Yep, so glad for all the help I had from all of you guys. I woulda just let him sit and die because of all the horror stories you research about how you're supposed to let them do it on their own or else they'll be weak and won't survive. Phooey, lol.
I know I joke a lot about hands on vs hands off, but in all seriousness, I have only had one assist that didn't grow into a healthy strong chicken. I do believe that you need to give them time, and I don't go into an unpipped shell. I am not saying that every chick I've assisted wouldn't make it out w/o help, though I know a couple there is no doubt about that. I start an assist at 24 hours after a pip, even if it's just widening the pip whole and they finish. I don't subscribe to the 'if they have to have help, they aren't worthy' mentality.
I do believe it depends on the reason for assist as to whether they are going to survive. I think if you are assisting a chick at day 24 you have a much higher chance of that chick not making it versus a chick that is stuck or not in a good position to hatch at day 21.
I think that helping gets a bad rep because it is not done at the right time, under the wrong circumstances or without the right knowledge to assist. I believe many people that are against helping because they "always die anyway" are either not helping in the right time frame or are botching the assist, or there is something going on with the chick that can not be seen and yes, would have died either way. I can even understand those that are reluctant to help and then have to cull after, with the attitude that it's easier if they die on their own. I just can't do that. If there's a chance, I have to help. If that means I have to deal with special needs or after death cull, then I will deal with that.
We can't always save them, but in my world I can always try.
I know that there is a big difference between my little raising chickens as a hobby and those that raise for the soul purpose of producing SOP or quality sales and that the business aspect is much harder than the bleeding heart hatcher (why I could never make a business of raising for profit.)
What bothers me is the SOP and breeders belief that everyone should hold the same philosophy of the quality and many condemn the bleeding hearts for not being hardcore. I can accept that people have different standards, I can't accept that hatchers don't allow others to have their own idea of standards and scare the living crap out of new hatchers by warnings of not helping or not experiencing the hatch.
