HELP! Do I need to help?

[Hottchick]

I have one pipped egg that has not made any more progress after about 5 hours. The chick is still peeping. It is tapping but not as consistently as it was at first. Is it time for me to help? This may be the only one that hatches and I'm scared to death to lose it.

 

[muddyhorse]

pop in a movie. get some popcorn and walk away. now. I mean it. chicks can pip 24 hours before they zip out. if you open it up you are messing with the humidity which is bigger issue.

Why don't you join us watching shadowpaints goat over on the pets and other livestock board.

 

[The Lisser]

I agree with muddyhorse. Please do not mess with the egg! I made the mistake with my last hatch of helping too soon and ended up with a chick that had an unabsorbed yolk sac. The chick did not survive. Your pipped baby will rest, and peep, and rest, while it absorbs the blood from its membrane veins and possible the yolk. 5 hours is nothing to worry about.

 

[Hottchick]

Yay! It just hatched. Another surprise.....it's not a black sexlink chick like it's supposed to be. It's a little yellow chick. Now another guessing game! It's a little yellow rolling ball of chick named either Penny or Wilson. We shall see.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:

A rule of thumb to follow is not to help until they have pipped WITH NO PROGRESS for 24 hours. Sometimes, though, you just know it needs help, but I NEVER intervene before 12 hours pipped.

 

[sheila3935]

Congrats! I just hatched a yellow NN about 2 hours ago. Its so stressful waiting for them to hatch.