Chick may be shrink wrapped and wont pip eggshell?! What do I do?!

[donkeycong2]

I had 4 eggs in my mini eco bator and 3 hatched about 24 hours ago about 2 hours apart. I opened up the incubator 3 or 4 times to get the chicks as they got fluffed up and were ready to go in the brooder, i now know that they should've stayed in the incubator until all were finished hatching, so I think that the last egg may be shrink wrapped, but I'm not sure. I candled the egg and the chick is moving inside and the beak in in the air cell, but I left it last night and this morning still no pip. I wanted to test if the egg was still viable, so i did the float test and the egg vigorously wobbled, so I know the chick is alive but It wont puncture the shell? Should I raise the humidity or what? can I assist hatch it? This is my 1st time hatching so I need help! Thanks

 

[casportpony]

You could make a small hole and take a peak. I've had a bunch that were shrink wrapped lately.

• https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching
• https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/45583/how-come-people-are-so-anxious-to-help-chicks-hatch
• https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/9316/intervention-helping-your-chicks-hatch

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

And this a thread I just started about my two ducklings that were shrink wrapped.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/845724/my-muscovies-are-trying-to-pip#post_12564949

-Kathy

 

[donkeycong2]

Great links, thanks! Is it a good idea for me to make a pip for it, or should I just leave it alone? Its about 28 hours overdue.

 

[casportpony]

Great links, thanks! Is it a good idea for me to make a pip for it, or should I just leave it alone? Its about 28 hours overdue.

If it were my egg I would slowly and carefully pick some shell away. FWIW, I have lost some from helping, but I have lost more from not helping.

-Kathy

 

[Wyandottes7]

If it were my egg I would slowly and carefully pick some shell away. FWIW, I have lost some from helping, but I have lost more from not helping.

X2

I once helped a chick completely out of its shell. It had pipped at the wrong end of the egg for some reason, and couldn't make any progress. The chick survived, and though it was a bit weak for the first few days, it is now a perfectly normal hen, just as active and healthy as the others. Some people say not to help chicks out because they are showing weakness by being unable to pip out, but that hasn't been the case for me.