Experienced hatchers opinions needed FAST!!

[chickencrazyinHT]

I have a batch of chicks in the incubator. Most of my eggs hatched about a day and a half ago (on time) I have some eggs that have pipped but didn't progress. Some eggs never even had the first pip. My question is that I opened my incubator to take out all the ones that had fluffed up to put in the brooder and examined the eggs. ALL of them are still alive and chirping. You can put the eggs that never even had a pip up to your ear and you can hear them in there chirping away. The ones that made pips in their egg but never progressed are chirping away also. I have heard before not help assist them out of the eggs but I am stuck with what to do. My humidity in the incubator is 65 percent and I really think if they were going to hatch by themselves then they already would have. Any opinions on what I should do? I don't know whether to turn the incubator off and just let them die or help or what??? For all of you experienced hatchers out there, what do you do when the time frame is well past the point of them hatching but they are still alive in there. What is the fastest way to put them out of thier misery if they are just too weak to make it out of the shells? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Stephanie
Our flock consists of 3-Rhode Island Reds, 3- Buff Orpingtons (23 buff orpington chicks ranging from a day old to 4 weeks old) 5-white leghorns, and 5- Old english splash bantams....We love all our chickens!

 

[pax12]

I say tomorrow if they are still alive help them, that will by the only way to save them

This link will help you https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9316

 

[gryeyes]

I leave my eggs in the 'bator until at least Day 25, sometimes 26. Day 21 is the AVERAGE incubation period and that means chicks can hatch before and after that date. I have had chicks hatch on Day 25.

 

[dolly85]

As hard as it may be my advice is to shut the incubator and watch the humidity. Give them another day or so to make some progress. If they haven't made progress by tomorrow I might help a wee bit. Start with the large end at the air cell and slowly pick away. If you see bleeding stop and retry in ten to fifteen minutes. I would NEVER suggest putting down a chick just because the poor thing needed help getting out of an egg! Then again I'm soft hearted and I am a sucker for those cute little fluffy butts. 1

 

[midget_farms]

I'd say - at this point - the ones that pipped may be in trouble & will likely need help. The drop in humidity when you took the chicks out & handled them all is enough to cause membrane issues.

Not an issue for the non-pipped ones.

If it were me - I might be tempted to start picking at the top of the shell.

STOP if you see ANY blood!!!! The membrane is the chicks lung when in the egg. If you help too soon its like a lung shot on a deer. They bleed out very fast. Thats why most don't help - you can end up doing more damage than good.

I just plan on half the eggs not hatching. that way I'm not disappointed when they dont.