Four days since first hatch. Should I open up this egg?

[Oncoming Storm]

I have an egg that still hasn’t hatched. I think it might be dead but I keep hearing ghost chirps. They’re very few and not often, like two chirps and done. I’m not sure if they’re actually from the egg or I’m hearing things. My mom thinks she heard it too and when I candled the egg, there was a star shaped crack near the air cell. It’s been about four days since day 21 and they say to give it about five days. Should I wait and give it a chance or maybe try to crack it open to see what’s going on?

 

[yakitori]

It almost looks like she tried to pip internally, but hit just below the air cell. I would start gently chipping a small hole in the air cell just above the crack (since it’s below the aircell). just a hole big enough to see the membrane. a bit of coconut oil on the membrane will show you the veins and hopefully beak...

 

[Oncoming Storm]

If there is bleeding, stop right away and dab it with a dry tissue. If she’s still alive... once she has air, I would put her back and wait for the blood vessels to recede.

On the other hand, if there are no blood vessels (completely clear membrane), then you can proceed to assist further.

I chipped away the air cell and I believe it’s severely shrink wrapped and may have died. Would you like a pic?

 

[Oncoming Storm]

I chipped away the air cell and I believe it’s severely shrink wrapped and may have died. Would you like a pic?

It’s also very yolky so I’m pretty sure it’s underdeveloped, so I think it’s safe to say it’s dead. It’s disappointing because we swear we heard chirps. Guess it was just an appliance or something.

 

[Oncoming Storm]

I think it's normal to have quite a bit of yolk left when it first pips. What I learned was that the last bit of yolk is absorbed after the embryo switches over to lung respiration. lung breathing creates contractions that help draw in the last of the yolk.

So... I'm guessing what may have happened was that it tried to pip internally, but didn't manage to hit the air cell, nor did it manage to break the external shell which would have potentially given it air (like those that pip the wrong end). In the end it simply suffocated. Just a guess, I'm no expert and am just learning myself...

That sounds pretty likely. But I got three out of four, which is my best so far, so I’ll take the victories over the loss. Still sucks though.

 

[yakitori]

I would say yes... but that’s just me. I would start gently from the star shaped pip, chipping away at the shell in the air sac end first. and slowly work from there

 

[Oncoming Storm]

I would say yes... but that’s just me. I would start gently from the star shaped pip, chipping away at the shell in the air sac end first. and slowly work from there

My mother swears she heard a cheep while I was outside and she said it sounded very weak. I would say I need to do it now. I would hate to lose it if there’s a chance.

 

[Oncoming Storm]

I would say yes... but that’s just me. I would start gently from the star shaped pip, chipping away at the shell in the air sac end first. and slowly work from there

It looks like it’s gotten a little bigger since I checked. What do you think?

 

[Oncoming Storm]

Didn’t realize that one was so blurry

 

[Oncoming Storm]

It almost looks like she tried to pip internally, but hit just below the air cell. I would start gently chipping a small hole in the air cell just above the crack (since it’s below the aircell). just a hole big enough to see the membrane. a bit of coconut oil on the membrane will show you the veins and hopefully beak...

Is there an alternative to coconut oil? We don’t currently have some at our house.