How do you know when to help a baby out of its shell?

[Chickensrock10110]

The chick has pipped but has made no effort of getting out from when he first pipped.It has been close to 48 hours but the chick is still chirping.

Any advice?

 

[Catalina]

If the membrane is still semi soft I would gently peel it back. Just a tiny bit.
You might need to soften up the membrane with warm water.

If you see any signs of blood -stop!

 

[Chickensrock10110]

Quote:
I am not really familiar with the membrane.Can you explain it?

 

[Akane]

Do you have others hatching and what day is it on? Sometimes you get an early one that pips before the others and then ends up sitting an extra long time. In those cases I would continue to wait until the others hatch. If all have finished hatching, it's day 22 or longer, and that one is still left having been pipped for 2 days I would slip it out and break a little shell away to see what's going on. If there is blood or visible thick veins it's not done absorbing and needs to go back in. I'd check it again in 6-12hrs. If there is no blood then you can carefully break away the shell and membrane and slide the chick out. Carefully in case there's still some yolk not absorbed. If there is and it breaks they will bleed to death so you need to be careful and wrap it's lower half in a damp warm paper towel until it's absorbed.

 

[Chickensrock10110]

Quote:
They are seramas and this was the first that pipped.All of his/her brothers and sisters have already hatched.I believe it`s day 21 today and my seramas usually hatch on day 19 ,sometimes day 20.I can see the chick through the hole and its making this cliking/rasping noise(not tapping)It is moving and looks like he`s still wet.I can`t really see any veins or blood though.

 

[Catalina]

Quote:
I am not really familiar with the membrane.Can you explain it?

The membrane is underneath the egg shell. It looks like thin wet canvas. Or thick cream colored paper.

I had to help one chick out yesterday - a silkie with a giant head. She's doing great now. Sometimes they need a little help.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I never help them out, unless they are obviously stuck. Even then they usually don't make it. It can take at least 24 hours for the chick to hatch after first pip, I would leave it alone. If it is not able to hatch on its own, it probably is not very strong anyway.

 

[Akane]

I've popped a few out of their shell at the end of hatch that I really don't think there was anything wrong with. They just couldn't get into the right position despite being very active. Usually they are at least partially zipped though by then. I've had very few that hardly got beyond pipping survive even if they were ready to hatch when I helped. Seramas do get stuck often though and lots of people have said they had to help them so I would probably try it if all the others have finished.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I just helped one of mine out and it's fine now. The membrane was dried up so there was no way he was getting out on his own. It took me about an hour to finish getting him out. I just slowly chipped away at the shell and then worked a bit on the membrane. Once I got around his head done he pushed his way the rest of the way out

Good luck! Mine was pipped for 16 hours and nothing afterwards so I couldn't stand to wait!