Assisted Hatching

[chic-a-deee]

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A hen brooding is different than incubating. You are correct in assuming that a brooded chick will die unless a human intervenes. I have never had that problem but I know some people who have assisted chicks that were pipped and partially zipped under a hen that weren't hatching and have help the chicks hatch. Either way many assisted chicks live and thrive. I have had some die but most have lived. This past hatch I had this weekend I assisted 2 chicks they partially zipped and then got stuck. Probably my fault as I do take the hatched chicks and their shells out of the hatchers quickly and they partially shrink wrapped, but they are doing well. One I gave it a bath twice, once just after it hatched to get most of the ick off and later after it had rested awhile I gave it a second bath to get the rest of the dried ick off. It's doing quite well. If the chick has pipped but has not start to zip then it is ify and the chick may live but it may die. If the chick has partially zipped or has a very large hole where it pipped then its chances for survival increase. You have to be very careful and pull the shell off around a line where the chick would normally zip being careful to leave the membrane in tack. I moisten the membrane with warm water and either a Q-tip or my finger.

Here is a video of a BYC member that helped twins hatch. The concept is the same except she had two pips in the shell.
By needmorechickens!

Ive seen that vid before. Why did the chick lose some blood?

OK...now,

lets see if I got this straight.
1. A chick pips...means you can hear it chirp but the shell isnt broken.
2. If it doesnt break the shell, it can suffocate? The chick spontaneously starts to breathe on its own IN the shell?
3. If it doesnt break the membrane it can suffocate?
4. Breaking the membrane is called zip?
5. If its taking too long to crack the shell, you can crack a little bit for it?
6. Keep the egg warm or the membrane will shrink wrap the chick?
7. Wait for the veins to clamp & yolk to be eaten before the the chick is completely revealed? (if assisting)
8. Keep the chick warm
9. Clean off any ick.??

 

[chic-a-deee]

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Oh excellent!! Wow thanks. It is truly amazing.

 

[Gypsy07]

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You're mostly right. To confuse the matter, there's two different kinds of pipping. When the chick pips internally, it breaks the membrane into the air cell and starts breathing the air that's inside the egg, and this is when you can first hear cheeping coming from the egg. The shell stays intact at this point.

When the air inside the egg starts to run out, the chick pips externally, meaning it breaks a small hole through the shell so it can breathe the air outside the egg. This doesn't mean it's actually ready to hatch yet, which is where a lot of people who hurry to help out get it wrong. A chick just pips so it doesn't suffocate, but at this point it usually still has an unabsorbed yolk sac and a network of active blood vessels surrounding it in the membrane.

It can take anything from a couple of hours to well over a day for the blood vessels to dry up, the yolk sac to be absorbed, and the chick to start zipping, which is when it works its way round the egg like a can opener, breaking the shell in a line so it can push the top off and get out. Just because it's taking a long time to start zipping doesn't automatically mean it's stuck or that it needs help. It's hard to tell exactly when it DOES need help, and I think it's just something you pick up with experience. If it starts to tap a bigger hole but doesn't start zipping round the egg, that's a sign that it could possibly be stuck.

If you do decide that you need to help, you need to keep the egg warm, but it's a drop in moisture, not temperature, that will cause the chick to shrink-wrap. You have to go slow, carefully picking off tiny bits of shell, and peeling back the membrane from the chick. If you see blood or blood vessels, stop immediately and return the egg to the incubator for a few more hours before going any further...

Hope that info helps you a bit!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Gypsy did a great job explaining it. I'll comment on a couple of things. These are basically under we have different ways to do things.

I don't get overstressed about cleaning off all the ick. I clean off enough so the chick can move around and such, but it has always worn off in a week or less for me. I have not had any problems with a broody hen accepting it, other chicks picking on it, or it having problems with temperature since the down is not fluffy. Many others try to clean all the ick off. I may run into a problem next time next time I don't go to those extra steps, but so far I've been OK.

When you see the blood vessels and put it back, I suggest wetting the membrane a bit. We have different techniques for that, and be careful not to drown the chick with the water, but some warm water on that membrane may help it a bit. Notice I said warm water.

 

[yinepu]

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I do that and then take it a step further by wrapping a wet paper towel around the egg and loosely covering the opening

 

[chic-a-deee]

Hi...thanks guys for that explanation....what an eye opener!!!
One day I will have some chicks from a silky dad & a bantam mum. Not sure what breed tho

 

[Harpo]

Quote:
A hen brooding is different than incubating. You are correct in assuming that a brooded chick will die unless a human intervenes. I have never had that problem but I know some people who have assisted chicks that were pipped and partially zipped under a hen that weren't hatching and have help the chicks hatch. Either way many assisted chicks live and thrive. I have had some die but most have lived. This past hatch I had this weekend I assisted 2 chicks they partially zipped and then got stuck. Probably my fault as I do take the hatched chicks and their shells out of the hatchers quickly and they partially shrink wrapped, but they are doing well. One I gave it a bath twice, once just after it hatched to get most of the ick off and later after it had rested awhile I gave it a second bath to get the rest of the dried ick off. It's doing quite well. If the chick has pipped but has not start to zip then it is ify and the chick may live but it may die. If the chick has partially zipped or has a very large hole where it pipped then its chances for survival increase. You have to be very careful and pull the shell off around a line where the chick would normally zip being careful to leave the membrane in tack. I moisten the membrane with warm water and either a Q-tip or my finger.

Here is a video of a BYC member that helped twins hatch. The concept is the same except she had two pips in the shell.
By needmorechickens!

Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this - made me cry!!!
What a great outcome - I'm truly amazed ;-)