Guide to Assisted Hatching for All Poultry

I had to assist 3 of my chicks, this article truly saved them. One was head in the wrong end of the egg, one had excessive fluid coming out and couldn't breathe very well, and the last just got weak and stopped chirping. Many people seem to overreact about assisting chicks, and while I get there are risks, as long as you go slow and stop if you see ANY blood; you should be okay. Thank you again!

Saved my chicks!

I used these instructions and was able to hatch a chick successfully. Sadly, Valor had to be culled the day after Valentine's Day (the day after she hatched) due to birth deformeties, but that had nothing to do with the guide. This guide is very useful and I will use it next time I have the need and recommend it to anyone who is attempting assisted hatching.

Not much to say about this article. A must read before your chicks or 'lings start to hatch.
Lot's and lot's of pictures and very detailed instructions. I feel confident(er) to assist when i start hatching my own ducklings.

Hands down one of the most informative articles on hatching. I thought I had a goner, followed this and can see it needs more time. I can see it moving around, I can see the veins, I can see the yolk sac and I feel so much better now.

I appreciate how thorough and detailed this article is, and I really appreciate all the photos illustrating it. This isn't something I've ever been around, but if it does come up I will return to this article - and I'll feel confident sharing this article to people who are in such situations. Thank you for writing it.

Very helpful article, thank you. I hatched my first eggs a few years back, and they were call ducks, I ended up assisting them out of their shells, but since then have been told I shouldn't have interfered. It is reassuring to read another viewpoint and satisfying to know that it was probably the best option for call duck eggs after all. I loved those two ducks . I will keep your advice close to hand!

I am hatching call ducks for first time and this was so helpful to know when and how to assist ! I didn't have any coconut oil in the house but regular Neosporin so I used that to keep him moist. I had just put a wet towel on him then read the part to not use a wet towel as could make him cold so went and took it off and put the ointment on !! Working great !

I cannot tell you how many times I've read this article. I've assisted too early (chick bled out) and too late (chick suffocated). Assisted hatching is an art and a science, and this article provides both. With this as a reference, I am sure I'll be saving more chicks I would have otherwise lost.

I started reading out of curiosity and ended up reading every word. Very educational. Thank you.

We're not out of the woods yet, but I've saved a few snowy mallard ducklings so far with this article!

I have to state that I don't incubate eggs and therefor know next to nothing about assisted hatching for incubated chicks. However, I have, and will in future assist a hen who may be having problems hatching her own eggs. It doesn't always go as planned and I have had two chicks that developed neurological problems from problems during hatching. I chose not to kill them despite knowing the hatch hadn't gone well.
Much of the advice in this article is very useful for those who let a broody hen hatch and run into problems.
I was lucky, I found the advice I needed elsewhere but this article would have taught me more when I first started. Great article and sensible easy to follow advice.

Great information - thank you!!!