Intervention: Helping Your Chicks Hatch

[Rebe]

Hi could you give me the membrane removel instructions! I may have to do this. Thank You

 

[RooRidgeFarm]

Hi could you give me the membrane removel instructions! I may have to do this. Thank You

Hello,
Let me first ask,why do you think you will have to do this? Are your chicks hatching now or overdue? How have your temps and humidity been throughout the incubation? Are they pipping, but not zipping? Let me know a few more details and I may be able to focus my reply a little better to help you.
Thanks!

 

[newchickentown]

Hi aran,
I would do a little bit of a wait and see. Especially if you have several more eggs in the bator. What is the best determining factor for me is lack of sound and or movement. I actually did everything the "wrong" way-and I did it on purpose in order to not lose all my babies. I picked up the ones that had externally pipped and talked to them and lightly tapped the shell. If I got a good response I waited a bit to see if they could make it out on their own. If there was not much of a reply, I started extending the pip myself and wetting/softening the membrane process.

It is a tough judgement call sometimes. But, as I said, I did everything the "wrong" way and ended up saving all mine. I had them out of the bator for up to 30 mins sometimes and they did not suffer for it or die (I even dropped one on the carpet as I was removing the shell-and it is thriving). When they are at the point of living outside the shell they are actually very hardy little things and even the shell cooling did not harm them. If you feel you are going to end up with a bunch of dead baby chicks by waiting, then it's time to step in and help. All you would be doing is helping remove the shell (which is not attached to the bird) and softening them membrane in order to prevent death from humidity issues.

If you have any questions, or I didn't cover the process clearly enough above, please feel free to ask any questions.

Best wishes!

I have done the zipper part can't you tell me how to do membrane if I have to thanks

 

[RooRidgeFarm]

I have done the zipper part can't you tell me how to do membrane if I have to thanks

Hi, I am in a bit of a rush, but I saw your post...


It may or may not apply to your situation. If you do not have a membrane pip, then you will need to make a small hole near the beak after you remove some of the shell. Let it rest and wiggle a little after helping make a membrane pip. Your chicks may be able to roll around and start zipping with just a small amount of help. Or, if they are still not moving after the membrane pip and waiting a little, then you will need to zip more shell off, and try to manipulate the membrane down the body. Do that slowly and patiently with flour or blood stop ready. The membranes have not had a chance to close up themselves, so there will be a bit of bleeding. Work, and then let the veins and chick rest. Do NOT remove the membrane past the belly! Try getting the head, shoulder, and wings free, and then keep moist and let the chick finish. The umbilical must try to dry up by itself, so keep the membrane covering it for awhile, or let the chick finish getting out and it will close off the blood flow itself.

If the instructions above don't seem to be working, or your chick appears to be suffering/dying/swelling in the shell, then use the quick method listed below.

If you feel the chick is going to die in the shell, you can do a quicker removal. You will need blood stop powder or even flour to help stop any bleeding.
What my son does in tricky cases is, after he removes almost all shell and moistens the membrane, he will start at the pip site of the membrane and gently stretch and ROLL the membrane down (like rolling socks off your feet). Once you get the head and shoulders out-STOP. Don't roll the membrane down any more as it will take a little time for the bottom of the vessels to cauterize and for the umbilical to start to separate from the membrane. So what happens when you do the quick method is this: The quick rolling of the membrane almost acts like a constrictor-you are rolling the membrane down the chicks body and as it rolls, the blood flow is being restricted. You will have some bleeding, but it 'should' not be too bad. Keep the flour handy and use it anywhere there is bleeding, but not the eyes or nostrils or mouth. Wait and keep the membrane moist. After a few hours the umbilical will be getting closer to drying up and you can carefully roll the membrane down a little more.

 

[jjtrucker]

I am fixing to help one of my silkies hath. It has piped in the middle early yesterday evening and made no other progress and it seems to be having trouble. It is on day 23. I have 3 others that have not even started to pip yet. Any advice on how long I should give them?

 

[Sswanee48]

jjtrucker, I don't know what to tell you about how long to wait. I can tell you that what happens to me is when I get my humidity up higher it makes mine start pipping right away. That has happened with my last to hatches. I don't want to tell you what to do but it worked for me. My humidity was at 70 and my first chick started in a few minutes later. I read it should be around 65 but I kept mine at 70. I had a chick pip on Saturday morning around 10 oclock and all my other chicks hatched before it. I started intervening with it on Sunday night because I could see that the membrane was dry and the poor chick in my opinion was probably getting tired out. Monday morning I said the heck with it and carefully got it out. I put a damp paper towel over the dry membrane and did some removing and cutting the shell open more. I am very lucky and so far so good with the chick. Depending on how far the egg has pipped I'd go from there. So for me I waited almost 2 full days before I helped it. Good luck with your hatch.

 

[laurz]

Advice please I have two eggs that pipped about 8 hour ago and can still here cheeping but they are no further on should I intervene

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Advice please I have two eggs that pipped about 8 hour ago and can still here cheeping but they are no further on should I intervene

At 8 hours they don't need help. It can take upto 24 hours from external pip to hatch. They need to absorb yolk and blood vessels before they hatch. They also do alot of resting. I see your post is from nearly 20 hours ago so I'm hoping the eggs have hatched ok?

 

[hopei girl]

Ok I have a Cochin .. This is her first set of eggs to sit on .. 3 has hatched and she has left the rest to feed the 3 that hatched. I went to check her eggs and noticed one was pipping out .. I had to get it out the egg because I also noticed there was three flys in there with it while it was still alive .. Did I do the right thing will it make it.. It's been a few hours since I got it out and it's still a live .. I was scared the flys that got inside the egg would kill it and I was only thinking off getting the flys off the still living chick .. Did I do wrong ?? !!

 

[sssharon]

Hopei girl, I think sometimes you have to go with your gut feeling and I don't think you did anything wrong.I helped one get out of the shell one time and wasn't sorry about it and she's a good healthy chicken now. I think it just depends on the circumstance.Good luck with your chick.