My second assist happened on Thursday afternoon (day 23). I didn't have as many pictures for this hatching because I didn't ask for help on this one. This chick broke through its shell in the middle of the egg. You can see the start of the pip in this picture here.
A few hours later, the hole was only slightly bigger, and the chick was struggling. I peeled the membrane in the pip back, and saw blood. The chick had pecked through its own blood supply. I decided to start an assist right there. I started peeling the shell back on he side of the pip away from the blood and found that the chick was breech. Its feet were up by the air cell. I got enough shell away so it could move more freely but I didn't get into the blood supply and set it down and let it alone. I came back a couple of hours later and that chick had completely hatched as well as another one that had pipped earlier. The chick I helped (a little cockerel) needed more assistance though. His umbilical was still attached to the shell and he was frantically trying to kick away from the egg. So we made sure that there was no blood vessels, just connective tissue, and cut the umbilical about an inch away from his body. He immediately relaxed and laid down on the incubator floor. The next afternoon we moved him and his sister that hatched at the same time into the brooder with the other 4 chicks and they did just fine. You can see how bloody this little guy's shell got.
He is doing great and has none of the issues that Chicken Surprise had. He is the chick in the middle of the 3 cockerels I hatched.
A few hours later, the hole was only slightly bigger, and the chick was struggling. I peeled the membrane in the pip back, and saw blood. The chick had pecked through its own blood supply. I decided to start an assist right there. I started peeling the shell back on he side of the pip away from the blood and found that the chick was breech. Its feet were up by the air cell. I got enough shell away so it could move more freely but I didn't get into the blood supply and set it down and let it alone. I came back a couple of hours later and that chick had completely hatched as well as another one that had pipped earlier. The chick I helped (a little cockerel) needed more assistance though. His umbilical was still attached to the shell and he was frantically trying to kick away from the egg. So we made sure that there was no blood vessels, just connective tissue, and cut the umbilical about an inch away from his body. He immediately relaxed and laid down on the incubator floor. The next afternoon we moved him and his sister that hatched at the same time into the brooder with the other 4 chicks and they did just fine. You can see how bloody this little guy's shell got.
He is doing great and has none of the issues that Chicken Surprise had. He is the chick in the middle of the 3 cockerels I hatched.