How come people are so anxious to help chicks hatch?

[hinkjc]

The point of my question is in reference to all of the folks who post "my egg pipped, when should I help". I am a bit concerned that folks are getting the impression this is the norm, when helping chicks hatch should always be a last resort.

If all of your incubation controls were proper, it should not be necessary to help..ever. If you know you had challenges, it is best to wait until the hatch is finished before even opening an incubator, since the hatching environment should always be kept consistent. Even opening it only slightly to take a peak impacts the hatch and disturbs the environment. These types of disturbances cannot be recovered from, regardless of how "fast you got the humidity back up".

Let's consider it from a different perspective. A mama hen never leaves her nest until she feels the hatch is complete and babies are ready for the world. She generally does not assist weak or defective young and let's nature make the decision as to their fate. I'm not saying that's what we should do, in all cases..but in most I feel we should make every attempt to withhold our urge to interfere and let the hatch take its natural course.

I hope folks will find this as an educational post for anyone new to hatching. It is not meant to say helping is right or wrong, but I think people are helping too much or too soon, which can cause more harm than good for their hatches.

Good luck to all who are hatching and I wish you lots of happy healthy chicks!

Jody

 

[Katy]

I agree with Jody 100%!!

 

[CUDA]

This sounds similar to a thread I started hinkjc...lol! Yep I agree with you all the way!

 

[theOEGBman]

I also agree with you, Jody. If a chick doesnt have the strength to break out of an egg, how healthy will it really be?

 

[speckledhen]

Now, if you could just convince my DH of that. I agree and I'm going to try to hold him back this time. I've told people how to help if they decide to do so, but honestly, that is a tough decision for me. I don't think it should be the norm at all.

 

[RoostersCrow]

"Helping" a chick out can very often lead to hemorage and death. Generally best to leave nature alone.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Jody, You hit the nail on the head...I have NEVER had to help a chick out when its hatching and I have hatched out hundreds of chicks..... People are impatient and don't listen when you say Do not open the incubator, they don't watch their temps or humidity during a hatch or try tweaking it on day 18 or beyond and that never works out well...

 

[ebonykawai]

I agree, too. I know that for me, I had to develop a thick skin and had to keep telling myself "Even mamma hens don't get 100% hatches or perfect babies every time. Mamma hens cull, too, via nature." I had 4 eggs this past hatch and it was day 23 with no pips. That was my cutoff point. In the real world, mamma hen would have probably abandoned the eggs, as well, and started taking care of the 11 babies already there. I'll never help in a hatch. It's just not natural.

This topic should be stickied underneath the 'helping to hatch' thread so people can make better, more fuller decisions.

 

[sara]

Jody~ Thanks for saying that, I totally agree. The few times I gave in and helped have turned out badly.

 

[chickenranchwife]

I totally agree with all of you, although I've never hatched any yet. I believe in letting mother nature do all the work.