California - Northern

[casportpony]

I am worried about these two chicks. They've made no progress hatching since last night or this morning. They seem to be stuck and can't zip any more. The one on the right keeps opening and closing it's mouth. I know you shouldn't usually help chicks out of their eggs, but at what point does it become necessary? All the others that were pipped hatched hours ago. I can see the heads/beaks on these two and like I said, they've made no progress zipping since the egg started looking like this, either last night or this morning.

The one on the left looks like a malposition with it's foot over it's head, that's one I would help.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Heck, I'd probably help the other one, too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

This is a peachick that look like your chick:

It couldn't pip externally, so I pipped for it then put it back for a few hours.


After a few hours I peeled away the shell and moistened the membrane


Then peeled away some membrane


Put it back for a few more hours


Then I helped it out. I have no idea if the methods I used are correct, but it worked for me on this chick and many others. I should also add that peafowl hatch between 26-28 days and this one pipped internally on day 26 and hatched assisted on day 27.

-Kathy

 

[debs_flock]

Heck, I'd probably help the other one, too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

-Kathy

I'd help them both if they've been sitting so long with no progress.

People say that you should let nature takes it course, but if that were true you wouldn't have an incubator. It's hard to know if it's failing to progress because of something wrong with the chick or something wrong with the incubation methods. I think if there is something wrong with the chick, it won't survive anyway.

 

[BCollie]

Thank you very much Kathy, I am at my grandmas house but I am going to go home to help the chicks. Hopefully it goes off without a hitch and HOPEFULLY they're ready for me to do the whole process at once. They've been partially zipped for a long time so they should be ready. If they show any signs of bleeding I will stop and go back to my grandmas. Gotta remember to not rush it, they should be more than ready to come out of the shell now as the other chicks that were zipped this much pushed out very soon after. But I'll go slow and be careful

 

[BCollie]

 
Heck, I'd probably help the other one, too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

-Kathy

I'd help them both if they've been sitting so long with no progress.

People say that you should let nature takes it course, but if that were true you wouldn't have an incubator.  It's hard to know if it's failing to progress because of something wrong with the chick or something wrong with the incubation methods.  I think if there is something wrong with the chick, it won't survive anyway.

Hopefully the chicks will be okay! Thanks!

 

[ronott1]

Thank you very much Kathy, I am at my grandmas house but I am going to go home to help the chicks. Hopefully it goes off without a hitch and HOPEFULLY they're ready for me to do the whole process at once. They've been partially zipped for a long time so they should be ready. If they show any signs of bleeding I will stop and go back to my grandmas. Gotta remember to not rush it, they should be more than ready to come out of the shell now as the other chicks that were zipped this much pushed out very soon after. But I'll go slow and be careful

Yes, go help them. Follow the guide to assisted hatching.

Like Kathy posted, there really is no one good way to help. Just go slow.

 

[BCollie]

Chick number one is out and alive! The inner membrane was stuck over the chick and had to be peeled off, however I don't think this is a humidity problem as it was still moist and no other chicks have had problems hatching. The outer membrane was nice and moist as it should be.
Chick had to get a warm bath for several minutes because there was so much membrane stuck to it, and the membrane had glued the chick to the shell on it's leg, however this is not why it was having trouble hatching as it was only a small spot. It was right on the edge of the zip so it probably dried from the chick being zipped for so long. My humidity is in the 60's and the membranes have stayed nice and moist on all the chicks that hatched. The membrane is all off the chick now after several minutes under running water, and the chick is back in the bator, alive and well! And chirping!!! It's looking good

It was MORE than ready to come out, it was kicking and pushing against the shell as I was peeling it away. No bleeding, yolk sack was fully absorbed and there were no blood vessels in the membrane. Hopefully the second one will go so well! Will update in a few!

 

[casportpony]

@BCollie , that's great news!

-Kathy

 

[TheKeeper]

@BCollie Nice job! It's so great when our help actually "helps".