Did I kill my chick????

[Slothinc]

I go against the flow of what most people here advise, because I have lost many chicks from waiting too long to help. Now I help at the first sign of trouble. If it has been 24 hours since pip, I would definitely help it right now. Especially if you have seen it trying to make progress but it has not zipped out.

 

[GottaHatchEmAll]

Alright. Doesn't seem like it's in much trouble as of now but if it seems like it's in trouble, will probably do that after dinner tonight.

 

[Slothinc]

If you need instructions on helping, here is a really quick basic summary of what I do.

Start at the pip, and take off little bits of the shell to uncover the air cell.

Wet the membrane as long as there are no large pulsing veins (small veins are okay! And if it has been 24 hours it would be rare to see large veins.)

Tear the membrane starting where the beak is, enough to free the head and shoulders. If no bleeding, continue to tear across and push back the whole membrane.

Pull the head free but do not pull the chick out. Then place back in the incubator. The idea is that half of the chick is still inside the egg but it can push itself out freely when it is ready.

 

[GottaHatchEmAll]

Update: Chick is chirping right now! Thankfully no blood!

 

[GottaHatchEmAll]

However, there is only a small hole in the shell just big enough for the beak to fit through and it's been like that for the past 24 hours. Should I help?

 

[Slothinc]

However, there is only a small hole in the shell just big enough for the beak to fit through and it's been like that for the past 24 hours. Should I help?

Absolutely. Perfect candidate for helping. I wouldn’t delay. Especially with them being late hatchers, the incubator temp was probably low. (Which can contribute to them having a harder time getting out)

 

[GottaHatchEmAll]

Absolutely. Perfect candidate for helping. I wouldn’t delay. Especially with them being late hatchers, the incubator temp was probably low. (Which can contribute to them having a harder time getting out)

Chick is currently chirping! It's definitely alive!

 

[NotabitaiI]

Anyone more experienced is welcome to correct me but in my experience and to my knowledge shrinkwrapping doesn't happen in thirty seconds, it has more to do with humidity levels throughout incubation, that's why it's generally recommended to weigh your eggs periodically to track their weight loss. Also I would definitely help out that chick, just make sure you have some sort of moisturizer for the membrane in case you do find larger veins, Vaseline is the better choice but you can use Coconut oil in a pinch (it just hardens the membrane a little too much), I wouldn't use water since it tends to evaporate quickly and shrink the membrane slightly.

 

[Ponypoor]

Chick is currently chirping! It's definitely alive!

Good luck! have my fingers and toes crossed for a good outcome for you.

 

[McChooky]

The excitement is killing me!I keep thinking about the other chick that hatched early and is sleeping with a big feather! It really could use a friend!