HELP!!! pip? Chick is chirping! HELP, HELP!

[dominiquetrix]

This is my first hatch. Broody hen abandoned this egg two days ago. I put it into my homemade incubator(very primitive but temp. holding steady). There was what I thought was a pip early this afternoon. No peeping. Just went up to check on it and pip was not broken all the way through the membrane. I tapped the egg and the chick chirped at me! What do I do?! Should I pierce the pip hole all the way through for him? I don't want him to suffocate! Or should I leave him alone? Is there such a thing as a false pip? Is he going to try it again? Please help. I want to save the little guy but I'm not sure what to do.

His hatchlings are doing fine with mama. Seven out of nine have hatched today so far.

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[LarryPQ]

Back away from the incubator. Seriously. DO. NOT. TOUCH.

DOnt worry until the chick has been stuck for over 24 hours. 48, even.

Make sure humidity is HIGH, especially since your have been messing around in there.

He'll finish pipping when he is good and ready.

 

[dominiquetrix]

Thanks Laree!! I guess I freaked out a little bit!

As far as humidity goes, I only have a bowl of water in there. Is there something else I should do. I can fill it without lifting the lid and I've kept it full.
There is a tiny piece of shell missing at the pip site but I can see the membrane is intact as I said. Is there ANYthing else I should do.

 

[LarryPQ]

Warm, wet, sopping dishrags. Toss one in there, (dont cover the eggs) and it will pump up the humidity.

You can also drape a papertowel 1/2 in and 1/2 out of a dish of water. It will wick up the moisture VERY quickly.

 

[terrilhb]

Listen to Laree. Sit on your hands. It is so nervewracking. Bite your nails.

and wait

 

[bburn]

Lol.....they are right and listen to them! You will continue to hear peeping. Then it gets quiet while they rest! But it can take as long as they are saying........

 

[chickengrl]

Yep, above folks 100% correct. I think I would remove the bowl of water though so it doesn't hatch and accidently drown in it. Apparently it can happen. Good luck!

 

[dominiquetrix]

Thank you everyone. You guys are awesome. I feel SO much better now that I know what to do....and what NOT to do!

I'm going to try the paper towel method. I can do this with the least amount of disturbance.

I'll keep you posted so you'll know how things turned out.

THANKS AGAIN!

 

[dominiquetrix]

Hi everyone!

The little baby is JUST FINE!!!!

I added a wet rag as suggested, took out the bowl of water and................................waited......and.............................waited.........................finally I woke up at 6am and found a beautiful just hatched little wyndotte.

That was two days ago! The power went out before I got him in with the Mama. In the mean time he acquired a pipped ameraucana that the broody had given up on. It also hatched a few hours later, one hour before we lost power. I was so afraid he was going to chill and die. The only thing i could do was take him to his mama and hope for the best. She hisssed at me, pecked at him and I pushed him underneath her with the other biddies and low and behold this morning he was fluffy and chirpy right along with his hatchlings.


Thanks to everyone for all your advise and encouragement. It was my first hatch and I have 9 beautiful fluffy butts out of 12 eggs set on May 4th.

Thanks again, so very appreciative for the help!