My first hatch and it pipped in the wrong spot...

[Purpletie3]

My first hatch. My first egg pipped at 1pm yesterday down the side of the egg and then cracked the egg just a little bit. It hasn't progressed. It is now 6 am...it's chirping...but, still at the same level. (17 hours later)

I have 5 other eggs in there. Today is hatch day...21

Do I start assisting that chick??? I have the humidity cranked to 70% so the little guy doesn't dry out. I keep praying for it.

The air sac is saddle shaped. Rough shipping. But, it is marked.

Any suggestions from Veteran's are welcome!

 

[Purpletie3]

That's where we are at...I see some beak action...fast chirping

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

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

First try not to panic

Read the above link on assisted hatching,it's great talks you through it all and has a specific section on wrong position eggs. After you have read it and if you feel you need to start helping the chick take it very slowly only a little bit at a time. If you see blood put it straight back in the bator it's not ready, all this is explained in the link.

Wishing you the very best of luck

 

[Purpletie3]

Thank you for your answer. I had read through that link so many times but was confused. In one area it said if it was chirping leave it alone. In another, if it was over 12 hours probably stuck and needed help.

So, at 7:30 am..I pulled him out. He had been poking his beak through the same pip hole and not progressing. I peeled the little shell away, put triple antibiotic ointment on and put him back in on a wet napkin.

Chirps are few and far between. Last one I just heard (9:30) but still nothing more.

I am just sitting on my hands and praying he can get out. I am really not sure what to do at this point. It has almost been 24 hours since pip.

Any advice is greatly appreciated...since this is the very first egg...on my very first hatch. Thanks
Belgium Quail D'Anver

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

If it's now been a full 24 hours and the chirps getting less I would go ahead and assist it.

 

[Purpletie3]

Would you try and peel from the bottom of the air sack because it's a saddle air sack and kinda close to the pip. Or would you just take another small piece of shell off in the pip area and re-assess?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

If it were me I would start taking the shell off near the pip hole area it's beak should be there because that's were it has pipped. Work in anti clock wise direction to create a cap that the chick should hopefully be able to push out off. Do a bit then reassess. Do a it then reassess. It a long process that can take a bit of time

 

[Purpletie3]

Perfect, thank you. I have nothing but time planned for the hatch today.

My only other concern was messing up the rest of the hatch by opening the incubator. But, temps and humidity seemed to be within range at 7:30 am when I moved the little guy before.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hope everything goes ok and it hatches ok. You may find that Inbetween your shell removel the chick is able to push out itself. I'm afraid it's a long haul with malpositioned chicks that dosnt always work out well. I don't want to put a damper on things but want you to be prepared. Good luck

 

[Purpletie3]

I pulled off two very small pieces towards the air cell. I can't tell whether or not those are vessels or coloring...but, you can see his little beak there. He's singing right now in a whistling sound...sounds like a bird outside. Just happy to hear him. The membrane is definitely on the drier side and when he pokes his beak out gives him a trampoline effect. The shell is very hard as well.

So, what the heck do I do now?