Hi everyone, My husband and I are new to chickens! We found a baby chick at an urban park August 2010. After I read they do not like to be alone we aquired 3 more chicks, now we have 10. We have one Rhode Island Red that is Broody, she sat on 4 eggs, we waited and waited and was givng up that any would hatch. We went out of town for 2 days, upon return 3 hatched but unfortunately one looked like he fell out of the coop and was dead on the ground. Two were alive in the nest, one was still unhatched. My question is the next morning the 4th one was partially cracked so my husband brought it inside and finished cracking it but the chick was dead. Would there have been anyway to save this chick? Should we have cracked it open that night we came home when the others were hatched?
There are so many variables when it comes to chicks hatching. So guess the answer is "maybe, maybe not". The fact is some chicks are weak, or pip at the wrong end, get shrink wrapped, etc. Or if you had helped it, the chick may have died anyway. It's sad when it happens, but try not to beat yourself up over it. and by the way, Browse through the forums, check out the informational pages. There is a ton of information on this site and many many members with far more chicken knowledge than I will ever have. Enjoy. Congrats on the broody and successful hatches
I have helped several chicks hatch. Some have made it and other haven't. It is hard to say "if I should help or not" I always do. It's my nature to help and maybe the chick will survive and maybe not but I'll take a chance. I have learned one thing over the years that if the chick has pipped and not started to zip the chances of the chick surviving are slim to not. When I have helped chicks hatch that are partially zipped most make it but I have had some that didn't. It is really a crap shoot.
