One of my Copper marans chicks is still in the egg and it hatched yesterday at 5:20 but it is still in the egg!!! I increased the humidity by putting it in my bathroom and turning on the shower to increase because I thought that was the problem.... But it still hasn't hatched out all the way!!! What should I do? I cut some of the shell off and left the membrane for the most part. Just to widen the hole for it to get out... I'm really worried :'( Grant
If you've messed with the shell by pulling it off, the membrane will probably stick to it at some point & make it really hard to get out. IF you want to risk opening the 'bator again, and you have one of the styrofoam models like a LG or GQF, you can run hot water from your shower head onto a towel, making it evenly moist all over, then go to the incubator, drape the towel over it, after pinpointing visually where the egg is. Then, quickly slide your hand in underneath the mist towel, quickly get the bumpy (chick) egg, get your arm out, close the lid down wit the chick-free hand, then remove the towel. Take your chick to a warm place and gently peel the membrane & shell off it, then, keeping the chick warm, place it into a brooder, or back into the incubator if you have no choice, using the warm, wet towel method again. The chick will live if it was meant to live & is equipped to physically. Some people may say leave the chick alone, but whenever I do this, and I've done it many times, the other pipped eggs have hatched fine, and the chick has thrived. IF you have many other pipped eggs in the incubator, you may just want to leave the chick alone, if you think you risk "shrink-wrapping" them by moving the incubator lid, When I've done this and have had a thermo-hygrometer insie the incubator, the humidity loss has been only a couple percentage points.
Grant-- you can help it finish hatching. DO you know how to use the goggle to find info on doing this? Is the shell chipped off most of the way around the top of the egg? If no t you can use a tweezer to break away a small peice at a time or use your nails to break off a peice at a time. ONe of mine could only peck a zillion holes in the membrane, it was rubbery and didn't rip. SO I looked at the membrane looking for veins. Wait if veins are visible and wait until absorbed. Break thru the membrane to make a cap. See if chick can finish the job. SOme can but some can't. You may need to completely remove the cap and you may need to remove the rest of the egg off the chick. I have assisted Many chicks, and was glad I did! Most survive and do well! Will search for other thread. Here it is , with great detail. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9316
