Internal pip over 27 hours ago and still no external pip, help!

[Seasonmomma]

First off, I have read the Sally Sunshine assisted hatch post several times over. I just can’t decide if I really should do something or wait it out some more.

Yesterday was day 19, I had an internal pip at roughly 5:45am, heard peeping and saw a little moving all throughout the day, but today barely any movement, and no peeping at all.

I did do a brief candling a couple hours ago, at about the 26 hour mark, and there is still movement inside and I can see the little beak in the air sac, just hasn’t peeped since around 10pm last night.

So my question is, should I poke a little breathing hole? Should I chip lightly away at the shell air sac area until I see a beak? Or should I just leave it and see what happens still?

I know hatching takes time, so I’m pretty patient and not at the “omg I’m freaking out!!” stage, I’m just hoping this little guy pulls through. Especially since my son has already deemed it his favorite. Hehe

 

[chuckachucka]

I would just make a tiny breathing hole in the shell over the air cell. Can't hurt at this point and could save it's life.

 

[Seasonmomma]

Thank you for the quick response.
I decided to make a hole in the shell, glad I did, more movement and it’s peeping again.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

At day 19, I wouldn't do a thing. However it may be too late. How did you know it had pipped internally without opening the incubator?
Opening the incubator or the shell can be a problem because you'll lose all the humidity and shrink wrap the embryo with the inner membrane.

 

[Seasonmomma]

At day 19, I wouldn't do a thing. However it may be too late. How did you know it had pipped internally without opening the incubator?
Opening the incubator or the shell can be a problem because you'll lose all the humidity and shrink wrap the embryo with the inner membrane.

Today is day 20, yesterday is when it started peeping, no external pip however. I’ve read a few places if it pips internally that’s when you’d hear peeping. Unless that’s not a thing?

Anyway, I kick humidity up a bit (homemade incubator), wait a little bit, then grabbed the one egg quickly so I could candle and see. Saw the little triangle poking into the air sac. That was at about the 26 hour mark after I first heard the peeping inside.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Let me just say that I sometimes hear peeping for days before hatch day. Hatch day is day 21. And maybe they don't come out till day 22 or 23. Just because they are peeping doesn't mean they are developed enough blood vessels dried enough and yolk absorbed enough and umbilicus (navel) closed enough for them to survive coming out of the egg. It isn't a chick yet. This is what it looks like at day 20.

Once day 18 arrives, you have nothing to do but wait for the chick to emerge. That's why some people call it lockdown. If it can't emerge on its own, it wasn't meant to survive.
Chickens have been hatching for millions of years with no human intervention.