BCM trouble hatching! Please help!

[SportChick]

I am on day #21 with my 11 BCM eggs. One popped off a quarter sized piece of shell all at once ~4 hours ago. Most of the membrane is still intact however. It poked a small hole through the membrane with it's beak and his beak is all the way out and he is chirping. There is a large area of intact membrane and I can see the membrane pulsating with his breathing. He doesn't seem to have the ability to get any farther and since his beak is out, I'm not sure how he will cut the rest of the shell. The membrane is drying out and is turning yellow. When do I help? I know I am not supposed to help at all, but I have heard others comment that the BCMs do sometimes need help because their shells are so thick and hard to break through.

My Barred Rocks are pipping and zipping and seem to be doing what has been described.

Any suggestions???

 

[mrslb333]

Maybe it would help to moisten the membrane so it's easier for it to hatch and see if that helps. If its taking too long and likely to die it's worth a go trying to help. There was a topic on here about assisted hatching which would be good for you to read, type it into search bar.
Hope it all goes well

 

[trilyn]

If you can up your humidity without opening the bator-now's the time!! Hurry! Otherwise, not much you can do. I've done both, helping and not, and I'll tell ya what, I won't do it again and this was with bcm eggs. The chick was deformed and thankfully died quickly, it wouldn't have had any kind of life had it lived. I will not do that again, for sure. But increase the humidity if you can. I've saved a few chicks by either closing the vent or adding water thru airline tubing to the sponges in the bator. Good luck!! This is the most nervewracking part of incubating.

 

[Airilith]

I've heard of people wrapping a moist papertowel around an egg to help keep the membrane from drying out. I've had no experience with hatching yet, but hopefully someone else will chime in soon!

 

[chickee]

Quote:
Don't help . . four hours is nothing in the chick hatching time table

You don't want to open the incubator and let out the humidity and take a chance of shrink wrapping your other chicks! My only chick to hatch out of my shipped eggs a week ago tomorrow, hatched just like yours is doing. He took all day to do it, pecking big chunks out until there was a hole big enough on one side of the egg for him to back out of!

As long as the membrane looks white and like thin paper he should be able to hatch. Be patient, as long as he can breath he should be fine for quite awhile. They are always healthier if you let them hatch by themselves. Here is a picture of my chick hatching and notice he never zipped around the whole egg, just punched out a hole on one side. He hatched right after I took this picture

 

[SportChick]

Thanks for the advice. I will up the humidity and sit on my hands.