Internal pip but no external pip

[Keeperofmunchkins]

I need advice on whether I should assist a chick to hatch.

On day 18 I went to lockdown the eggs I have incubating, candled each one and was surprised to find one with the air cell drawn down and the beak visibly moving inside as if just about to internally pip. The others were not at this stage yet so I increased humidity and left them.

The next morning, early day 19, I candled this egg again to be sure I hadn't imagined it and found it had definitely internally pipped and could hear cheeping. So it had internally pipped somewhere between midnight and 8am friday. Midnight last night (friday, 16 hours at least after internal pip) I made a safety hole in the shell and left it.

This morning (after another 8 hours) it had made zero progress and is cheeping loudly as if distressed. So it has been a total of at least 27 hours (maximim 35) since internal pip, and 11 hours since I made a safety hole, and the chick has not made any visible progress.

However this morning I found 3 external pips in other eggs in the incubator so I am quite reluctant to start opening it to help the first egg. Don't know what to do!

 

[Mvan42]

So what day is it now?
What was your temperature set on?
What was your humidity?
What kind of incubator do you have? Is it circulated air or still air?

If it seems distressed you could open the area around the saftey hole to see what you are working with, it if the others just externally piped though it may still be ok. It’s hard to say for sure. And you don’t want to help to soon. When you candled was the chick opening and closing its mouth like it was eating, (eating motion). If so you should wait this is a sign it hasn’t finished absorbing the yolk yet.