Chick taking too long? When do they need help?

[LukeandAli]

I've got a dozen babies in the incubator (three that are pipped and/or zipped). One of them has been pipped for at least 13.5 hours (possibly longer) and peeping for about 24 hours. The little guy hasn't made any progress on its own since about 10 hours ago. There is still definite movement inside (we can see the beak) and peeping, but, nothing else. Does the chick need help zipping? The membrane seems to be very thick and strong and I'm wondering if the chick will be able to hatch on its own.

Any advice for a second time hatcher?

Also, I float tested my eggs at 14 days (because I was told this was normal to determine viability) and was afterward informed that I shouldn't have done so until the chicks were overdue. Did I hurt my chicks? I have 9 eggs that haven't pipped and I'm wondering if I should be preparing myself for the worst.

 

[sumi]

Sometimes chicks take up to 24 hours to hatch, so don't worry. Yet. If you do need to intervene have a look at these threads:

Incubating & Hatching Eggs Important Topic Index - Please Review

Good luck!

 

[Nicole01]

I was very inexperienced and my very first hatch. I opened up an egg that the shell was too hard for a chick to break through. I heard it peeping for 24 hours and it stopped. I heard a heartbeat, so I sawed open the chick. It was 1/2 shrink wrapped and would of suffocated. I've read over and over to leave the chicks alone. Well, I lost 1/2 my other eggs, which was absolutely heartbreaking.

The chick was 1/2 shrink wrapped and suffocating. I had to saw through the shell myself. I would of never done this if I didn't see my broody open up a chick with zero yolk absorbed alive and well with a gash on its back from the broody trying to eat it.

I went on YouTube and saw an example how to open an egg and I did it. My chick had obvious leg and foot damage from being shrink wrapped, but I fixed it with leg splints using vetwrap and tape. I did not have an incubator either. I used a fish tank with a heat pad and water. It is a barred EE.

Yesterday 1.5 weeks old

However, I hear of many chicks not making it and some that do. These three I hatched have a very strong will to live.

 

[LukeandAli]

Thank you both! We ended up helping two of them a little bit with zipping in the afternoon and just leaving them alone overnight.

We had one hatch a little before 11:30 last night and at 4 this morning we had three (one was just barely stumbling out of its shell). DH said there is another one that is pipped, but, I haven't seen it because the chicks keep bumping the eggs around.

As soon as those little cuties are dry, I'm going to pull them out and put them in the brooder. Yeah for chicks!

Here's hoping my other 9 come out to meet us soon!

 

[Nicole01]

Yay! I'm glad it helped!

The chick I hatched on my own was laying barely alive for 24 hours. I kept it in the makeshift incubator for the 24 hours. I gave the weak chick a polyvisol vitamin drop followed by a drop of water. After the vitamin drop, the chick started to make an amazing recovery! Once I put it with the others, it began to walk on its hocks. Amazingly it made a full recovery. I also started all 3 on probios in wet mash. Next time I hatch, I'll have an incubator handy. It's my birthday in a couple weeks and I told my hubby I'd like an incubator for my birthday.. I doubt he'll go for it, so I'll end up buying one before I hatch. It won't be for at least a year or two. I'm happy with the 9-11 we have. We have 9 for sure hens, but I think 2-3 I hatched are boys and I'll have to rehome them which is too bad. I'm so attached to them as they are to me.

 

[sumi]

I'm glad you got some fluffy butts

Hope the others hatch o.k.

 

[LukeandAli]

I wish I had helped some!

I had at least two that were fully formed and never hatched (I eggtopsied six of the eight that didn't hatch). They were so perfectly formed that I almost expected them to be breathing. After the last fifth and sixth eggs I opened were so perfect, I couldn't bring myself to open the last two. The other four looked like one quit at day 18, one at day 15, and two around days 12-14. I think that my incubator temp may have spiked a week before they were due when we got some warm weather and I wasn't home. I'm thinking I may wait a few weeks before I hatch again. Maybe I'll make them due on my birthday!