I messed up this batch

[Cheekychook12]

Should I remove some more shell without messing with the membrane or would that make it worse?

If the membrane is still quite bloody I’d wait another hour
However if the chick in the egg stops moving as much and slows down I’d do it sooner as it may be struggling
If you decide to assist go slowly and carefully, try to peel away the shell first not the membrane, and leave the bottom half of the shell on in case there’s still yolk that needs to be absorbed

 

[JordyGordy]

How big is this flesh coloured lump? If it’s small it may just be a raw unhealed navel which should heal pretty well so long as you keep it clean from infection, the fact that the chicks active is a very good sign

It's tiny. Smaller than the tip of an eraser. So you're probably right on it being a little bellybutton.

 

[JordyGordy]

If the membrane is still quite bloody I’d wait another hour
However if the chick in the egg stops moving as much and slows down I’d do it sooner as it may be struggling
If you decide to assist go slowly and carefully, try to peel away the shell first not the membrane, and leave the bottom half of the shell on in case there’s still yolk that needs to be absorbed

Omg thank you so much. It's been almost two hours so I may give it a shot in about half an hour.

 

[NatJ]

Should I remove some more shell without messing with the membrane or would that make it worse?

Have you read this article on assisted hatching?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching.64660/

You say the chick just recently pipped, right? So this piece of the article would apply right now:
"If a chick HAS pipped a hole in the shell
DO NOT INTERVENE for AT LEAST 12 hrs!"

Yes, the article gives reasons for that. It works out to: the chick pips and then appears to do nothing for a long time, while it absorbs the yolk. It is not ready to come out of the shell yet, and helping during that time will often kill the chick.

 

[Cheekychook12]

Omg thank you so much. It's been almost two hours so I may give it a shot in about half an hour.

I was in pretty much your exact situation a few weeks ago, I helped the chick (she was indeed shrink wrapped) but it hatched with a bad hernia but somehow survived and she’s doing well now
Just be aware that there may be some deformity or issues that you can’t see
How long has it been since initial pip? NatJ is correct that you shouldn’t help too early

 

[JordyGordy]

Have you read this article on assisted hatching?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching.64660/

You say the chick just recently pipped, right? So this piece of the article would apply right now:
"If a chick HAS pipped a hole in the shell
DO NOT INTERVENE for AT LEAST 12 hrs!"

Yes, the article gives reasons for that. It works out to: the chick pips and then appears to do nothing for a long time, while it absorbs the yolk. It is not ready to come out of the shell yet, and helping during that time will often kill the chick.

Thank you so much! I'm not sure when it pipped. I found out about two hours ago when my son heard peeping. So not exactly sure but I'd assume it's been maybe noon time.

 

[JordyGordy]

I was in pretty much your exact situation a few weeks ago, I helped the chick (she was indeed shrink wrapped) but it hatched with a bad hernia but somehow survived and she’s doing well now
Just be aware that there may be some deformity or issues that you can’t see
How long has it been since initial pip? NatJ is correct that you shouldn’t help too early

That's awesome! I'm so glad! I ended up losing one that just wasn't progressing and idk if I helped too early or late I pulled back some shell but have left it. It's not moving as much now, but I've been glued to the side of this incubator since 3:30

 

[NatJ]

Here is another article on assisted hatching.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/
It does not say "leave it alone" quite as many times as the one I provided first, but when discussing the right time to help, it says:
"If it's been 18 to 24 hours since the chick externally pipped or you made a safety hole and there has been no more progress, it's time to start to assist in earnest."

So that's another recommendation for giving it a good long time before trying to assist.

There are some chicks that will die no matter what you do, and some that will live and hatch by themselves if you wait long enough. Then there are the hard ones, that will live if you help them at the right time and not otherwise. Unfortunately there is no easy way to predict which group your chick belongs to

 

[Cheekychook12]

That's awesome! I'm so glad! I ended up losing one that just wasn't progressing and idk if I helped too early or late I pulled back some shell but have left it. It's not moving as much now, but I've been glued to the side of this incubator since 3:30

How long has it been since the chick first pipped? And how long after that did you remove some shell? If it’s only been a few hours I’d wait a while longer and watch the chick’s breathing, it is normal for them to rest however they should breathe steadily
I tend to help earlier than many people as my chicks hatch on average no more than six hours after pipping and I’ve yet to lose a chick I’ve assisted, so long as you are very careful and have good dexterity and immediately stop if you see blood and leave the bottom half of the shell alone it usually goes ok
Is the chick in the egg making any chewing motions with its beak? If it’s doing that it means it’s still absorbing yolk do not assist

 

[AshVau22]

Im currently hatching, some eggs pipped yesterday morning and didn't officially hatched till today around 1pm today. So it takes time. I don't normally assist till the morning of day two of pip with no progress. I