Do i help?? UPDATED WITH CHICK PICTURE

[marlene]

I got an egg that piped the wrong end at 8am yesterday morning and nothing has happened since, the chick is still alive as i can see the tiny bit of membranes that is exposed flap every now and then. So it's been 32 hours now since pip, to me that seems a long time with no progress and i don't want to just stand by and watch it die. Do i help and how ??

 

[TinyChickenLady]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9316
Check this out and you should be able to make the decision yourself but I would say yes.
This thread will tell you how.

 

[chicmom]

They say not to, but you could just very VERY slowly and gently open the pipped area a bit more......Gotta do it slowly, and gently, be careful not to poke the chick, and stop immediately if you see alot of blood......It can end badly....just a warning....but sometimes you do have success!

 

[marlene]

Thank you for the link, i will wait a few more hours and see if there is any progress if there is not i will try and help.
I am scared as i did assist a large chick that was stuck a few weeks ago, it was very week and died 2 days later. It did traumatise me and part of me wished it had died in the shell, it was very hard watching that cute chick die so slowly.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
You are a caring and thoughtful person. The dynamics of the small end is different than the broad end so maybe the chick can't do the zipping.

I have had great success with opening the eggs and only lost 1 after assisting. But had 3 survive! THe latest one had wing feathers glued to the membrane and it could not twist to zip--thank goodness I did help. When DH was hatching for me (due to Irene) he did not assist and one died in the shell. If it has pipped, I will help; if it is cheeping, I will help.

THe shell is very brittle and breaks easily. Watch for veins; if you see them STOP, and wait until absorbed, then try again. See the threads for the details--several great ones that gave me the confidence to try.

Good wishes!

 

[Edwards' East of Eden]

And keep a supply of clean Qtips/cotton buds/whatever you call them and a cup of sterile (boiled and cooled to warm) water nearby. As you chip away shell, the membrane underneath will probably be an opaque white. Dampen it with the Qtip and it will be easier to see vessels through it.

 

[marlene]

Thank you every one for your support. Well i got it out and it was chirping away, i very carefully picked away some more shell where it had already piped, i also pulled away from its beak a little bit of the membranes but i saw a tiny bit of blood so i wrapped it in damp kitchen towel and put it back in the bator.
I noticed the chick appears to be upside down, well his beak definatelly is, maybe thats why its struggling to get out?.
Ok so how long do i wait now before i carry on helping it out?

 

[ReikiStar]

When they are turned towards the wrong end, helping them out seems your only option so good you decided to take action. Just keep removing bits of shell S-L-O-W-L-Y. Normally, they would be removing bits of shell slowly so that their blood vessels have time to dry up. Simply proceed as the chick would if it could. A little at a time and it may get to the point where it can help itself out.

Good luck and thank you for helping this little baby out.

 

[KandiandJerry]

I read on hear somewhere that the more they move around....it tells the blood vessels attached to the shell to quit and dry up....so I would wait a few hours and try again slowly...keep putting water on the membrane with the q tip.....I did this with 2 or 3 of mine and they are fine....they were very tired and weak after they got out of the shell...I separated them from the other chicks to keep them from pecking them....the next day they were up and running around.....I put them back in with the rest...and they are now 2 weeks old and doing great....

 

[marlene]

I worked on it a bit more, took more shell away and i'm about half way round just the middle with the shell now. No blood this time so all good.
Should i be moving the membranes out the way a bit also or not?