when would you consider helping a chick hatch?? have had some start zipping and died in the process anyone have any anwsers??
Same with me, the eggs I was hatching now, 3 have hatced, 3 have started pipping, they are due tommorow, so a bit suprised. But my first group had 4 from my first group, I had to help because had 4 hens on same nest and they were killing chicks by tearing eggs apart when they pipped. Had to pull eggs out second they made a peep. Since they weren't with hens, and in a drier enviroment had to help hatch out. The 4 I helped did fine.
If they have been pipped for more than 24 hours I will tap on the top of the bator, whistle, whatever I can to get them to make noise. I have even taken the egg out and tapped on the egg to make them cheep ( most people don't do this but I make sure that I do everything fast and have never had a problem). If I don't hear anything I begin to take away a tiny piece of the shell, on the big end. That way I can see if it is moving under the membrane. If it is sometimes I put it back in the bator and then just run in there every hour or so and make sure it is still moving and andif need be moisten the membrane as it will dry out more quickly now, sometimes I go ahead and make a little hole in the membrane. This will usually get them cheeping and moving again, and you know it has air. The I usually just put the egg back in there and let the baby try to get out itself. If it hasn't in about 12 hours you can begin to remove a little more of the shell. Lots of times when you get the shell out from around it's head area then it will move around and when I do this I usually leave it be for a few hours and just keep check. Mine usually decide to come out of the shell after I go to bed lol. You have to be fairly quick as you don't want to keep them out too long. I have had to do this to several eggs that I had to take from a broody and they all lived, I had two that I didn't do this for and they died. So personally I don't have a problem helping and think that if you get that gut feeling that something is not right, intervene then!
I try to help chicks out, but all chicks I help out are too weak and die, but I just cant leave them in their shell to die
Please read the sticky at the top of this topic. Great advice there from experts. i have helped many chicks hatch, and they have done just fine. The times i have not helped and they have died, it has been my fault (not enough humidity). The thing is to not wait too long to help. From my personal experience, from the time you hear chirping, they need to be out in 24 hours. But don't listen to me, read the great posts at the top of this thread.
