how long after internal pip?

[blacksilkie]

I have one egg left under my hen. the last one hatched two days ago and I did not think the last egg was good. Yesterday I candled it and heard it chirp so it has pipped inside. that was 18 hours ago. I figured it would pip during the night but it did not. How long should I wait before I help it? I think why it took so long is a heat issue. The Hen has not been on it as much because of the chicks she has. Thanks for any suggestions

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'd leave it alone but be ready to put in in some makeshift incubator in case she abandons it.

 

[blacksilkie]

I was worried it would suffocate in the shell without a pip. I just read here it could take three days after internal pip.I can clearly hear it chirping and scraping it's beak on the inside of the shell. The Hen is still paying attention to it but also to 4 chicks and is not sitting on it constantly.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You may be better off moving it indoors.
A hen will usually abandon after a couple days with live chicks. A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush, so to speak.
It needs a place about 98-99F and humid.

 

[blacksilkie]

They are all inside, it's just not 98 degrees in here. In order to do that I'd have to set up my Incubator. I could pretty quick, do you think it's necessary?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Absolutely necessary if you aren't at least at 95F and above 50% humidity.
Fire it up and in the meantime put them in a box with a light and wet sponges. Try to keep it between 95 and 100.

 

[blacksilkie]

She is sitting on it now, I plugged in the Incubator and as soon as it's stable I'll move it in.
Thanks a bunch

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Make sure you up the humidity in it. At this point, that's more important than temp. Just don't let temp get over 103.

 

[blacksilkie]

It's been in the incubator for around an Hour and has now Externally pipped. Humidity is around 70 percent temp still not quite there at around 95.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Congratulations. Those numbers aren't bad. They are generating some of their own heat at this point.

What breed?