Assisted hatching

[2Thornmoorllama]

Hello
We have never assisted a chick before but have a chick that pipped over 24 hours ago. It's beak is well out of the shell but it just does not seem to be doing a great deal and has been like this for the past 8 hrs with little progress! It is day 24.
Hoping someone can help,

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It may be stuck to the shell and unable to move enough to zip the shell. Late hatches tend to get like that. I don't like to assist but on this type of occasion do. Assisted hatches in my experience have a high rate of splayed leg. To try and prevent that and aid the chick you could use tweezers and slowly but surely zip the shell and see if it will open the shell itself. If you see blood stop and wait longer for it to absorb remaining veins (I guess). Try to get the shell first then peel back the membrane after, if any bleeding occurs it will be when removing the membrane. If the chick is indeed stuck in glue like album then a warm wet paper towel will help to loosen and wash away the muck. When hatched you'll want to wash the chick from the soon to be hardening album.

If it doesn't finish hatching in a few hours you can remove the shell more and likely will need to keep moist with wet towel so it doesn't harden while your working.

Good luck. If it can't stand properly do a search on "splayed leg", you basically tape the legs like shackles so it doesn't splay out for a few days.

 

[2Thornmoorllama]

Many thanks for your advice! My husband had to remove all of the shell; we tried putting it back in the incubator several times to see if it could complete the hatch, but the membrane was very dry. It has survived the assisted hatch but is very weak - I hope it will recover!
Thanks again - you gave us the confidence to have a go!