Broken heart

[ChickenCanoe]

I hear peeping in another egg! I'm going to just leave it be and hope for the best!

My comment doesn't even mention the fact that we were all there at one point. Good luck.
Is today day 21 or 22?

 

[nchls school]

Alisha-Many of us have made the same mistake and many of have cried. Let the sad feelings go and smile about the chicks to come. They will be cute and cuddly; in need of your love and care.

 

[red horse ranch]

@AlishaSalzer You have made one of the most common mistakes in incubating... and the majority of us have made the exact same mistake. I still remember the chick I helped too soon and it died. That's been a lot of years ago. And I still feel bad about it.

But that's how we learn. It takes a minimum of 12 hours for the yolk to be absorbed after pipping. But 18 hours is more common. Most experts recommend waiting at least 24 hours but I have helped sooner than that.

One of the hardest things to learn about incubating is patience! But the chicks are hard wired to get out of that egg. So we have to just give them a chance to do it. Good luck with the rest of the eggs and keep us posted!

 

[Abriana]

So sorry for you loss. I understand exactly how you feel, I made a tube feeding mistake last year and the hen died, it was terrible. We learn through our mistakes. You were trying to help, you did it through kindness and love for that baby. Remember that God looks at the heart hopefully you will get lots of cuties from this hatch!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I think the worst thing I've done is to pull eggs at day 24 and do an eggtopsy. There was a live embryo about to hatch. I don't know what I did wrong but all the rest had hatched at day 21.
I also opened an egg into the skillet and an eyeball was looking back at me.

 

[Abriana]

I think the worst thing I've done is to pull eggs at day 24 and do an eggtopsy. There was a live embryo about to hatch. I don't know what I did wrong but all the rest had hatched at day 21.
I also opened an egg into the skillet and an eyeball was looking back at me.

Oh that happened to my neighbor! She cracked eggs into a pan and there were chicks in them. She threw out the entire pan.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I hear peeping in another egg! I'm going to just leave it be and hope for the best!

Keep a couple things in mind, artificial incubation is hard to get perfectly and rarely as good as under a setting hen. But, chickens have been hatching for millions of years without human intervention. Do the best you can with breeder nutrition, turning, incubator temperature and humidity and let nature take its course. I first moved my incubators to the basement so I wouldn't look at them.
Not all embryos in the animal world are meant to become viable young'uns. Without millions of dollars of equipment and a huge staff in natal wards, lots more babies wouldn't survive.

 

[Nekopan]

I have an egg that pipped 48 hours ago and is taking its sweet time getting out... s/he is still breathing and peeping, so I’m doing my best to just ignore and not help.

 

[red horse ranch]

I have an egg that pipped 48 hours ago and is taking its sweet time getting out... s/he is still breathing and peeping, so I’m doing my best to just ignore and not help.

48 hours is a long time and chances are the chick is stuck to the membrane and can't get out. I think this is an instance where I would assist. Start very slowly taking off a little bit of shell at a time. If there is fresh blood STOP. But that chick should have been out by now if you are sure it has been that long.

 

[Nekopan]

48 hours is a long time and chances are the chick is stuck to the membrane and can't get out. I think this is an instance where I would assist. Start very slowly taking off a little bit of shell at a time. If there is fresh blood STOP. But that chick should have been out by now if you are sure it has been that long.

Yeah I was just looking and thinking it’s time to help. I’m just so nervous after reading everything here about assisted hatching! I first noticed a pip Friday around noon (middle of the first picture). The other pipped egg was fully unzipped Saturday morning, this one has made progress but I think he should be out by now.