Hatching on the Underside!

[tinylittlegrain]

Hi - I’m on day 21 of my first hatch (6 silkies, shipped) with a brinsea mini. Last night I noticed a pip on the underside of the egg but thought nothing of it. This morning, got up and all the remaining eggs had pipped on the right side. Two have hatched but the one that pipped on the underside nearly 20hrs ago has not progressed. I decided to read up on it and to my horror, I think I might have killed it. I have turned it so it is now facing the right way up but it has been facing down for a long time already. What do I do???!!!!

 

[tinylittlegrain]

This is the egg for those that are wondering

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I have had plenty of chicks hatch without assistance when they pip on the bottom. The little one should be just fine! Some chicks pop out like popcorn while others seem to take a nap and take their sweet time coming out. If there are still others working on hatching as well it may just be a matter of time. How many hours has it been since you noticed the pip?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Oh sorry, I just saw that you already said 20 hours. When you handled the egg to roll it over did you hear peeping?

 

[tinylittlegrain]

no - i didn’t really handle it, i just opened the bator a crack and rolled because I am paranoid about shrink wrapping the wee ones!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

no - i didn’t really handle it, i just opened the bator a crack and rolled because I am paranoid about shrink wrapping the wee ones!

In this case, since it's still pipped on the rounded end of the egg where it should be, right by the air cell, I would hope it's just a matter of time. I have found that the biggest concern when they're pipped on the bottom side is only when the humidity is too high and as I mentioned I've had many hatch without issue and I didn't even turn them over. How many others have yet to hatch? I gauge a lot of my decisions on whether or not to intervene by how delayed the chick is compared to the rest of the hatch.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Also, try to remember that as long as the chick is getting oxygen it should be just fine! The little one has been in there for a very long time and as long as there is an external pip, it's getting oxygen and can wait just a bit longer. Fingers crossed for your hatch!

 

[tinylittlegrain]

There are still 2/5 left to hatch. I have just seen the egg shell break a bit - does that mean the beak has pierced the membrane? I can’t see the hole - should I risk it and break a bit of shell off to have a look?? I am so nervous!!!!

 

[slordaz]

I have never had a problem with a chick that pipped bottom side of the egg instead of top getting out , unless I meddled and they got shrink wrapped from opening the incubator.

Leave incubator lid shut during lock down, or you risk loosing the remaining eggs to help one that is fine

 

[CluckNDoodle]

There are still 2/5 left to hatch. I have just seen the egg shell break a bit - does that mean the beak has pierced the membrane? I can’t see the hole - should I risk it and break a bit of shell off to have a look?? I am so nervous!!!!

It's ok! I've hatched over 100 chicks this year and I'm still like a helicopter over the incubator on hatch day, lol. It's a personal decision that is up to you on whether you would like to intervene or not but if the other egg is externally pipped as well I would personally choose to wait until that chick is finished hatching before opening the incubator so as to not risk shrinkwrapping both of them.