Can Someone Please Answer My Question About Chick That Hasn't Hatched?

[StarryKnight]

Hello, I let my broody Silkie hen sit on four eggs, two Silver/Gold Laced Wyandotte crosses, and the other two, which are Silkie/Golden Laced Wyandottes. For some reason the two Gold/Silver Laced Wyandotte eggs did not develop and died early while my hen was incubating them. However, one of the Silkie eggs started peeping in the egg on Monday, but stopped and hasn't peeped since. I candled it and it looks fully developed with its beak in the air sac and it was due to hatch on Tuesday, but there hasn't been any movement or peeping since. I read that could be because it's resting, but I think it might be dead by now or need help. I appreciate any tips (The other silkie egg started peeping on Tuesday and hatched yesterday. My hen started attacking the poor thing so I removed the chick and its all set up with a heat lamp, chick food, and water.) I really hope this chick is alive in the egg because I would hate for the chick that just hatched to be alone. I am also ready to help it hatch if need be. Does anyone think the chick could be alive?? Also please don't be afraid to tell me if you think it's dead, I really just want to know if there's anything I can do for the chick in the egg. Why is no one replying?

 

[Susan Skylark]

It might be time to water candle. Carefully inspect the egg (feel, flashlight visual inspection, and thorough candling). If there is no crack or hole, float the egg in a 100F glass of water, wide end up. Any bobbing and it is alive, if it just floats leisurely it is dead. If you are scared of drowning the chick due to unseen crack, start making a small hole at wide end of the egg (air cell). Make sure you have a functioning incubator if you choose this route. If there is no blood, widen the hole and continue, if you see blood stop and let rest in incubator for an hour. If you come across cold dead chick then there is your answer. Live chick you can slowly chip away at shell but stop if he makes a chewing motion or you see blood, means still to young to hatch. I’d guess he’s dead but you could try either of the above to make sure.

 

[Project Blue]

I'd open a hole and assist if needed for late hatchers. I've had very good luck opening a small hole. If it was peeping and not hatched in a reasonable amount of time after the first, it will die in the shell. If by some chance it is still alive and just ran out of steam hatching it's still possible to have a viable chick with intensive care. I have one now that's indistinguishable from his contemporaries weeks later. That chick was alive but didn't hatch. He had curled toes and was pretty limp. I did the pipe stem W's on the toes and dipped his bill in sugar water frequently but minimally and kept him very warm checking his temperature and adjusting. Keeping the body temperature correct on a weak chick is essential as they can't regulate themselves. The sugar water is just to give them enough energy to get started. The group of chicks that had a troubled hatch, were very big chicks in the egg and no wiggle room with very small air sacs. The hens and roo they came from were very old. Sounds like your Silkie might of got up after the first hatched. If your chick is dead in the shell you can estimate when it died by how much egg sac isn't absorbed. That way you can avoid doing whatever happened that day. I don't candle as I've notice some chicks just stop at that point.

 

[Yardmom]

Once a chick has pipped into the air cell you should see movement when candleing if it is alive. If nothing else you will see movement as it breaths. Unfortunately a chick that was peeping 4 days ago should have hatched by now. If you want to make sure, make a pin hole at the top of the air sack and look in. That is the first step in an assisted hatch and will not harm the chick.