Hatching question - what do you think?

[Alitown4]

I have 22 Black Copper Maran eggs at 20 days today. I woke this morning to find one egg had a nice big external pip and I could see the chick inside. Now well over 6 hrs later no progress on the zipping and I can see the foot of the chick is trying to come out of the pip hole. What do you guys think? Should I do something to help this little guy out? I don't want to compromise the rest of my hatch but it is also hard to look at one struggling. For extra info: I have an LG incubator with fan and egg turner and incubated at 30% to 40% humidity and have been working hard at keeping humidity up at 50% to 60% for hatch. I'm so tempted to up my humidity and open the bator and chip a little more shell off the egg and see what happens.

 

[Alitown4]

Still no progress on the chick with the leg hatching first... any thoughts? Some others are pipping now. I'm noticing that the "white" is very white and papery. Infact the shell is breaking off but the white is staying intack. What could this be? Are they being shrink wrapped? Can I do anything to prevent this? I'd really appreciate some input - this is my second hatch and was really wishing for success!

 

[ChicksInOKLA]

This is your call, however some of those Black Copper Marans shells can be tough. I have had to help before when hatching this breed. I would quickly reach in and grab the egg. You can spray some warm water, a couple of squirts to replace lost humidity. I hold the egg I am going to help in a wet paper towel (use warm water, not dripping wet). Then use tweezers to gentle loosen pieces of shell. If you see any sign of blood, STOP. The moist towel may be needed to loosen dried membrane away from the chick. I do not completely open the shell; but just loosen enough so the chick can push out after resting a bit. Quickly put the chick and shell back in, wait and watch. If worried about humidity, I have even left the warm, moist paper towel in there when returning the chick to the bator.

 

[pfmoore17]

I have have hatched Marans pretty much exclusively. I raise my humidity to 65-75% for the last 3 days.
Opening your bator could compromise the other eggs, causing your chicks to get enveloped inside the membrane, almost like shrink wrap. I have had many chicks pip and not come out for 12 hours or longer. I have some hatches go an extra day and I have had some hatches go a day early. I admit I have done what Chicks in OK has done but it is not always the cure. Patience is important. Add some more water and boost the humidity for the next 12 hours and wait. Relax and be patient.
Are you opening the bator to add water, thats not good if you are. I insert a straw in my bator and add water the last three days to boost humidity. I know there is a post somewhere on this site about "Dry Hatch." It is written by someone who hatches Marans. Read it, it is informative.

 

[pfmoore17]

This is very good for hatching, it helped me.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-DryIncubation.html

good luck.

 

[Alitown4]

Thanks so much for the reply. We did assist his hatch. We first easily chipped the shell all around the egg and then noticed the chick was stuck with his head down - beak was up enough to pip a hole in the shell - but head was down too far (it appeared to my husband anyway) to allow the chick to get up and move. We actually had to help shake him free of shell. This chicks head looks odd - like one side is swollen and the eye on the other side is low - hopefully this will fix it's self. He seems to be doing well for now anyway.

 

[pfmoore17]

As I have said, I have on occasion helped chicks out of their shells. Those times are usually when I am finishing a hatch and as I am discarding the eggs, I will hear a peep coming from one. In some cases, the chick has survived and thrived. I imagine many at this forum can share similar stories. In other cases, they have started to bleed and have died. In a hatch I had a few weeks ago, I freed a chick and it appeared fine. After 10 days, it was fluffed out like its siblings but was lethargic, and unable to scamper around like its siblings. 2 days later it was dead in the brooder. Why I dont know why. I have read in many stories and books on chickens, that chicks should hatch themselves. I imagine their is a lot of debate surrounding this.

How is the rest of the hatch going?