First Time Hatching and Need Help!

[TheCuteChickery]

So the wife and I decided to incubate and try and hatch some eggs this month... we ended up having 14 that seemed viable. Our first one hatched last night like a champ and today another one started to. But it seems she cracked the egg vertically, which I don’t know if it’s normal. There was a lot of movement initially and now, seems to be still. From the end of the cracks, there appears to be some sort of liquid leaking. I don’t know if we should help her out? Or just let nature take its course... please help!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi there. welcome to BYC!

They can rest for up to 24 hours after initial pip before they start to zip. During this time they finish absorbing the yolk and any blood vessels. So helping too early can be detrimental.

No, that isn't normal. But life does seem to find a way!

What day are you actually on?

 

[BaaKaaawk]

Hatching is 99% patience, 1% you helping. Your HUMAN instincts say OMG something is wrong I need to help- but this is not a human, it is a CHICK. Sooo you have to battle back your own human instincts (which is incredibly hard) and just be patient. They crack all sorts of ways, rarely do you ever want to intervene. If in 24 hours from when the egg first cracked there is no new development, then at that time you may want to read about options you have. But honestly any time to you try to help you have a much, much higher chance of doing harm than help. Hang in there, sounds like you're going to have a great hatch overall!

 

[TheCuteChickery]

Thanks for the insight guys... and we’d rather not intervene but worried about contaminating the other eggs... today is day 20.

 

[Ted_Harrell]

IMHO, wait till day 21 at least and watch the one you are concerned about

 

[slordaz]

I repeat do not open that incubator,, unless you have higher humidity in the room than in that incubator. it may just be egg shell was weaker, but after they externally pip they usually can get out fine after a rest as that's hard work just to get that external pip. Only time I would worry is if the chirping gets weak