Hatch assist

[Rodney Foster]

I read on here that someone was asking about hatch assist. I couldn’t car less what the experts are saying, do not, ( under any circumstances attempt to assist hatch. You’ll have nothing but heartbreak and guilt. It’s almost certain death at best and it will happen slowly. I’ve been hatch for nearly 60 years and the ones that make it out on their own will do fine. If it does make it through the initial assist hatch it will die within a week. That’s why hens come off the nests within 2 days of the 1st hatch. It’s much better to let nature take its course. Now before anyone writes me letters etc please just take from someone who’s tried it many times in many fashions. Be humane and let God do what he does best. When they have trouble and you have strictly followed what is supposed to be done the ones that are meant to hatch do. I sincerely hope I haven’t offended anyone I’m just trying to help you not go through all the what if...

 

[Offshoreorca]

I read on here that someone was asking about hatch assist. I couldn’t car less what the experts are saying, do not, ( under any circumstances attempt to assist hatch. You’ll have nothing but heartbreak and guilt. It’s almost certain death at best and it will happen slowly. I’ve been hatch for nearly 60 years and the ones that make it out on their own will do fine. If it does make it through the initial assist hatch it will die within a week. That’s why hens come off the nests within 2 days of the 1st hatch. It’s much better to let nature take its course. Now before anyone writes me letters etc please just take from someone who’s tried it many times in many fashions. Be humane and let God do what he does best. When they have trouble and you have strictly followed what is supposed to be done the ones that are meant to hatch do. I sincerely hope I haven’t offended anyone I’m just trying to help you not go through all the what if...

I respect your opinion, but can attest to the fact that they can survive and be just as healthy as the rest. I think it really depends on the reason why they can't make it out of the shell. If it's due to genetics, overall health or some other factor of egg quality, they often don't survive hatch for a reason and nature should take it's course - plus resulting chicks, if they do survive, would not make good breeding stock if you don't want to risk the trouble hatching being genetic. However, if they were shrink wrapped because you were fiddling in the incubator too much during lockdown (heaven forbid) or if a broody hen partially crushes an egg (which is a situation I have found myself in a few times if I'm not using an incubator) then they can be hatched carefully with excellent results. Mind you, I come from a veterinarian family and as such usually have good instinct for the reason for the chick unsuccessfully being able to hatch.