How do I know if the chick died

[CluckyCluck]

So far I've hatched out 7 chicks. There is one egg, that is a bantam egg, the others that were the same size hatched 4-5 days ago. I don't see any movement - but I dont know? It could have been layed later than the other eggs - I took these out from my broody hen after a chick hatched and it died. I started incubating them, and they were at different stages. Sooo now I'm unsure. My gut tells me it's dead inside - but if I'm wrong, I'll be traumatized if I try to open it.

What can I do to know?

 

[SlipsWife]

I read somewhere about a water test. I THINK you place it in a bowl of warm water and if it moves around, the chick is still alive. Very little movement or none and it's probably not viable. I might be missing a step so make sure to research it before doing it. Hopefully someone else will respond with how to do it or another method.

 

[sumi]

Candle the egg and check if it pipped internally. Another good, easy method I use is tapping the egg. Hold it against your ear and tap it with your fingernail. If there is a live chick in there and it's pipped internally it will let you know. Believe me, I did this yesterday with an overdue egg and I must've startled the chick as my ear was ringing afterwards. If you do not see/hear anything make a small hole at the end of the egg. Fat end and above the air sac line! Then use a wet q-tip to moisten the inner membrane (covering the chick) and check for movement from the chick. If it moves put it back in the incubator and up the humidity to at least 65%. Then you wait...

 

[SlipsWife]

Any change with the egg?

 

[CluckyCluck]

The egg was not viable unfortunately. I did find the post on the water test and did it. Today my daughter took the egg to the woods and opened it. Fully developed chick, just didn't work out.

Now I have one who internally pipped last night, but I have heard NADA all day today. I tried to candle it, but it's so dark and my light isn't bright enough. I think I see a hairline crack so I can't do the water test with it. It's been about 24 hours since it pipped internally. There was lots of movement when it did, and like I said. Today totally quiet. No hole in the shell - nada.

Not sure what to do with this one or when to intervene.

 

[sumi]

If it's been this long since internal pip you can create an artificial pip hole above the air sac line, as close as possible to the chick's beak, so the chick can breathe. It may or may not continue the hatch by itself, but make the pip hole and see if the chick's still o.k. in there and let us know? Then we can take it from there.