Chick pipped middle of egg!!! What do I do?!

[jessim]

I have four eggs that have all pipped as of 6am this morning. It’s almost 11pm and none have started zipping. They look pretty dry and membrane is separating from shell in pipped areas. I’m concerned about those but this egg pipped in the middle of the egg. The egg has movement so I know the chick is alive. I have the humidity up and have not opened the incubator. My other chicks are all peeping away loud as can be. Am I going to have to help this one? I’m really really nervous to. I’ve had to help a shrink wrapped chick before but never one that pipped like this. I attached picture of one of the other eggs as well for comparison.

 

[Smileybans]

We’re these shipped eggs? If the chick is malpositioned it might not be able to get out by itself.

I had a shipped egg pip in the middle recently too and made the decision to help it. After 10 hours it had made no progress. So I followed this guide https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching.64660/ and broke the shell a bit. I checked for veins before proceeding farther. I saw some small ones so I put it back into the incubator on a warm wet paper towel. After another hour nothing had happened. The chick was still alive but now cheeping way less. So I checked the membrane again and saw the same very tiny veins. But this time when I applied the oil the chick didn’t chirp like before. So I had helped it out. I felt like it was getting weak and didn’t want to lose it. It’s still alive and doing very well.

 

[Chickmunki]

I also did the same and followed that guide to, it helped allot. Stay AWAY from any active viens I sadly only managed to save 2 (shipped eggs) Good luck x

 

[jessim]

We’re these shipped eggs? If the chick is malpositioned it might not be able to get out by itself.

I had a shipped egg pip in the middle recently too and made the decision to help it. After 10 hours it had made no progress. So I followed this guide https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching.64660/ and broke the shell a bit. I checked for veins before proceeding farther. I saw some small ones so I put it back into the incubator on a warm wet paper towel. After another hour nothing had happened. The chick was still alive but now cheeping way less. So I checked the membrane again and saw the same very tiny veins. But this time when I applied the oil the chick didn’t chirp like before. So I had helped it out. I felt like it was getting weak and didn’t want to lose it. It’s still alive and doing very well.

Thank you so much. Yes these were shipped eggs, and the one that “pipped wrong” wasn’t a pip. The chick had kicked through the egg and a tiny toenail was poking through the hole which I mistook for a beak. The chick didn’t make it. I was too scared to damage the other eggs hatching to take it out and get a better look. I feel terrible because it was for sure alive at 11pm last night. Not sure if it could have been saved. The other eggs finished hatching this morning. By the time I could grab the egg the chick was gone. It had internally pipped in the air pocket but kicked and appears to have busted a vein. There was a lot of blood inside the egg but the outside only ever looked like the pic. I wasn’t aware chicks could do that but I’m assuming it was positioned badly.

 

[Smileybans]

Sorry your chick didn’t make it. They kick their way out of the shell after they zip but maybe this chick was malpositioned and the kick landed wrong. Shipped eggs are tough. I’ve mostly only hatched shipped eggs with mediocre success. I also open one of my lockdown incubators since you can’t see through it. I know im not supposed to but I have lost more chicks by not opening it to check on them.

 

[jessim]

Sorry your chick didn’t make it. They kick their way out of the shell after they zip but maybe this chick was malpositioned and the kick landed wrong. Shipped eggs are tough. I’ve mostly only hatched shipped eggs with mediocre success. I also open one of my lockdown incubators since you can’t see through it. I know im not supposed to but I have lost more chicks by not opening it to check on them.

My old incubator I would open without issue. Amazing hatches each time. This one is smaller. I was just afraid it would lose too much humidity and those other chicks still had a awhile to go. We started with six eggs. Two didn’t develop and were tossed. The one I posted about here, and then three that hatched. One of those chicks died about three hours after hatching. It looked like it had fluid build up. We ended up with two chicks, one with spraddle legs and the little one is hobbled right now and getting around well. I’m still slightly concerned about the two surviving chicks. They seem healthy, getting around ok, pooping, but if they hear me or my daughter they jump up and run over to the edge of the box and start jumping to get out. I thought they might be cold or hot so I checked temp and it was good. As soon as they hear someone they bolt to the edge, once they jump up and see you, it’s all over, they go crazy until they get to come out. When I take them out and put them on a heating pad next to me, they both curl up against me and fall asleep. Or they just stand there and stare at me making little chick noises. We took last night in shifts, but eventually it turned into whoever “woke the chicks” had to sit next to the box with one hand inside for them to go back to sleep. They are still acting the same way this morning. Our other chicks that are a week older don’t act like that. Im hoping it’s not a sign they are sick. They were like this as soon as they hatched. When we talked they wobbled to the side of the incubator , still damp, and started going nuts like they wanted to get out. So much so, that my kids were begging to take them out because they were scared they would injure themselves. Not acting like tired hatchlings that took 28 hours to hatch at all. I told the kids we couldn’t. They were nowhere near dry. Since we lost so many eggs from this batch, I am just worrying myself to death now that something is wrong with them too I guess. I can’t find anything that mentions this as a symptom of illness. I have hatched shipped eggs before, but this time was so different than all the other times. Ugh no more shipped eggs for me for awhile lol.

 

[Smileybans]

Lol. I know what you mean about shipped eggs. So many issues. It sounds like the chicks imprinted on you. My two light brahmas did that with me. We had no other chicks at the time, everyone had already been moved outside, so when they saw us they wanted to be with us. I actually sat with them at night until they fell asleep because they would cheep like crazy. They wanted so bad for someone to be with them. They would hop up onto my lap and shoulders and sleep there. As soon as they fell asleep I had to gently put them back in their room. My light brahmas weren’t sick, just wanted comfort. They saw me as the mother hen, or whatever they see when they imprint, and wanted to be with me.

 

[jessim]

Lol. I know what you mean about shipped eggs. So many issues. It sounds like the chicks imprinted on you. My two light brahmas did that with me. We had no other chicks at the time, everyone had already been moved outside, so when they saw us they wanted to be with us. I actually sat with them at night until they fell asleep because they would cheep like crazy. They wanted so bad for someone to be with them. They would hop up onto my lap and shoulders and sleep there. As soon as they fell asleep I had to gently put them back in their room. My light brahmas weren’t sick, just wanted comfort. They saw me as the mother hen, or whatever they see when they imprint, and wanted to be with me.

That makes me happy to hear. I was really worried. They are adorable but very needy lol. Thankful we have so many people to love them

 

[Joyfillednomads]

My old incubator I would open without issue. Amazing hatches each time. This one is smaller. I was just afraid it would lose too much humidity and those other chicks still had a awhile to go. We started with six eggs. Two didn’t develop and were tossed. The one I posted about here, and then three that hatched. One of those chicks died about three hours after hatching. It looked like it had fluid build up. We ended up with two chicks, one with spraddle legs and the little one is hobbled right now and getting around well. I’m still slightly concerned about the two surviving chicks. They seem healthy, getting around ok, pooping, but if they hear me or my daughter they jump up and run over to the edge of the box and start jumping to get out. I thought they might be cold or hot so I checked temp and it was good. As soon as they hear someone they bolt to the edge, once they jump up and see you, it’s all over, they go crazy until they get to come out. When I take them out and put them on a heating pad next to me, they both curl up against me and fall asleep. Or they just stand there and stare at me making little chick noises. We took last night in shifts, but eventually it turned into whoever “woke the chicks” had to sit next to the box with one hand inside for them to go back to sleep. They are still acting the same way this morning. Our other chicks that are a week older don’t act like that. Im hoping it’s not a sign they are sick. They were like this as soon as they hatched. When we talked they wobbled to the side of the incubator , still damp, and started going nuts like they wanted to get out. So much so, that my kids were begging to take them out because they were scared they would injure themselves. Not acting like tired hatchlings that took 28 hours to hatch at all. I told the kids we couldn’t. They were nowhere near dry. Since we lost so many eggs from this batch, I am just worrying myself to death now that something is wrong with them too I guess. I can’t find anything that mentions this as a symptom of illness. I have hatched shipped eggs before, but this time was so different than all the other times. Ugh no more shipped eggs for me for awhile lol.

Yeah. Sorry. Its so great the ones that make it and the ones that fail. Feel it's roughest on us when we try to save one and it doesn't make it. But we know it won't have make it anyway, and we have been able to save so many.most are hard shells that don't break after pip