Day 25 and no hatch...

[akpeeps]

but it was still moving a little last night. It developed some more over the last few days but not as active last night as it was on Sunday. Should have hatched last Friday.
I'm going to open it tonight and see what I have. On the off chance that it is still alive, where should I open the shell? Towards the top of the air cell or more towards the middle of it?
Wish me luck.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Good luck.

 

[eggsrcool]

I would not recommend opening it up, if it is still alive, the chances are it will die afterwards.

However, if you are going to open it up, then do it at the air cell.

eggsrcool

 

[walkswithdog]

Keep it warm when you're working with it, start at the big end, read the "read me on helping" in the sticky section at the top of this forum. And good luck.

Not all assisted chicks die but one this late will be weak.

 

[akpeeps]

Sigh....no movement when I got home. I didn't open it.

 

[speckledhen]

Usually, if they haven't hatched by the end of Day 22, they aren't going to and usually, there is a good reason that they shouldn't.
If you remember how fast they grow after they hatch, one who is in the egg for whatever reason on Day 25 is probably too large to even position itself to hatch.
I'm not sure why it's ever recommended to go to Day 25. Seems a bad idea to me.