First time hatching. help!

[hthomps084]

I have had 2 chicks hatch overnight and this morning, but two more who have been pipped for over 24hours and are not. I made the decision to try and help them by flaking the shell back a bit. the membrane seems dry. tan on one, and very white on the other. Im hesitant to put a wet towel or spong in with them because i have two chicks in there who don't seem to be drying. one has been in there for 5 hours. im using a little giant styrofoam incubator. any insight would be helpful. should i try to help the last 2 out of the shells more? should i move the hatchlings into the brooder even though they don't look dry? thanks

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I have had 2 chicks hatch overnight and this morning, but two more who have been pipped for over 24hours and are not. I made the decision to try and help them by flaking the shell back a bit. the membrane seems dry. tan on one, and very white on the other. Im hesitant to put a wet towel or spong in with them because i have two chicks in there who don't seem to be drying. one has been in there for 5 hours. im using a little giant styrofoam incubator. any insight would be helpful. should i try to help the last 2 out of the shells more? should i move the hatchlings into the brooder even though they don't look dry? thanks

I move my hatchlings to my brooder as they hatch (once they are active and moving). I find they dry better under the brooder light. If one of the membranes are brown, I would pull that one out, chip away a bit of the shell to increase the pip hole and moisten the membrane. See if it is sticking to the chick. You may need to use some warm water to unstick any dried membrane that is stuck to the chick and pull it back a bit. If the chick is in a good position and moving after unsticking the membrane and moistening it I would wet a paper towel wrap it around the back of the egg (not covering the pip) and put it back in.

Now, if you have a mobile device that you can play a video from, I would go to youtube, find a chick video (I use one day old chicks chirping) play it by the bator 3-4 times and then let it rest for a while and repeat periodically. I do this when I have pippers/zippers and it really motivates them.

 

[hthomps084]

thank you! I moved the two chicks to the brooder. Also did what you suggested with the other eggs. One is definitely stuck, I guess to the membrane. I moistened and pulled it back some. It's wing is almost out and you can clearly see its beak behind it. It's pushing, but I think things are just too stick. The other one I moistened the membrane, and also wrapped the back of them both in a damp cloth, and put a warm soaked paper in there to get the heat/moisture back up from it being open. Is there ever a point that you pull back more of the shell membrane and basically hatch it? I just know they are alive and peeping so if they don't progress from here I'm not sure what to do.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

thank you! I moved the two chicks to the brooder. Also did what you suggested with the other eggs. One is definitely stuck, I guess to the membrane. I moistened and pulled it back some. It's wing is almost out and you can clearly see its beak behind it. It's pushing, but I think things are just too stick. The other one I moistened the membrane, and also wrapped the back of them both in a damp cloth, and put a warm soaked paper in there to get the heat/moisture back up from it being open. Is there ever a point that you pull back more of the shell membrane and basically hatch it? I just know they are alive and peeping so if they don't progress from here I'm not sure what to do.

If you haven't read it yet, I would read this:https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching Excellent source of assisting help. Just remember to go slow and it's best to do a little, and return the egg to the bator to rest and give it a chance to finish. Good luck and keep us posted as to how it goes.

 

[hthomps084]

I just read it through. Had been a couple days since I had. They are definitely stuck in there. Outer membrane is dry, inner is sticky I think. When I dampen the membrane, it doesn't really seem to do anything. It's like paper. I haven't tried the bacitracin route. I guess I will go in and pull back some every little while. See if they push out eventually.

 

[hthomps084]

I so wish that I had just bought chicks instead of trying to hatch some of the eggs from my sister's hens! haha Rediculously stressful.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I so wish that I had just bought chicks instead of trying to hatch some of the eggs from my sister's hens! haha Rediculously stressful.

But it's so worth it when you have them hatch!!! Good luck!

 

[hthomps084]

Alright, just finished helping the third one out about an hour ago. seems to be doing ok. the last chick was dried in pretty tight. it kicked out finally, but it still has some yolk sack left and an obvious navel. I have it sitting in a cup in the brooder becase the incubator was not tall enough. I hope she makes it. How long should I let it sit in the cup? I have some bacitracin i can put on the navel after it detaches, but nothing else I don't think. I'm not sure if I will need to cut it or not.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Alright, just finished helping the third one out about an hour ago. seems to be doing ok. the last chick was dried in pretty tight. it kicked out finally, but it still has some yolk sack left and an obvious navel. I have it sitting in a cup in the brooder becase the incubator was not tall enough. I hope she makes it. How long should I let it sit in the cup? I have some bacitracin i can put on the navel after it detaches, but nothing else I don't think. I'm not sure if I will need to cut it or not.

Mine was in the cup most of the day, (he had hatched overnight so it was noticed in the morning when I moved them to the brooder), and even when I let him out,before bed, there was still a ball of the cord that was dried to the navel. The important thing is letting the yolk absorb. Then you can deal with dried cord.

 

[hthomps084]

Ok. I guess all I can do at this point is check it in the morning. Unfortunately I have to leave at 530am and won't be home from work until about 1. IF the yolk is all absorbed then and there is still cord dried to the navel...do i cut it at this point? or let the chick drag the shell until it detaches on its own? I hate that I can't be here to keep an eye on it.