shell off. The whole time I was doing this he was chirping. Then I carefully pulled away the membrane. The chick was totally exposed on one end but still would not break out. I then put the egg and chick back into the incubator and about 15 minutes in there he broke free. This morning he is doing fine.. I actually had another one hatch late last night, watched the whole thing. In about 2 hours time he was free, much different than the one I assisted... These are my very first eggs that I ever hatched out. I know they warn you not to assist, but after 24 hours I decided to give it a try, glad I did.

Good Luck, I still have five other eggs hatching out today.. two more have pipped out, just awaiting them to hatch all the way!