Helping Chicks Hatch? Information why or why not

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savannahRoos22 said:
This is why you should help open the egg of a chick that just pipped Because their membrane may be dried out (or may soon dry out), they may have oxygen issues, they're too big to position themselves any further. So many pippers die!
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This is crazy talk.
I started hatching in the 70s and have hatched 10s of thousands of chicks if not more. If you're doing things even half right you're still going to get a low percent of pipped chicks dying.
You start assisting chicks when they first pip you're gonna end up with a ton of dead chicks. You start opening the incubator to mess with them that's when you're gonna get high percentages of shrink wrapped and or chilled chicks dying.
If incubating was even close to causing so many dead chicks as you suggest then we'd all be using broodies instead of incubators and hatcheries would be nonexistent.
To all the newbies that read this thread..... Leave your incubators shut during hatching and leave the pipped eggs alone and you'll have a lot less heartbreak then following the OPs advice.
 
The Angry Hen said:
I honestly don't think it's a joke... Granted, I may disagree with the subject. But I guess she has her own opinion like both you and I. ;)
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One should never let the chance to blame Fake Eileen for something go by without jumping on the chance....:lau:lau:lau:lau:lau
 
savannahRoos22 said:
What do you think of helping a chick hatch?

Here's what I have to back up my opinion:
  • If the humidity is too dry, the chicks get "shrink-wrapped" by the membrane, which dries out and turns sticky - preventing the chicks from rotating in the shell. If the humidity is too low during any part of the incubation period, this can result in chick death at any stage of its development.
This is why you should help open the egg of a chick that just pipped Because their membrane may be dried out (or may soon dry out), they may have oxygen issues, they're too big to position themselves any further. So many pippers die! Although you don't want to break veins. And if they're having trouble hatching, you would think you should add more water or a cloth to help it not dryout but this can drown it. Don't leave a struggling chick laying there, exhausted.


I understand the quick thought of helping to be disasterous but don't single out a single comment. There's research to be done and each hatch is different! It's all my posts in this thread, replies, video, comments together that are my full representation. I was expecting issues to come up when I posted this thread.
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Here is a good article that Shows what can happen if you assist prematurely. Please check it out.
I have call ducks and they have tiny little beaks and are more likely to need assistance than other breeds. This article really helped me decide when to make the decision to intervene and when to leave them be.
And actually it's my understanding opening the air cell too early will cause the membrane to dry out too fast for sure.
Sorry if you are feeling attacked here,
We just all know that lots of folks come here for hatching advice and we don't want a newbie to get confused about the facts.
Hope this article helps you. ;)
 

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