Help, what should I do.

[Azriel]

OK, I know don't help. But, this is day 23 and I can hear one egg peeping, but it has not pipped the shell yet. I did have one hatch this morning. These are shipped GCM, and i have been trying to get these for over a year. I had them in with my own home grown eggs, which all 10 of 10 hatched on day 21. On the GCM eggs, 1 hatched on day 22, then 1 today on day 23. Should I wait till tomorrow or if I'm going to help, do it now. I was thinking that if I was going to help that I could just put a small crack in the shell and then let the chick take it from there? I really, really want these babies.
Please help me decide what to do.
Bonnie

 

[ChickenPrnces]

I would give it one more day at least! Did you try candling to make sure it's alive and see if it pipped through the air cell? I made the mistake of helping 2 hatch that were 2 and 3 days overdue and it was exactly that! A BIG MISTAKE! They were doing fine on their own just not quite ready and had not sucked in their yoke! They came out alive and died an hour or so later! I was crushed! If it is definitely still alive then give it another day or two!

 

[Azriel]

OK, I just candled the egg and it has pipped into the air cell and is moveing. I also can see some blood veins yet, so would that mean it's just not quite ready? I guess I sit on my hands to keep them off the bater till tomorrow.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
Leave it!

Blood veins means it hasn't absorbed the sack and the veins. You would kill the chick if you opened it.

Be patient. BTW, what is GCM?

 

[Azriel]

GCM= Golden Cuckoo Maran. They are soooo pretty. Last year I sent for eggs and all I got were reg. Cuckoo Marans, then I sent for another batch, paid for them, but was never sent the eggs. Now I got these eggs 2 are out and in the brooder and as far as I can tell just this 1 more egg that might make it. I'll be happy if I can get even 1 of each sex.

 

[Sphinx]

I would definitely wait.

If it's still chirping, it's still alive. Someone posted on here recently that they noticed that marans tend to be a little on the slow side to hatch, and that later than 21 days aren't completely out of the ordinary.

 

[ChickenPrnces]

X2!!!! Wait it out a couple more days! If its moving and in the air sac then it is ok for now! Mine were just like that! Late, pipped into the sac and I screwed it all up! Let me tell you what! It was heartbreaking! Don't do it! If I had left them be like I was suppose to then they would probably be alive!

 

[bairo]

Quote:
Leave it!

Blood veins means it hasn't absorbed the sack and the veins. You would kill the chick if you opened it.

Be patient. BTW, what is GCM?

x2

 

[bairo]

ps. Double check your thermometer...are sure you are not a degree low?

 

[TucsonAZ]

My eggs always start pipping on day 19 and all are out on day 20, I figured maybe my temps were too high but they stay super spot on and I have been getting 100% hatch rates so I'm not going to mess with things.

Anyway, since I know how this goes timeframe wise, I will sometimes help them along at the very end. Last hatch all of the eggs and already hatched and there was one that hadn't pipped even so I pulled all the chicks and was going to toss the egg. Instead I figured I would do an eggtopsy, I was careful chipping away the shell only to find a shrink wrapped chick inside still kicking and full of life. I pulled back the membrane without giving it much thought as I was already shocked enough to see a living chick, it bled a lot, I thought for sure the chick wasn't going to live but 2 weeks later it's alive and totally vibrant.

My point is, do what you feel it right and learn from it as you go.