First one, wrong end!!!!

The first one has pipped and it is at the wrong end! HELP!!

I was about to go to bed, and I had noticed the humidity had been low yesterday 40-45. So I added some water through a tube to the incubator, as I was doing it I noticed the humidity was already up? Yes, one had pipped! I was so excited and then I noticed it had pipped at the wrong end. I remember reading how bad that can be, so I reread last night in the hatching 101- assisting chicks. Here are my stats, maybe someone can tell me if at all I should intervene.

Pip happened between 10-12pm last night (Day19.5)
I heard chirping
It is the first one (don't want to mess up the other 14)
None of the others have pipped externally (that I can tell)
It has been 6-8 hours since it pipped (I read to wait 12 before assisting)
I still hear chirping (could that be from the others?)

So do I help it this morning if it has not hatched by 10am-12pm?
If so will it mess up my others? By 8am it will be day 20 for the batch?

Opinions appreciated! I swore I would not be this person, but now I am a nervous wreck.

If the chick can breathe it's fine, for now. Sometimes they are able to hatch from the wrong end, but they often need a little help. It would be better to wait the recommended 12 hours before assisting. I'm assuming the article you mentioned is this one?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

It will tell you exactly what to do and what to look for when you assist. So relax, give the chick time and hopefully it will hatch by itself and you won't need to help. If it does come to that, refer to the article and you'll be o.k. Remember hatching is a long, slow process. Good luck and keep us posted!

Here is what it looks like. Through the window with a flashlight. Best I could do.

That's a good pip. It managed to break a piece of shell off, so it can move a bit in there. Leave it for now and keep an eye on it. Hopefully it will manage to zip the shell by itself

Yes Sumi, that was the article I read. I am prepared to step in if I need to. Even though I swore when I started this process that I wouldn't. I thought nature usually knows best, but my instincts are telling me I need to give it a shot. I am going to wait though. I see movement and chirping. I think we have a fighter, so that is a good sign. Last night that piece had not chipped of and this morning it was, so it has to be making some progress. It is going to be hard to know when to step in. I know they say 12 hours after a pip but should that amount of time be lengthened if the chick has been making progress?

Trying to relax...

So took my tube, stuck a sponge on the end and got it damp, slid it through the hole in the top and got the membrane that is exposed a lil damp. I can not get the humidity above 51. So I hope this would help it not dry out. I felt like I was playing a very serious game of operation!

Be careful with water directly on the egg! You could drown the chick if you drip some on it's beak/nostrils. I think rather put a wet sponge in there. I see on the pic you have space in the 'bator. So get a clean, unused sponge, wet it with warmish water and pop it in there. If you are quick you will not lose too much humidity. If you can place it in a spot where you can reach it and keep wetting it with the tube even better.

It sounds like the chick is doing fine. Keep an eye on it and if it doesn't make any more progress during the rest of the day and shows signs of being in trouble have a look and see if it needs help. Good luck!

sumi said:

Be careful with water directly on the egg! You could drown the chick if you drip some on it's beak/nostrils. I think rather put a wet sponge in there. I see on the pic you have space in the 'bator. So get a clean, unused sponge, wet it with warmish water and pop it in there. If you are quick you will not lose too much humidity. If you can place it in a spot where you can reach it and keep wetting it with the tube even better.

It sounds like the chick is doing fine. Keep an eye on it and if it doesn't make any more progress during the rest of the day and shows signs of being in trouble have a look and see if it needs help. Good luck!

Click to expand...

Yes, I was very careful and made sure the sponge was only damp, not dripping because I worried about that same thing. So I have several sponges in there and have been keeping them moist with the tube, I also have a small tupperware with a shallow amount of water in it. All water areas in the bottom are full too. We just live in a EXTREMELY dry area and getting humidity up is a big challenge. I will keep adding water with the tube. I am worried about opening up the bator at all. The chick seems to still be fighting but making NO more progress. We are at the 12 hour mark. So you think I should just wait until tonight? I want to do the right thing of course and really do appreciate your input. This board has been such a HUGE help. I can't thank everyone enough!

If the chick is still lively you can wait a bit. One thing I learned with assisted hatches is that time really makes a huge difference. The more the better! They have to absorb the yolk and all the blood in the membrane before they can complete the hatch and they usually do this after pipping through the shell. (I say "usually" because I once watched a chick pip, zip and hatch in 5 minutes!) This process can take up to 24, though the average is closer to 10. And you just never know, so when in doubt, I'd say wait. Chick's doing fine in that shell, she can stay in there a bit longer.

I'm glad we could help you with this . This site really is great for when you need help or just want to talk "chicken" I wish I joined sooner. Like before my first attempts at assisted hatches!

Well I don't think it is doing so well anymore. I tried to keep busy and just come back every 30 mins to check on it. But it is clearly exhausted and has not made any progress. It looks the same as it did this morning when I woke up at 6 am and it is now 12:30pm. It has not chirped in a while. I know they need to rest but it was usually responding to my flashlight or my kids toy chicken that makes a chirping noise (pretty cute to see it try and answer). Anyway I think I might need to do something for it. I am a nervous wreck and I have read the article but will read again and again. We are coming up on at least 13 if not 15 hrs since it pipped. Thoughts or Encouragement or Advice is clearly welcome.