Help with shrink wrapped chick....

coloradogal said:

I know this is an old thread but it comes up quickly doing a search. I had one take over 48 hours from pip to zip. She's still very tired but she made it. She was halfway out of the shell and just stayed there for a long time.

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you said it, it's an old post but comes up quickly. After reading this forum, i realized that i'm being way too impatient! Its been 14-15 hours since 2 of my 5 eggs first pipped. About 6 hours since one of those 1/2 way zipped (this is my first hatch that has made it to lockdown, second hatch total). I don't know how far they zip before popping out. The 2 that have started are sure some strong noisy peepers. How do you know if they're stuck to the side of the shell? Should I lay them down or leave them upright in the egg carton? Seems like them being upright would be harder for them to get out. I don't know. dang, why can't i just know everything!!

i wish i had read and found this post last night. i have a brinsea incubator, my second one. this is my first hatch in my second octagon 20. i have had such good luck and great hatches with my first octagon 20 i never really paid attention to the temperature in my second octagon 20. apparently somehow the temp dropped down to 97 and remained there, and then i had a hard time getting the humidity up during lock down, it was staying at about 60%, and i was too nervous to open it up again. i was hatching silkies and Americana's. the Americana's always hatch first. 24 hours later i still had 9 silkie eggs left and 2 Americana eggs. no pips. i figured with all the trouble i had, i just lost the eggs. i pipped the eggs myself to find shrink wrapped dead chicks. but the last two silkies were still alive. they were breathing and chirping, and after hours of waiting and waiting, (like 6 it seemed like forever) - i read that i could chip away the shell and help. so i did. they both died. i have learned my lesson and will never open eggs again. i feel horrible. i am writing this so anyone who is in the situation that i was in last night, maybe will read this and NOT help the chicks. let nature take its course. if i had left them along after pipping for them, they may have been fine and i'd be plus two silkie chicks. i still feel horrible.

We have all been there and it is part of the learning unfortunately. Its hard to sit on hands, but after my last hatch I am a firm believer that you can help if you do your homework and KNOW WHAT TO look for and REMEMBER how long it takes to hatch a chick!!

Please come over and join our thread..... its not just about air cells! https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ell-detatched-shipped-eggs/1580#post_10028835 and you dont have to try and read the entire thread... all the important info has been pulled into an article... its in my signature or https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101 I have did alot of researching and have a ton of info regarding the subject!

Don't beat yourself up. Since they were shrink wrapped they wouldn't have made it out at all if you hadn't helped. You at least gave them a chance. Sometimes they make it & sometimes they don't. I have had many make it & probably just about as many die. They have about a 50/50 chance if you end up having to help them.

loved this hole conversation! I am very impatient, I have successfully hatched buff orp's and now EE's. but my silkies im having a hard time waiting on! I have a EE that hatched last night and now 3 silkies and a EE we are still waiting on so they can all come out! I didn't leave my chicks in the incubator past 24 hours after hatching, but I think im going to have with them being so slow to hatch!

Can someone offer advice? I was doing what would be a staggered hatch (my first hatch) with two eggs to hatch a week before the others. Well...lets just say, that did not happen. They have all ended up hatching one after another. That said, I'm concerned this one may be shrink wrapped after I was forced to open the bator and rescue a bleeding chick who was being pecked by her roommate. I still hear chirping, but this one seems to be struggling more than the others to hatch. I'm not concerned with making the decision to assist yet...I would just like some first hand knowledge as to whether this is my first glance at a shrink wrapped chick or if this is normal? Keep in mind, this is my first time...so I need a little guidance. I didnt seem to notice this membrane tough like this for the others. Any education/advice would be appreciated!

I had 2 that I was trying to wait. After giving them 24hrs I intervened but these where my last 2 to hatch I did the same as far as getting the early ones out and maybe my humidity dropped but my wife helped them out it took them a while to come around looked like they where exhausted from the sack sticking they are smaller than the rest but in good shape.

Well, an update. Apparently it was shrink wrapped and I probably should have helped. Baby is out but much smaller and wetter than the rest. It seems really weak and unable to dry out. I have done all i can think of at this point to help it (sugar water, put under heat) & so far, not much has help. It looks like mother nature may take it's course. I have one little egg left to hatch, so I'll cross my fingers on that one.