Hands on hatching and help

[Ravynscroft]

Well I'm happy to have found it. I don't have many people who have the same interests as me in my area as well. I have a few friends but life gets so hectic who can keep up with a social life lol. For the last 12 years I've been a dedicated mother. It's pretty much been my life. I'm happy to have found all this because it gives me something that's just mine if that makes any sense. Anyways its super late here and I'm rambling lol. Lack of sleep will do that.

I completely understood that...

All good, I rambled too, lol... get some rest, you deserve it...

 

[Mschkweasnduck]

Thank you and I will before I do it again ...1 peep out of so many was just such a bummer .my first two hatches weren't too bad ,and with the humidity controlled proper....i just know I'll have a much bigger hatch rate ....hydrometer tomorrow...ducklings in a month

 

[WVduckchick]

Egg is turned. The chick seems VERY very far into the air cell now. Cheeping up a storm when I tapped on the egg and moving around a great deal. I guess that is all I can do for her tonight. Should I continue to monitor every "x" amount of hours/minutes through the night? Let her be? Ughhhh! If I would have had any others hatch I would have probably been a little more relaxed, but I am on pins and needles right now. 

Any update?

 

[Kilkilkorken]

Any update?

No. Baby is still chirping if I tap on the shell and thrashes itself around, but still no sign of an external pip. Going on 29 hours since I found it internally pipped, but I gave it a tiny safety hole about 7 hours ago. I have no clue the timeframe as to when I need to actually help it externally pip.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

No.

Baby is still chirping if I tap on the shell and thrashes itself around, but still no sign of an external pip. Going on 29 hours since I found it internally pipped, but I gave it a tiny safety hole about 7 hours ago. I have no clue the timeframe as to when I need to actually help it externally pip.

If I were in your situation, I would consider making a bigger hole to peek inside...hard to do with such a small egg, though. It's a tough call! I would hate for you to lose that baby! I want seramas pretty bad but it's so hit or miss with shipped eggs

 

[jenniferlamar70]

No. Baby is still chirping if I tap on the shell and thrashes itself around, but still no sign of an external pip. Going on 29 hours since I found it internally pipped, but I gave it a tiny safety hole about 7 hours ago. I have no clue the timeframe as to when I need to actually help it externally pip.

Geez it's such a hard call. I think if it were mine I would remove the outer shell by its beak and leave the inner membrane so I could see what's going on. Since discovering vaseline I haven't had to worry about it drying out. make sure you update..

 

[wsmith77]

I hatch 200-400 a week. That's a lot of birds but... What I find with the large batches is the humidity gets really high in there once the chicks start hatching. The ones that hatch early are usually no problem at all. The ones that hatch later tend to get sticky. I usually help those guys out. I would say 75% of the ones I help survive. I have 2 hatchers and when possible I use them both to separate the eggs based on breed and hatching times. Some breeds want out at 20 days... some breeds want out at 22 days. I can't always do this though and that's when I notice more issues. My philosophy is the chick is doomed without help... with help it has at least a 50/50 shot. Sometimes they can't get out on their own due to factors outside of the chick itself.

The only negative I can state is there is a higher incident of foot disorders among the ones I help out. Maybe 10-15%.

The biggest thing to watch for when helping a chick is bleeding... I'm very careful to chip away the shell in a simulated zip pattern (usually these guys are at least partially zipped) then peel away the shell. There is a white membrane and a clear membrane below that. the white membrane can usually be peeled away carefully... if the chick is not ready and you pull on the clear membrane, blood will start to show. At the first sign of blood I LOOSELY wrap the egg in a paper towel wet (not dripping) with luke warm water and place it back in the incubator. Be sure the paper towel is loose for 2 reasons... you don't want to smother the chick and you want to ensure that when the chick is ready it can get out of the paper towel. The ones I have to wrap I check on every couple hrs to make sure the paper towel is still moist (I use a fine mist spray bottle to remoisted) and to make sure the membrane hasn't turned into a rock. In most cases the chick comes out on it's own. Other times it needs more help.

 

[WVduckchick]

I hatch 200-400 a week. That's a lot of birds but... What I find with the large batches is the humidity gets really high in there once the chicks start hatching. The ones that hatch early are usually no problem at all. The ones that hatch later tend to get sticky. I usually help those guys out. I would say 75% of the ones I help survive. I have 2 hatchers and when possible I use them both to separate the eggs based on breed and hatching times. Some breeds want out at 20 days... some breeds want out at 22 days. I can't always do this though and that's when I notice more issues. My philosophy is the chick is doomed without help... with help it has at least a 50/50 shot. Sometimes they can't get out on their own due to factors outside of the chick itself.

The only negative I can state is there is a higher incident of foot disorders among the ones I help out. Maybe 10-15%.

The biggest thing to watch for when helping a chick is bleeding... I'm very careful to chip away the shell in a simulated zip pattern (usually these guys are at least partially zipped) then peel away the shell. There is a white membrane and a clear membrane below that. the white membrane can usually be peeled away carefully... if the chick is not ready and you pull on the clear membrane, blood will start to show. At the first sign of blood I LOOSELY wrap the egg in a paper towel wet (not dripping) with luke warm water and place it back in the incubator. Be sure the paper towel is loose for 2 reasons... you don't want to smother the chick and you want to ensure that when the chick is ready it can get out of the paper towel. The ones I have to wrap I check on every couple hrs to make sure the paper towel is still moist (I use a fine mist spray bottle to remoisted) and to make sure the membrane hasn't turned into a rock. In most cases the chick comes out on it's own. Other times it needs more help.

I agree with most of what you say. But I don't like the wrap-in-wet-paper-towel thing. Especially with a forced-air incubator. "I" think the paper towel makes things worse. It restricts the necessary air flow through the shell, they actually cool faster, and the paper towel can dry out quickly too. And as you mentioned, the chick can get smothered or tangled in it, when it does start to hatch. If more moisture is needed, wad the paper towel up, wet it, and lay it beside the egg. JMHO

 

[Kilkilkorken]

Hey guys and gals. After I went back to sleep this morning to try to get a few more hours until my kids woke up,....I woke up to the Serama chickie having externally pipped and it looks like she is already trying to zip a little. I'm monitoring closely. The baby has its beak through and you can see it "trying". I need a quick shower and then I will reassess the situation. Today is day 22.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Hey guys and gals. After I went back to sleep this morning to try to get a few more hours until my kids woke up,....I woke up to the Serama chickie having externally pipped and it looks like she is already trying to zip a little. I'm monitoring closely. The baby has its beak through and you can see it "trying". I need a quick shower and then I will reassess the situation. Today is day 22. 

Yay!!!