Hands on hatching and help

[WVduckchick]

For future reference, once a chick starts zipping, and I mean starting a full zip, progressing an inch or so around the egg, they should complete the zip in about an hour. As long as they are still active and progressing, I may allow 2 hours, but if they stop for 15 minutes or more at a time, I break the cap loose (the whole end, like continuing the zip for them) then place it back in the incubator for them to kick out on their own.
They usually won’t start a real zip until they are very close to being ready to emerge. My lavender orpingtons were the worst at starting, then giving up. Many times they would miss cutting the membrane in spots. Once I started breaking the cap for them, I had a ton more survivors.

 

[brightongeorge]

Hi all,

I've been a member of this forum for a long time and enjoyed the wisdom of the many members. Been keeping chickens for years although this year hatched eggs for the first time and we're hooked!

I'm in the middle of a duckling hatch (Indian Runners) in a Brinsea incubator but I have one which seems to be struggling so I would appreciate some of that wisdom. I had 4 fertile eggs from the 6 I bought, of which 3 hatched just fine. The 4th pipped externally at the thin end and then made no progress for about 30 hours.

This afternoon I took the tough decision to help - a little. I removed some shell around the air hole but left the membrane intact, bar the little hole that the chick had made. I put a little coconut oil on the mebrane to keep it soft to help the little guy out.

At this stage I don't know whether I should just wait, or do more. I can see that the air hole is definitely at the "wrong" end of the egg - e.g. opposite end to the air sack.

Here's a picture of the egg as it stands: https://photos.app.goo.gl/LZiwbv5DZCHSaxMJ9

I would appreciate any advice. I really don't want to lose this chick!

Thanks in advance

George

 

[rebe4ever]

Looks good in the pics. I think the chick must be resting. Do you have any Nutridrench?

No, but she is up now and doing ok.

 

[WVduckchick]

Hi all,

I've been a member of this forum for a long time and enjoyed the wisdom of the many members. Been keeping chickens for years although this year hatched eggs for the first time and we're hooked!

I'm in the middle of a duckling hatch (Indian Runners) in a Brinsea incubator but I have one which seems to be struggling so I would appreciate some of that wisdom. I had 4 fertile eggs from the 6 I bought, of which 3 hatched just fine. The 4th pipped externally at the thin end and then made no progress for about 30 hours.

This afternoon I took the tough decision to help - a little. I removed some shell around the air hole but left the membrane intact, bar the little hole that the chick had made. I put a little coconut oil on the mebrane to keep it soft to help the little guy out.

At this stage I don't know whether I should just wait, or do more. I can see that the air hole is definitely at the "wrong" end of the egg - e.g. opposite end to the air sack.

Here's a picture of the egg as it stands: https://photos.app.goo.gl/LZiwbv5DZCHSaxMJ9

I would appreciate any advice. I really don't want to lose this chick!

Thanks in advance

George

Hi George!

Has it hatched yet? The pic looks good. I don’t see any really strong blood vessels in the way, so that’s always nice.
Now remember, since this one didn’t spend the normal day farting around in the air cell, it can take a little extra long, hatching from the wrong end. With that amount of shell removed, you will likely have to continue helping, by peeling back some of the membrane......when all the blood vessels are clear, and when you see the duckling start actively trying to wiggle out. Without shell, it has nothing (or very little) to leverage against to actually spin and zip. As long as the duckling is making a yawning type motion, it’s usually still absorbing yolk. So watch for it to start trying to escape on its own, then just peel a little bigger opening in the membrane, folding it back like a trash bag in a trash can, and let it work itself out.
Good luck!

And post some pics of those cuties!

 

[lucky-donna]

Please help, I think this chick is shrinkwrapped so i made an assist hole about an hour ago and still nothing

 

[WVduckchick]

Please help, I think this chick is shrinkwrapped so i made an assist hole about an hour ago and still nothing

Do you know how long it was internally pipped? A safe hole just allows it to have more air to breathe longer. Nothing happens instantaneously. I’d say just leave it for now and see if it can pip the shell on it’s own. Up to about 24 hours from the time it originally internally pipped, before getting too worried.

 

[lucky-donna]

Do you know how long it was internally pipped? A safe hole just allows it to have more air to breathe longer. Nothing happens instantaneously. I’d say just leave it for now and see if it can pip the shell on it’s own. Up to about 24 hours from the time it originally internally pipped, before getting too worried.

@WVduckchick thank you for responding! Internal pip was at or before 6AM but not before midnight - so at most 10 hours... My humidity is running 68% and temps of 99.7

 

[DuckityLove77]

Could someone help? Almost every duckling in this hatch has externally pipped, and I have a duckling who seemed to be internally pipping but after 1.5 days wasn’t progressing so I made a safety air hole in the air sac. By peeking in I saw the membrane had pulled away from the shell and I also couldn’t see a bill. So clearly I was wrong and didn’t see an internal pip rather the body moving in the air sac. I made the hole bigger, applied coconut oil and his head is facing toward the “wrong end” - away from the air sac. He blinked at me, little sweetie, and I’m not sure how to get his bill to air since he’s facing the wrong way and I can’t tell where his bill would be...so afraid to pierce the shell for an air hole and hit a vein. Candling just shows a dark blob. What can I do?

 

[jenniferlamar70]

hi all, I haven't been here in a couple years. I just recently started hatching again and this hatch has been a nightmare. I need help like asap. This chick had a wrong end pip. I left it alone. After 24 hours hadn't progressed so I helped remove a bit of shell. Bled. Moistened the membrane and put it back. Went to bed. Next morning I wake and find it half hatched and bleeding everywhere. I removed the top half the shell as its drowning in blood. Membrane doesn't look absorbed so again I put it back in the incubator. Hours later no progress. Looks like it has a herniated belly button and still the yolk isn't absorbed. Chick is also now sticky and cant move. I wipe it down with warm water and put it back in the incubator. At this point I don't know what to do. Ive never had something like this happen before. Anyone know what I should be doing? I don't want it to suffer.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Sounds like you are doing your best. I find wrong end pippers the hardest to help if they can't hatch mostly on their own. They usually have some sort of developmental issue that prevents them from turning in the proper direction and being strong enough to hatch on their own. If you think it is suffering and is unlikely to survive, I would cull it. I wrote an article on how to do that, I'll link below.

If you want to give it a chance, keep the humidity up and the umbilical area clean. Neosporin is a good option.