Hands on hatching and help

[chantels1]

I removed the towel when I placed it back in the incubator. The aircell is intact from what I could see when I candled it 30 minutes ago. Drawdown was behind the chick. I'll get a pic of the position for you.

 

[chantels1]

Terrible pic, my battery is dead, so no flash.

 

[chantels1]

I am not sure which direction this chick could zip, so I enlarged the hole all tge way around.

 

[WVduckchick]

That's a tough call, and maybe someone else will chime in, but since it can get air now, I'd wait a bit longer and see if it tries on its own. As long as it is active, it can still do it. But it's ultimately your call, if it seems distressed. Can you see its beak?

Oh, if you wait, at least watch that exposed membrane for browning or sticking to the chick. It should stay papery white looking or grayish. Not brown. You can use some vaseline or antibiotic ointment to moisten it. Just a thin coating.

 

[chantels1]

That's a tough call, and maybe someone else will chime in, but since it can get air now, I'd wait a bit longer and see if it tries on its own. As long as it is active, it can still do it. But it's ultimately your call, if it seems distressed. Can you see its beak?

Oh, if you wait, at least watch that exposed membrane for browning or sticking to the chick. It should stay papery white looking or grayish. Not brown. You can use some vaseline or antibiotic ointment to moisten it. Just a thin coating.

I have ointment. I will try that. I can barely see the beak. Membrane covers most.

Chick looks just like position 4 in pic below

 

[WVduckchick]

I have ointment. I will try that. I can barely see the beak. Membrane covers most.

Chick looks just like position 4 in pic below

So you think it is positioned correctly up and down, it's just turned around backwards? It should still zip in a counter-clockwise direction

If you decide to remove more shell, and can peel away some membrane from around the beak, just stop if you see any active bleeding.

 

[chantels1]

This is my impression. Not sure why the website says it's almost always lethal.

 

[WVduckchick]

This is my impression. Not sure why the website says it's almost always lethal.

I think because alot of times, when they are positioned that way, they have a tough time getting thru the shell. Yours has a good hole now, and as long as the air cell membrane flexes some when it starts to zip and turn, then it should be able to rotate. As long as the intact membrane doesn't impede its turn. But it can also break into it when it gets around there. Hope that makes sense.

 

[chantels1]

Ok. I will wait longer. Today is day 22. I had one chick hatch this morning. This is the last pip. All the rest hatched yesterday.

 

[chantels1]