How do you help a chick out of its egg (pic added)?

[tothemoon]

I finally have a chick hatching and it hasnt tried to get any further out since 10 this morning. It is breathing and peeping ( I can see its beak) but it just wiggles a little every now and then and that is it, nothing else is happening. So how and when should I try to help it out? Thanks for any help you can offer!!


Im on day 20 for this egg. Just found a dead chick I had to open up because it was so overdue. I dont want to loose this one!

The chick I had to help is the lightest color one at the top of the pic.

 

[mstricer]

No dont help it. What day are you on. sometimes it just takes some of them longer. Good luck.

 

[Katy]

Just leave it alone. It can take well over 24 hours for a chick to hatch.

 

[M@M@2four]

Quote:
agreed! And don't open the incubator! They need that humidity!!! Good luck!!!

 

[tothemoon]

M@M@2four :

Quote:
agreed! And don't open the incubator! They need that humidity!!! Good luck!!!

Why is the humidity so important? Im wondering because it looks to me like the sack around the chick is drying out and turning white. Will it still be able to get out?​

 

[neferset]

If that's happening, no, you've probably lost your humidity already. Humidity has a lot to do with whether they can hatch. I've had a lot of issues with that recently due to excessively dry weather. You may want to carefully chip the shell away over the air cell (start at the pip with blunt tweezers). If the blood vessels in the membrane are still pumping and active, wait a few hours, then make the hole a little bigger slowly until the chick is uncovered. I'd put him back in the incubator upright in a lidless egg carton and wait. If he's strong enough he should be able to climb out on his own.

I did that with a number of chicks on this hatch successfully.

 

[tothemoon]

Quote:
The whole "blood vessels in the membrane still pumping" thing scares the heck outa me. I hope I do it right! Thanks for the help!

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

JUST SAYIN'
I hate helping them out of eggs. Every time I've done this, they are roly poly and die a couple days later.

 

[silkiechicken]

Here is the link to the sticky at the top of this section:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=48726

It talks about the decision to help, and how to.

Give it at least 24 hours, or till day 22 to hatch. Do not open the incubator on day 18-22 as this can compromise the entire hatch. Sounds like you already opened it though, so get that humidity up to 75 and leave them be.

 

[denasfarm]

From my years of experience, if they cant hatch alone they probably wont live long (maybe a few days) after you help OR you will have a special needs chicken for years to look after. I have done both and currently have several crippled and mobility challenged birds hopping and dragging around the farm.