First timer with lots of questions

[ChickenCanoe]

My view is, help it. Mum normally will help, but if the eggs are in an incubator there's nobody to help except us. I have born so many chickens with the help of tiny nail scissors that just make a hole in the membrane which has dried once exposed to the air. Think of humans. Many die in childbirth without intervention.

That is NOT a long time to zip. Be patient. Chickens have been domesticated for so long that their need for us to help them hatch is a rarity.

I agree with the human part - but.
I tend to disagree overall. That is not how 'survival of the fittest' works.
In general, if a chick needs to be helped out, normally the breeder did something wrong.
Or the genetics weren't vigorous.
On a very few occasions I have helped but only when I thought the problem was my mistake.
Chickens as a species are quite precocious and should need no help emerging from the egg.
If a chick doesn't hatch on its own, I don't want their genetics in my flock.
It may happen but I've never known a hen to help. They usually sit tight while embryos are pipping to retain humidity.

 

[BelovedBirds]

What is important to remember is that the majority (nearly 100%) of things that prevent healthy chicks from emerging on their own happened long before day 21. Some even months to years before.
And the more people think they need to intervene can even be counterproductive. That is especially true with broody hens.

To what extent do you mean this? That they shouldn't ever be assisted, or just helping until a certain point?

 

[BelovedBirds]

He should be able to move about enough to get the heat he needs. I don't know if this is true, but I feel like they're looking for their hen whenever they flip over backwards. If the hen was over them, they would touch her whenever they kind of stand up and back. I hope I'm making sense

this is so true! My first duckling was assisted, he was frantic to get out and once he was, kept flipping over and kicking, totally distressed and just would not sleep! I put a hand over him gently, he used that to stand up, and rest, I put a towel over the open incubator and that managed to keep the temp up.
He was fine after a couple hours, but it reminded me how unnatural it is for them in the incubator after hatch, it's warm but not at all snug like under mum

 

[BelovedBirds]

I agree with the human part - but.
I tend to disagree overall. That is not how 'survival of the fittest' works.
In general, if a chick needs to be helped out, normally the breeder did something wrong.
Or the genetics weren't vigorous.
On a very few occasions I have helped but only when I thought the problem was my mistake.
Chickens as a species are quite precocious and should need no help emerging from the egg.
If a chick doesn't hatch on its own, I don't want their genetics in my flock.
It may happen but I've never known a hen to help. They usually sit tight while embryos are pipping to retain humidity.

that just isnt true. I mean yes, sometimes it could be due to genetics or poor shipment/storage of eggs. But if the chick needs help out most likely something went wrong during incubation. Incubation is not natural, and it's our fault if we mess it up. My first hatchling was assisted, two days zipping and completely stuck, I took the rest of the air cell off and he hurried out of that shell. He'd soiled himself due to being so distressed, he was frantic.

Now he is the healthiest, strongest of the flock. You want to talk about survival of the fittest? Then use that theory with the rest of your flock. Chicken getting sick? It may be treatable, but really, this is how nature works.
Chick fallen in the water dish and getting cold? Survival of the fittest!
If you would help a chick that has splayed legs, or something else curable but wrong with it, then you should seriously consider helping a hatching chick. Just because it's easier to ignore through a shell. It's exactly the same as any other chick UNLESS there is something wrong like a deformity, in which case I seriously have to wonder if it's more humane to euthenize the chick instead of leaving it in the egg to die slowly. But that isnt most situations.

Even hens will assist their babies, it doesn't mean they're weak, it just means that something went wrong, perhaps they're malpositioned, perhaps you messed up humidity and they're sticky or shrink wrapped? Having a flat out rule of not assisting for the sake of "survival of the fittest" is outrageously outdated. I'm sorry, I'm just being honest, I feel very strongly about this.

 

[Daisy1702]

End of beak is sticking out where indicated.

View attachment 2989173

It can take 24 hours to fully come out