Egg Pipping - Should I Help??????

[TarHeelBlue]

I have an egg pipping, the shell is slightly broken with a small piece hanging off, but it looks as if the membrane inside is not broken- maybe dehydrated and tough????? should I give it a little help. I have already had one chick not make it out because of this? (that's the way it looked) I don't want to lose any more babies but I don't want to do anything wrong either because I have seen both posts - help/ don't help. HELP ME

 

[tiffanyh]

How long has it been like this?

 

[TarHeelBlue]

Not very long as far as I know - i noticed that some of the eggs were rocking, then heard peeping. looked closer (through the window! and saw a small piece of shell hanging. when i used a light to look, it seems like the membrane is not broken - some maybe a few hours

 

[Higins00]

I'd help it, little at a time. I wet my finger with warm water to get the membrain soft. Do a little picking at the shell and then put it back. If nothing happends after an hour do some more. I didn't help mine and it never made it out. Now I help and they end up fine. Good luck

 

[Gypsy07]

I really wouldn't help it. Not yet anyway. You'll likely just end up dragging out a chick with an unabsorbed yolk. Give it AT LEAST six hours after pipping. Mine always pip then do nothing for a few hours. That's them absorbing the yolk, and it's a very necessary wait.

 

[Opa]

Besides not helping a pipping chick you shouldn't even open the incubator until all the chicks have hatched.

It can sometimes take a full day for a chick to release its self from the shell. Trying to help it often kills the chick.
Opening the incubator to remove chicks lowers the temperature and can delay or terminate the others. Please do yourself a favor and sit on your hands until the hatch is complete.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
X2.

There is a LOT of time spent absorbing yolk and "finishing up" between pip and zip! I've had eggs pipped for 24 hours before the chicks get ready to zip open their prisons.

 

[nwfl]

It is really hard your first few hatches, once you get used to eggs hatching, and your incubator, to relax and just enjoy the show. Often one egg will pip and sit there for 24-48 hours while other pip and zip. If your humidity is good just wait. I've had some pip then hatch when I left for work. Others will hatch quickly. Crazy.

 

[blaundee]

How is your humidity?

 

[TarHeelBlue]

Humidity is at 73%