Day 24, still alive, aircell pipped - another should I help question

[rizq]

I had determined to let nature take its course, but I did end up having to open the bator a couple times to remove chicks when it got crowded and they were causing problems for hatching chicks (maybe they were not, but it looked like they were).

Well, I candled the remaining 6 eggs this morning. My last serama and the 3 hamburgs were dead without aircell pipped but the 2 Ameraucanas had pipped the aircell and were still moving in there. I do not know exactly when they pipped, but it is day 24 today. Hatching did not start until day 22 anyway (temps were not low, 99.5 according to Brinsea thermometer, 99 according to dig therm at top of egg level). Humidity was perfect throughout incubation, but I did mess around in there yesterday, as mentioned above.

I am wondering how long they can go after internal pip before they suffocate. I REALLY want these chicks if there is any hope for them at all. Should I try to help? If so, what do I need to do? I have never messed with an egg without an external pip.

 

[Chick-a-roo Girl]

Just pip them with the tip of a nail or pencil. It will not hurt.

 

[adrian]

Pip at the top of the air cell, check for veins, and give them time.

 

[Iancurrannacearca]

this late on i would definatly help it out, i would also dampen the egg with water to make it easy for the chick to get out

 

[rizq]

I opened up the top VERY gently. I really could not see much until I moved away the outer membrane. There are still some VERY large veins so they need more time. I wrapped them in warm, wet paper towels, making sure to leave their beaks exposed so they can breathe and put them back in. I cannot figure out why this hatch is so late when temps are not low *sigh* As long as they hatch ... better late than never!

 

[DANNY]

Even though your thermometers are telling you the temperature is right it obviously is not. You should be pretty close to finished hatching on day 21 and you didn't start until day 22 and that is the problem. Never trust the thermometer when the ggs are telling you different. Inaccurate thermometers and low temperature are one of the most common problems i see on this board. I would bump that brinsea up to 38 or 38.5 C. Before i set another batch. Remember the eggs will always tell the truth and thermometers do not.

 

[rizq]

3 different thermometers reading the same but still being wrong? I checked with both my digital therms which have not led me astray in the past. I guess after this last chick hatches

I can check with a fourth thermometer, but I have a hard time believing every thermometer I own reads the same but is wrong.

 

[rizq]

I just re-read my post and it reads a little rude ... it was not meant that way

 

[DANNY]

It may not be the thermometer it may be the location you are checking. I have 5 different thermo/hygro's the $50 kind and they will tell something different. I do feel your pain because i had the same thing happening to me for years until i started paying very close attention to my hatch dates. I know this sounds crazy but my gqf 1502 is set on 102.4 and i am having a 90% plus hatch of fertile eggs. I think it is the location where i am reading temperature and inaccurate thermometers but its working well for me and my birds are finished hatching on day 21 just like they are when i hatch under the chickens. I am not saying your bator needs to be 102.4 but with mine and where i am reading the temperature at it needs to read that in order for the eggs to be 99.5 in the bottom as i am measuring temperature at the top which is only 18 inches from the heating coil which i beleive makes it a hot spot.

 

[rizq]

The digitals were reading at top of the egg level. If it was just something weird about this particular hatch and I raise the temp and it ends up being too high, is that not worse than being a little low? I am a bit scared to raise the temp. I am not sure what 38 or 38.5 translates into in Farenheit (I will have to look it up ... celsius and metric mess with my mind), but since the hatch started one day late, would you guess that would translate into a degree raise? Maybe just half a degree?