Intervention: Helping Your Chicks Hatch

[RooRidgeFarm]

Thank you to all in this thread! We just finished incubating 48 eggs.
We ended up with 28 chicks in total.
3 assisted. The rest were fine on their own. Couldn't have done it with out this thread! You are all amazing for sharing your experiences. I followed the advice given to ithers and as i said we saved 3 that wouldn't have made it. We lost one to tye chicks playing football. Had piped. Then sometime through the night been rolled over

at least 10 eggs had not progressed during incubation. I don't think they were fertile to start with. The rest I'm not sure. No egg-topsies performed. I can't do it. Don't want to risk opening a rotten egg!

Thanks again everyone. Even though i was silently reading all advice helped

Good job! Have fun with your new chick babies

 

[pegern4]

Your post saved 4 of my chicks! I would not have known what to do when my pipped eggs started to die! I now have 7 healthy chicks. Thank you!

 

[brualy]

That is VERY exciting to hear, so very happy for you and the chicks!!! I can't wait for my guineas to start laying again, I can tell it won't be too long!

 

[theorabbit]

Edited By silkiechicken:


Please read this thread first on a discussion of helping vs not.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=45583&p=1

_____________________________________________________________



Hi,

For those who have an incubated hatch and are wondering when and how to help your chicks that are not making progress, you may be able to use this info.


Do NOT be afraid to help the chick out! If you don't hear as much peeping, or see as much beak movement and it has been hours-it's probably time to help. More than likely it has nothing to do with a "weak" chick, but has everything to do with a chick whose membrane has dried out, or is too large for its shell but otherwise perfectly healthy and normal.


A good indicator of when to help (besides the peeping and moving lessening) is if you see that the pipped area has a very very white membrane showing through at the edges. Most intervention is required because of humidity issues.


When the chick pips its beak externally the drying process of the membrane really kicks in. And drying makes it nearly impossible for the chick to move around to "zip" the rest of the shell.


Here's what you need:


Have WARM water handy

Really Really WET WARM washcloth

DULL tweezers-not sharp and pointy

An eyedropper, or q-tips, or medicine dropper

Clean hands

Good lighting


Here's what you do:


Remove your egg from bator keeping in mind to turn off any air cconditioning and fans. You want your room as warm as you can stand. (Do not worry about the chick cooling off too much if the room is fairly warm. I have had mine out of the bator for up to 1/2 hour working on the shell and membrane-and the chicks are alive and healthy today). And do NOT be afraid to open and close the incubator-just keep adding wet cloths to the bator to keep humidity up.


Using your dull tipped tweezers, carefully start at the pip already created and lift ONLY the shell (like a boiled egg-but try hard to NOT include any membrane in your peeling of the shell) and to work around the shell. The best process is to take a bit in the tweezers and PINCH the shell and it will break in very small pieces gradually creating a neat little "zip". The key is to pinch small areas at a time and not remove huge sections. Your goal is to imitate what the chick would do under normal circumstances.


Zip the shell around the end where the chick started pipping-it should be at the large end of the egg, but sometimes they will pip at the small pointy end or even in the middle.


As you help zip the shell carefully take your warm water dropper etc. and "bathe" the membrane occassionally to start softening it up. Be very very carefull not to drop water or soak the area of the beak. You do not want to drop water in the nostrils and drown the chick.


If for any reason you see blood from the membrane-STOP. Put the egg back in the bator, and wrap the very wet, warm washcloth around the exposed zip you have created. Be careful to not completely cover the beak, but cover as much of the exposed membrane as you can to soften it up. Lay the pipped BEAK area on its side or facing up-not facing down-keep in mind the chick is breathing AIR at this point and will need to have an open uncovered access to breathe.


Leave the baby in the bator for an hour or two longer. Then try repeating the process untill you have zipped entirely around the egg. The MOST important object is to get the membrane very soft like it should have been for the chick to make its way out by softening it in the warm washcloth.


In VERY difficult cases, over a period of hours, you can, in steps, do this process and remove almost ALL of the shell and soak the membrane in the wet washcloth in the incubator. You also can (using your judgement) decide to help remove the membrane itself, but do not do that too early in the shell removing process (you can email me for more directions on the membrane).


All in all, you need to be very confident to intervene like this. If you are too scared or iffy about it, you may want to just wait it out. But honestly, if you wait and the chick gets quieter and stiller, chances are you will loose it without doing some intervention.


So you know it really does work, I have hatched out MANY like this myself. Once they make the pip and can't zip, the membrane rapidly dehydrates. Also, some chicks are just WAY to big for their shells and cannot physically move around to do the zipping and then they die in one spot having been unable to rotate. I found that several difficult chciks are actually the largest ones-the smaller "runt" chicks have literally kicked their way out like they were kickboxing.


I "gave birth" to, or hatched 2 chicks out COMPLETELY in my hand by using this method above AND removing the membrane (email or ask for those membrane directions). And I have also helped way more zip using the above method. They are alive and thriving as I speak-so it can be done! I am not a person who is willing to sit and listen to my bator get quieter and quieter as the chicks die in their shells. But, as I stated, you must choose what you feel is best for your situation, and be sure and ask if you are not sure when to intervene-there are many here on the BYC that have a wealth of info.


Best wishes

Hi, I'm new to incubating and I just had to help one of my chicks out of its shell, it had pipped 32 hours ago and it had been struggling to get out since then and couldn't. I did what was said to do and now the chick is out but I'm still worried about it. It looks healthy and strong and has been flopping around for the last few minutes and I don't see anything wrong with it but I've read all over that helping them out will kill them. Anything helpful or reassuring would be appreciated.

 

[Ruthannnall]

Edited By silkiechicken:


Please read this thread first on a discussion of helping vs not.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=45583&p=1

_____________________________________________________________



Hi,

For those who have an incubated hatch and are wondering when and how to help your chicks that are not making progress, you may be able to use this info.


Do NOT be afraid to help the chick out! If you don't hear as much peeping, or see as much beak movement and it has been hours-it's probably time to help. More than likely it has nothing to do with a "weak" chick, but has everything to do with a chick whose membrane has dried out, or is too large for its shell but otherwise perfectly healthy and normal.


A good indicator of when to help (besides the peeping and moving lessening) is if you see that the pipped area has a very very white membrane showing through at the edges. Most intervention is required because of humidity issues.


When the chick pips its beak externally the drying process of the membrane really kicks in. And drying makes it nearly impossible for the chick to move around to "zip" the rest of the shell.


Here's what you need:


Have WARM water handy

Really Really WET WARM washcloth

DULL tweezers-not sharp and pointy

An eyedropper, or q-tips, or medicine dropper

Clean hands

Good lighting


Here's what you do:


Remove your egg from bator keeping in mind to turn off any air cconditioning and fans. You want your room as warm as you can stand. (Do not worry about the chick cooling off too much if the room is fairly warm. I have had mine out of the bator for up to 1/2 hour working on the shell and membrane-and the chicks are alive and healthy today). And do NOT be afraid to open and close the incubator-just keep adding wet cloths to the bator to keep humidity up.


Using your dull tipped tweezers, carefully start at the pip already created and lift ONLY the shell (like a boiled egg-but try hard to NOT include any membrane in your peeling of the shell) and to work around the shell. The best process is to take a bit in the tweezers and PINCH the shell and it will break in very small pieces gradually creating a neat little "zip". The key is to pinch small areas at a time and not remove huge sections. Your goal is to imitate what the chick would do under normal circumstances.


Zip the shell around the end where the chick started pipping-it should be at the large end of the egg, but sometimes they will pip at the small pointy end or even in the middle.


As you help zip the shell carefully take your warm water dropper etc. and "bathe" the membrane occassionally to start softening it up. Be very very carefull not to drop water or soak the area of the beak. You do not want to drop water in the nostrils and drown the chick.


If for any reason you see blood from the membrane-STOP. Put the egg back in the bator, and wrap the very wet, warm washcloth around the exposed zip you have created. Be careful to not completely cover the beak, but cover as much of the exposed membrane as you can to soften it up. Lay the pipped BEAK area on its side or facing up-not facing down-keep in mind the chick is breathing AIR at this point and will need to have an open uncovered access to breathe.


Leave the baby in the bator for an hour or two longer. Then try repeating the process untill you have zipped entirely around the egg. The MOST important object is to get the membrane very soft like it should have been for the chick to make its way out by softening it in the warm washcloth.


In VERY difficult cases, over a period of hours, you can, in steps, do this process and remove almost ALL of the shell and soak the membrane in the wet washcloth in the incubator. You also can (using your judgement) decide to help remove the membrane itself, but do not do that too early in the shell removing process (you can email me for more directions on the membrane).


All in all, you need to be very confident to intervene like this. If you are too scared or iffy about it, you may want to just wait it out. But honestly, if you wait and the chick gets quieter and stiller, chances are you will loose it without doing some intervention.


So you know it really does work, I have hatched out MANY like this myself. Once they make the pip and can't zip, the membrane rapidly dehydrates. Also, some chicks are just WAY to big for their shells and cannot physically move around to do the zipping and then they die in one spot having been unable to rotate. I found that several difficult chciks are actually the largest ones-the smaller "runt" chicks have literally kicked their way out like they were kickboxing.


I "gave birth" to, or hatched 2 chicks out COMPLETELY in my hand by using this method above AND removing the membrane (email or ask for those membrane directions). And I have also helped way more zip using the above method. They are alive and thriving as I speak-so it can be done! I am not a person who is willing to sit and listen to my bator get quieter and quieter as the chicks die in their shells. But, as I stated, you must choose what you feel is best for your situation, and be sure and ask if you are not sure when to intervene-there are many here on the BYC that have a wealth of info.


Best wishes

my chick just pip by the pointy side of the egg. If I need to help do I zip around from that pip or up by the air sac?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

my chick just pip by the pointy side of the egg. If I need to help do I zip around from that pip or up by the air sac?

You dont need to do anything yet for at least 24 hours. It has missed its internal pip out so will need more time to absorb yolk and blood vessels. Some malpositioned chicks successfully hatch on their own with no help. Should you need to assist have a read of this article ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching
It's most helpful and I'm sure you will find it helpful. Good luck with your chick

 

[Ruthannnall]

You dont need to do anything yet for at least 24 hours. It has missed its internal pip out so will need more time to absorb yolk and blood vessels. Some malpositioned chicks successfully hatch on their own with no help. Should you need to assist have a read of this article ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching
It's most helpful and I'm sure you will find it helpful. Good luck with your chick

the pip didn't break through membrane. So my question is it able to breathe through the membrane with the shell cracked since it didn't pip in the air sac?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

If the shell has cracked it has air to breathe, they don't always make an actual hole straight away. Most pips just start with a crack in the shell.

 

[Ruthannnall]

If the shell has cracked it has air to breathe, they don't always make an actual hole straight away. Most pips just start with a crack in the shell.

okay thank you I just wanted to make sure it wasn't suffocating

 

[imlovinmyskin]

Thank you so much.. this is my very first time and I wasn't sure what to expect. The pictures that are posted on the side are really helpful too so that I am not surprised/confused by what I see. I did not realize it could take that long. I assumed that once they hatched it would be quick, but it sounds, just like regular childbirth, that each hatch is different and some can take quite a long time.