Hi everyone, I am a new member to the forum, although I have been reading many, many posts for a while now (thank you!) I am sorry if this is a duplicate, but I've searched and searched and could not find information for truly, reeeealy late hatches (besides a couple of very old threads that did not give a conclusive ending..!) I am looking for/could not find much information for potential hatching procedures after day 25...
Here is my story:
Due to temperature fluctuation throughout incubation, today was day 25 for us (counting from day zero!) and yesterday we still had 6 live chicks in the eggs (they were certainly moving!) We had 2 pip yesterday and hatch out today, thank Goodness! (but one needed a nudge of help to fully unzip.) then, 2 other eggs (fully developed chicks inside) were dead today - they seemed shrink wrapped, even though my humidity is 70-75%... but I did open bator yesterday to check for any signs of life as I could not hear any sounds at all...
My main question is: there were 2 eggs/chicks who drove me crazy all morning today because I was not sure if I should help or not... they were alive for certain, but no pip - nothing at all!! I decided to open a pip hole to get fresh air into the air sac area just in case they had an internal pip and needed more time. I found they were certainly alive, but no internal pip either - but now, day 25!, should I still "let them do their thing!?!?" or do you try to free up the nostrils if they have not pipped at all at this point!?
In full disclosure, the issue itself is done and in the past... I tried to find their nostrils and of course I lost them... They did not bleed to death (I was very careful), but their beaks were still sitting very low into their bodies (one in the correct position, under wing) and I had to remove a lot of shell to get to the nostrils - I think they died of "exposure" even though I wrapped them in warm moist paper towels. They had still not absorbed the egg sac, of course. And, if they were to survive, I am positive they would have needed at least another whole day in the egg - there were many veins exposed and a full yolk (again, they had not even pipped!)
Now, I knew this was very likely going to be a disaster - I was sad, but not at all surprised for losing them - but I thought they would drown or be shrink wrapped in there anyway if I did not try - I thought they were "stuck", unable to turn to pip... (remember, this is day 25!!!)
Now reading more (and more, and MORE!) about helping, I have read that if they have not pipped, they will most certainly die if you try to help as their yolk sac has not been absorbed (but is this advice still valid no matter how late they are?? I mean, can they still twist and successfully pip out as late as day 25-27!? Will they by that point be too big to hatch, or have other issues with dry membrane, etc!?)
I guess I am trying to gauge, for the future, could they still have hatched if I had left them alone!? (Please don't worry about offending me or upsetting my sentiments! I really would like to learn here!! I knew I was possibly doing the wrong thing, but at the same time some opinions say that that late in the game, they are doomed anyway and assisting could be the only chance - THIS is what I am trying to understand...) How long can they ultimately take to hatch? If no pip, do you still leave them alone at day 26!?
I did check them after death and found the green (excrement?) sac quite large... would they have died of infection? HOW does a very late chick actually, ultimately, die? Suffocated!? How can one tell if the chick is having trouble pipping or is just taking her time [please answer WITH THE CONTEXT that this is DAY 25!!! I know we are supposed to leave them alone and not help in normal circumstances!] (should we even try to help when at day 25-26 and they are clearly alive but no pip? Did anyone manage that!? OR do we leave them be? Will they just die, regardless, at this point??)
I would love to know your experiences of any hatches over DAY 24 and what decisions you made, etc, etc, etc!!
Thanks!!
Thais
Here is my story:
Due to temperature fluctuation throughout incubation, today was day 25 for us (counting from day zero!) and yesterday we still had 6 live chicks in the eggs (they were certainly moving!) We had 2 pip yesterday and hatch out today, thank Goodness! (but one needed a nudge of help to fully unzip.) then, 2 other eggs (fully developed chicks inside) were dead today - they seemed shrink wrapped, even though my humidity is 70-75%... but I did open bator yesterday to check for any signs of life as I could not hear any sounds at all...
My main question is: there were 2 eggs/chicks who drove me crazy all morning today because I was not sure if I should help or not... they were alive for certain, but no pip - nothing at all!! I decided to open a pip hole to get fresh air into the air sac area just in case they had an internal pip and needed more time. I found they were certainly alive, but no internal pip either - but now, day 25!, should I still "let them do their thing!?!?" or do you try to free up the nostrils if they have not pipped at all at this point!?
In full disclosure, the issue itself is done and in the past... I tried to find their nostrils and of course I lost them... They did not bleed to death (I was very careful), but their beaks were still sitting very low into their bodies (one in the correct position, under wing) and I had to remove a lot of shell to get to the nostrils - I think they died of "exposure" even though I wrapped them in warm moist paper towels. They had still not absorbed the egg sac, of course. And, if they were to survive, I am positive they would have needed at least another whole day in the egg - there were many veins exposed and a full yolk (again, they had not even pipped!)
Now, I knew this was very likely going to be a disaster - I was sad, but not at all surprised for losing them - but I thought they would drown or be shrink wrapped in there anyway if I did not try - I thought they were "stuck", unable to turn to pip... (remember, this is day 25!!!)
Now reading more (and more, and MORE!) about helping, I have read that if they have not pipped, they will most certainly die if you try to help as their yolk sac has not been absorbed (but is this advice still valid no matter how late they are?? I mean, can they still twist and successfully pip out as late as day 25-27!? Will they by that point be too big to hatch, or have other issues with dry membrane, etc!?)
I guess I am trying to gauge, for the future, could they still have hatched if I had left them alone!? (Please don't worry about offending me or upsetting my sentiments! I really would like to learn here!! I knew I was possibly doing the wrong thing, but at the same time some opinions say that that late in the game, they are doomed anyway and assisting could be the only chance - THIS is what I am trying to understand...) How long can they ultimately take to hatch? If no pip, do you still leave them alone at day 26!?
I did check them after death and found the green (excrement?) sac quite large... would they have died of infection? HOW does a very late chick actually, ultimately, die? Suffocated!? How can one tell if the chick is having trouble pipping or is just taking her time [please answer WITH THE CONTEXT that this is DAY 25!!! I know we are supposed to leave them alone and not help in normal circumstances!] (should we even try to help when at day 25-26 and they are clearly alive but no pip? Did anyone manage that!? OR do we leave them be? Will they just die, regardless, at this point??)
I would love to know your experiences of any hatches over DAY 24 and what decisions you made, etc, etc, etc!!
Thanks!!
Thais
How old is it!?
