External Pipped, chirping, moving beak but nothing else

[starkarama]

Hi All,

1st attempt at hatching chicks using an incubator. I have 8 eggs, 6 are 'pipping'.

According to my dates, today is day 19 / 20 so I only stopped turning them last night. Not thinking any would be hatching today I took the lid off the bator and had a good nosey around... To my shock a chick was pipping!! I noticed the first chick external pipped at 11am this morning. It had it's beak poking out and was chirping. It is now 1am in the morning and no change. Still chirping but no change to the hole size, and no 'zipping' movement in 13 hours. I have spent the past 12 hours literally searching all through the threads on this website and have read all sorts of great information (including the term 'lockdown' and finding out that you shouldn't open bator during this time - in my defence the bator instructions said NOTHING about this). I have now signed up to BYC as I see I am amongst dedicated chicken lovers like myself.

4 hours ago I decided to 'zip' the chick for it. (I know I am probably over analysing and have first time mum jitters - but terribly concerned that all my fussing (and yes incubator opening may kill it)) No change in chick behaviour at all over last 12 hours. Still beak poking out and chirps. I only removed the shell and left the membrane in tact. It is drying out continually though and is papery white. I have been dropping water onto it...... and left a warm paper towel around it but still seems to dry out

So what should I do now? I desperately feel the urge to now take the cap of the egg off, and also peel some of the white membrane away.... Should, shouldn't I? Should I, shouldn't I.... It's driving me crazy. Every time I hear its little cheep I just want to rescue it.

BTW other pipped eggs have not broken through membrane yet.

Please help all you chixperts out there....

 

[fried green eggs]

Do you have a Hygrometer that tells you what the humidity is in your incubator ? There are some post I've read that say 55% up to 80% is what you want. I have been doing about 60 to 68% for hatching and have done pretty well. Every time you open the incubator what humidity you do have will escape which is bad for eggs as they internal pip before external - where you can see it. Sometimes it's just a small outward bump and hard to see.
Your incubator must have been a little warmer than you technically want at 99.5 degs so your chick s hatching early - it's not a real big deal.
If you try to rescue the stuck chick - you need to realize other chicks in with it can suffer from opening the incubator. Catch 22.
I'm new to hatching eggs too but, have been running my incubator(s) non-stop since early March and done 5 different batches with decent hatch rates 35-60% on shipped eggs and 80-100% on home-grown eggs. I have successfully rescued a stuck chick that didn't progress because it was stuck but, great care must be taken.
The chick must absorb the yoke at the bottom of the membrane and very small blood vessels can't be broken which attache to the membrane if they are broke prematurely the chick can bleed to death.

If I was you I would first raise humidity in your incubator to 60-65% and see if that helps the chick free itself. If you are sure no other chick has externally pipped

Heat your bathroom and raise humidity in it with Hot shower water and heat sink water to 100 degs and quickly get the stuck chick out of incubator and into bathroom and hold it in warm water in sink. Hold it and Let it soak. When the membrane feels re-hydrated lightly wrap the chick in warm wet paper towel and return it to incubator and re-stablize humidity and temp by adding some hot water to basin.
Others will condemn me for writing this and say "Don't Open the Incubator at All" but, I'm new enough to hatching and know how helpless it feels so, the choice is yours. Good Luck and

 

[starkarama]

Well, I have absolutely no idea about humidity. I do live in the tropics though so I know it is VERY humid here anyway. I have no idea what a hygrometer is and am feeling like a very bad mummy that I don't have one! The only measure I have is loads of condensation on the walls of the bator.
GREAT news tho... Since my post a DIFFERENT egg just hatched!!! And It hadn't external pipped at all! It was so amazing to watch. The problem is it is a tiny incubator and it is going nuts over all the other eggs, will this harm the other eggs hatching process? As far as I can see the others haven't externally pipped yet. I ended up taking my egg in question out and I have removed the shell from one end. I started on the membrane but it was stuck to it and I was afraid of hurting it. Not sure what to do still. I guess it really is 'stuck' It's chirp is getting weaker. AWWW I don't know what to do!!!

 

[fried green eggs]

If your windows are foggy and you had one hatch with no problems you are probably good on humidity so, don't worry about it.

If the stuck chick is getting weaker - you need to try to help it or it won't make it! Open and close the incubator & getting it out and hold chick in warm water and let it soak and keep it's head up out of water. (The water needs to feel very warm to your hand but, not too hot). After you are sure the membrane will come off easily very carefully and slowly start at the top and peel it away. Watch for blood vessels and by now it should have absorbed the yoke but, peel the bottom part very very carefully AND STOP if any part of the chick is attached to the membrane. If this is the case return it to incubator and let nature take it's course. If you get it free without problems put it back in incubator and expect it to sleep a lot for the next 24 hours. It will make it or it won't but you tried. Good Luck

 

[starkarama]

I did it!! And in the nick of time by the looks of things. It has survived me escaping it, and is now back in the bator trying desperately to rest but the other chicks are all over it. It looks pretty good, no blood but that membrane was tough as old boots. I had to use a knife to cut it. I took the chick just about all out, leaving just the last bottom bit. I put it in the bator and another chick got it away from the remaining shell. Time will tell if he perks up and survives - I feel so good having done it though. At least the little fella has a chance!

Yes, while I was escaping that one another one hatched... so that's 3 in the space of an hour or two. It's 4am now, no sleep for me tonight me thinks! This is too exciting. 5 more eggs to go, not sure how they are fairing up with all the rolling around from the chicks.

We'll see. Thanks so much for you advice!

 

[judsenn]

you've definitely perked my interest..let us know the turn out.

 

[judsenn]

...oh and

GOOD LUCK

 

[fried green eggs]

Good Luck on the rest of your eggs!

 

[starkarama]

Hi All,
Great success, ended up with 7 out of the 8 eggs hatching and am now the proud mummy of 7 very active 4 day old chicks. Unfortunately 1 didn't make it. It was one of the first ones to pip but it hadn't pierced the membrane. After 24 hours I could still see it moving and more shell had broken away so I went for a wee nana nap... shame, when I woke a couple hours there was no movement. I candled it, and the same, no movement. I then couldn't help myself, I opened it to have a look. Aww she / he was a beauty but there was so much fluid in there, I don't think she had formed properly. I didn't peel off all the shell, too upsetting. Shame I didn't try earlier to help but I have learnt my lesson now. I believe its worth a go helping them if they are struggling, particularly if you have had them in a bator and the settings could have been a bit out etc. In some cases it wouldn't be nature taking it's course but rather human interference.

Any how, 7 beauties that are as active as can be. The one I helped birth perked up in no time and is as fit as a fiddle now. She's my fav. I did a 'wing' sexing test on them and 'think' she is a girl but it appears most of the rest are boys!!! Oh no!! Anyway, I am very happy and totally in love!! Thanks for all you help guys!!

 

[judsenn]