How long does it take to actually hatch?

[taylohol11]

Were hatching chicks as well but this one is the most far along i don't know if i should help it or not. Is it safe if i just pull of some shell around the edge off???

 

[moocow]

My second chick was pipping but I helps it i hope it will make it not die but will check befre i lock them up and c tomoz if any mre r here

here's a pic of the chick I helped

 

[newbeeatchicks]

hi i am expirienceing the same problem but mine pipped at 24 hours ago and still no process,

 

[karlyla]

how many made it from that batch in the end?

I currently have almost 20 in the bator that one started hatching a few days ago but died whilst hatching (i think it must have been the humidity because the membrane was quite dry?)

one had started to hatch 1 and a half days ago and has cracked open about the size of a thumb nail however it looks like the membrane is going a little dry (i have water in the bator and an extra bowl) would it hurt if i started chipping away at the shell? will the membrane go hard and stop the chick from breathing/moving?

THANK YOU!

 

[LustyWriter09]

Actually, I have found out from experience. That if a chick dies after it has already picked and broken part of the shell it could be because there wasn't enough humidity and they choked because their lungs were still developing/getting used to, to handling regular air. (this happened with one of my duck eggs) Or it could be an early hatcher. It happens sometimes. That's why it's important to wait as long as possible before ever helping the chicks. That and if they were piping a lot and rolling their eggs, it could mean that the shell was too hard and that they couldn't break it. Sometimes that does happen also because the hen lays really hard shelled eggs from too much calcium, Oystershell's, you name it. And it can happen most commonly with free range chickens/ organic/ ect.. hope this helps a bit ^-^

If their membrane is two solid, too hard, you can always get a warm wet rag or even get some toilet paper and get it wet and lightly put it around the rim of where the shell is open. To help em hatch.

 

[LustyWriter09]

Sometimes it is also because of genetics. There could've been something wrong with the check. Their lungs weren't fully formed or another organ. Their are many probabilities if the chick dies before hatching.

 

[jessicarenae12]

How do you n know if the membrane is too dry?? I have 1 out of 20 that is starting to hatch it piped 15 hours ago. Seems like it should be further along by now..

 

[Egghead_Jr]

That bird's probably made it out of shell by now. Looks completely zipped.

If you see dried gunk around the pip hole the chick is likely stuck. They can't turn to zip the shell like the one in photo. I don't see any pips in your photo and don't believe you've anything to fret at this time. Keep the humidity up, 70% RH or more and all should go well.

 

[JennieNoelle]

There's a long thread somewhere (?in the learning center, or a sticky) on helping -- i would suggest reading that if you're thinking about it.

I was about to help a chick on my last hatch b/c it was 15 hours after all the other chicks had hatched & it hadn't made progress for that long, and the membrane over the hole looked very dry & leathery. I ended up NOT helping after I read a few cautionary posts that made sense to me -- I was about to dive in before that because so many were positive about helping.

I ended up being glad that I didn't help. The chick was still peeping loudly. I finally went to bed & woke up 2 hours later to loud peeping from the bator. He had gotten out, & the membranes aside from right over the hole were very pink & moist. I'm not so sure I would worry so much about dry-looking membrane in the future. I think he just wasn't ready. You know if you help before they've finished the "draw down" of blood from the membranes & absorbing the yolk, they can bleed to death & die.

Good luck & keep us posted!

 

[JennieNoelle]

I want to read about the learning center ,or sticky, about hatching the chicks.
Where can I find it?