I think i have twins, when should I help.

[karmadea]

Hello, I am new to posting on here. Tomorrow marks 21 days since I started 12 eggs, the following day I added 3 more totaling 15. This morning when I woke up I had 3 starting to hatch, one hatched at 9:30 another around noon and the 3rd I regretfully helped around 7pm. (its 7:30 now)

I have a couple more that have started one was my only successful double yolk, there were 5 out of 15. Sadly the hen that laid my double yolks passed away a couple weeks ago so this egg may be her only offspring.

My question is, even though you should not help them hatch, when should I start helping the one which had 2 yolks? only one of the chicks has (pipped?) and its at the smaller end without a air sack, it started hatching around 4 1/2 hours ago.
The one I helped still had a little yolk sucking in and is attached to the shell still, i have it in a washcloth protecting it from the other 2 whom hatched and have become very lively. I dont want that to happen if both twins are alive or not ready.

 

[karmadea]

Right after posting this the one I had helped broke free from the shell and it appears there is no yolk, its a little slow but doing well

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Hi - I personally think it's reasonable to assist with hatching incubator eggs, when warranted. I'm assuming that you already know that that eggs with double yolks don't have great hatch rates...it sounds like both chicks are trying to hatch and that you've assisted one already? Is the other one (twin) pipped externally?

This is a helpful reference for assisting hatches: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching.

Good luck with your hatch.

 

[Mak24456]

Update?

 

[karmadea]

sorry for the delay, I had not seen I had replies until now.

The update is, after 5 hours and little movement inside like all the other chicks I helped hatch the chick, it was not a twin but was a double yolk and the other yolk was sealed over the air end. The chick was not ready to be born and had the yolk left outside. I left it with the shell attached overnight and in the morning it was where I left it but breathing, the yolk had sucked in and I was able to get the shell off. over the coarse of the next 24 hours i cleaned it up and kept a eye on it. It is still alive, although i did accidentally let it get to cold today and i thought i was going to lose it again.. its a fighter so far for sure. even though i have washed it a couple time, and it got itself wet today it still has yolk from the other yolk on it, its like glue. Poor little thing.

I currently have them in a tote and out of the incubator inside. out of 15 eggs, 10 grew and 7 hatched.