Hatching help!

[Kingschild]

Please help! It has been over 48 hours since our egg has pipped. We can still hear the chick chirping occasionally and there are small pieces of shell missing but it seems like it cannot break last the membrane. Everything I have read says do not intervene but I’m afraid to leave it be much longer. If this little chick doesn’t make it we will all be crushed! I have included a picture for reference. We took this through the incubator. Do we keep waiting? Do we help in some way? Updated to say we helped with great advice given and we have a chick! Attached a wet goofy chick pic as a thank you! Will post a fluffy pic later.

 

[Pyxis]

After 48 hours it probably needs help. Go ahead and give this article a read, you can skip down to the 'Further Assisting' section after you read up on what you'll possibly need.

I would start by opening the air cell to check that everything is absorbed, but judging on how long it's been and the fact that it looks like it started to zip, I'm betting you'll find it's good to go and you'll just need to finish the zip for it.

 

[Kingschild]

After 48 hours it probably needs help. Go ahead and give this article a read, you can skip down to the 'Further Assisting' section after you read up on what you'll possibly need.

I would start by opening the air cell to check that everything is absorbed, but judging on how long it's been and the fact that it looks like it started to zip, I'm betting you'll find it's good to go and you'll just need to finish the zip for it.

We are brand new and have not marked the air cell. How can we do so this far along without taking the chick out of incubator?? Looks like it is chipping the shell slowly but the membrane is still intact. How can we assist it without it getting chilled?? Thank you sooo much for your reply!

 

[MGG]

Well, I think the 48 hour thing is if it hasn't pipped any since the 1 external pip. It looks like yours is making progress. If you want to do anything you can just very gently slit the membrane a bit. Just don't touch the baby. That's the same incubator I have. You need to put some trippy shelf liner or paper towels down underneath the eggs. Otherwise your chicks may break their legs in the plastic screen. I have seen their toes get stuck in there and they have to be amputated after that because they stuck out and don't work. So just to be safe, lay something down in there. What is your humidity?

 

[Kingschild]

The incubator doesn’t have a humidity gauge. I went to tractor supply to look for one yesterday with no luck. I put water in the bottom yesterday around 11. I will get some shelf liner today on my lunch break. Does it matter where I make the slit in the membrane?

 

[Kingschild]

Well, I think the 48 hour thing is if it hasn't pipped any since the 1 external pip. It looks like yours is making progress. If you want to do anything you can just very gently slit the membrane a bit. Just don't touch the baby. That's the same incubator I have. You need to put some trippy shelf liner or paper towels down underneath the eggs. Otherwise your chicks may break their legs in the plastic screen. I have seen their toes get stuck in there and they have to be amputated after that because they stuck out and don't work. So just to be safe, lay something down in there. What is your humidity?

The incubator doesn’t have a humidity gauge. I went to tractor supply to look for one yesterday with no luck. I put water in the bottom yesterday around 11. I will get some shelf liner today on my lunch break. Does it matter where I make the slit in the membrane?

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Just from the hole its already made.

 

[MGG]

The incubator doesn’t have a humidity gauge. I went to tractor supply to look for one yesterday with no luck. I put water in the bottom yesterday around 11. I will get some shelf liner today on my lunch break. Does it matter where I make the slit in the membrane?

Probably just pinch the membrane a bit and slit there. As long as you don't get tge chick. They have humidity gauges at Wal-Mart and such

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Did the chick make more progress? Once they start zipping you're usually pretty safe to help out if they get stuck. It's before zipping that you need to be really cautious. You could gently remove the top of the shell and tear the dry membrane then allow the chick to finish pushing out on it's own.

 

[Pyxis]

Well, I think the 48 hour thing is if it hasn't pipped any since the 1 external pip. It looks like yours is making progress. If you want to do anything you can just very gently slit the membrane a bit. Just don't touch the baby. That's the same incubator I have. You need to put some trippy shelf liner or paper towels down underneath the eggs. Otherwise your chicks may break their legs in the plastic screen. I have seen their toes get stuck in there and they have to be amputated after that because they stuck out and don't work. So just to be safe, lay something down in there. What is your humidity?

24 hours since internal pip if you don't see an external pip, 24 hours from external pip to zipping, and if it starts zipping at any time and then stops, it's stuck and needs help - they don't stop for more that a few minutes at a time once they start to zip.