Need help ASAP please!

[FarmerWife]

Good morning everyone.
I have a question, we have some eggs in the incubator that were in the process of hatching, there were two who were taking a very long time to hatch, and when I wasn't in the room, my daughter opened the incubator and made the opening in the two eggs larger, and they've been in the incubator in the same place ever since, and they look like they've gotten weak. I was so upset with her, but she's twelve, and thought she was helping them, even though she had been told never to help them. So what do I do at this point, they chirp still, but weaker than before she messed with the eggs. Do I leave them that way, or do I finish what she started? Can anyone give me some advice? I'm at a loss, this was our first time hatching in the bator, and I don't know what to do. Thanks in advance for any help.

Dianna in NM

 

[Toddrick]

If it is past 21 days, then you shouldn't have any problems popping the top off those eggs, and watching the healthy chicks pop out.

 

[Purpletie3]

Good morning everyone.
I have a question, we have some eggs in the incubator that were in the process of hatching, there were two who were taking a very long time to hatch, and when I wasn't in the room, my daughter opened the incubator and made the opening in the two eggs larger, and they've been in the incubator in the same place ever since, and they look like they've gotten weak. I was so upset with her, but she's twelve, and thought she was helping them, even though she had been told never to help them. So what do I do at this point, they chirp still, but weaker than before she messed with the eggs. Do I leave them that way, or do I finish what she started? Can anyone give me some advice? I'm at a loss, this was our first time hatching in the bator, and I don't know what to do. Thanks in advance for any help.

Dianna in NM

I am not an experienced hatcher...but, I am quite an experienced researcher....I hope this may help....

How long have they had PIPS? Is everyone else hatched in the incubator? What day are you now on?

(I ran into this on my first hatch and I had one pip early and was chirpingl I decided to assist it and it took 28 hours from PIP to hatch. However, none of the other viable eggs hatched...because I was opening the incubator every two hours to help... over and over again~even thought it said my temperature and humidity didn't move. ) Chick passed at day 9. I think there was something wrong with it anyhow....

There is a good thread on assisted hatching on here...If you assist you may endanger the rest of your hatch...if you don't assist you may lose two chicks... https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Yes, how long had it been since pip and what day are you on? Once they pip it usually takes between 12-24 hours for them to start zipping and hatch. I don't attempt assisting (unless I'm sure something is wrong) until 16-18 hours after the pip and then it is only to widen the hole and make sure there isn't an immediate problem. If they haven't started zipping by 24 I will break just the egg shell away in the beginning of a zipping fashion and give them the chance to finish it. One thing you can do is play sounds of baby chicks chirping near the bator. (You tube has videos of new chicks chirping.) The sound of other chicks will motivate them to get out of their shell.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Side note: You should never assist unless you really feel it's necessary no matter what day they are on. After they pip the chicks need time to rest, absorb the yolk and let the veining receed. If you do help, it should be done slowly and at intervals (no popping nothing off). The link Purpletie3 shared is an excellent link for assistaning and figuring out if it's really necessary.

 

[FarmerWife]

Hello,
Thank you all for the replies, I appreciate all the good advice. I did very little, just made the pip line a little longer, they are both out now, one is doing very well, and the other looks a little bit weak, but seems to be improving. Not sure how things will turn out for them, one more hatched on it's own since then, and I have one egg that is still in the bator, no sign of pip, but I hear peeps still from inside the egg. I've told my daughter not to open or try to lift the lid of the bator. I'm hoping this chick will hatch on it's own, is it just my thinking, or are Favorolles a weaker breed? The chicks that had the trouble and the last one in the egg are all favorolles, is that normal? It was my first time hatching them, I purchased the eggs on ebay. I'm going to do another hatch when the next batch comes in, Rhodebars, and chocolate orpington LF. This was a borrowed incubator, I have a Hovabator Genesis on the way. Hoping it will work out better, the one we used is one that 4-H loaned my daughter. Pip science, I think it's called. Anyway, just wanted to update you, so far the two chicks are doing well, both have already eaten and have been drinking a little water on their own. They're in with three other chicks from this batch. If there are any changes, or if there's any trouble with the last egg, I'll be posting.

Thanks again,

Dianna

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Hello,
Thank you all for the replies, I appreciate all the good advice. I did very little, just made the pip line a little longer, they are both out now, one is doing very well, and the other looks a little bit weak, but seems to be improving. Not sure how things will turn out for them, one more hatched on it's own since then, and I have one egg that is still in the bator, no sign of pip, but I hear peeps still from inside the egg. I've told my daughter not to open or try to lift the lid of the bator. I'm hoping this chick will hatch on it's own, is it just my thinking, or are Favorolles a weaker breed? The chicks that had the trouble and the last one in the egg are all favorolles, is that normal? It was my first time hatching them, I purchased the eggs on ebay. I'm going to do another hatch when the next batch comes in, Rhodebars, and chocolate orpington LF. This was a borrowed incubator, I have a Hovabator Genesis on the way. Hoping it will work out better, the one we used is one that 4-H loaned my daughter. Pip science, I think it's called. Anyway, just wanted to update you, so far the two chicks are doing well, both have already eaten and have been drinking a little water on their own. They're in with three other chicks from this batch. If there are any changes, or if there's any trouble with the last egg, I'll be posting.

Thanks again,

Dianna

Awesome!! Glad to hear it! Hope the last one pops itself out with no problem!! I know nothing about favorolles but it would be a good question for those who raise them I had the same question with my turkens. (I have all barnyard mixes.) The first 10 hatched pretty steadily and the last three were the turkens. Out of the three eggs that didn't hatch and died in the shell two more were turkens. The one that wasn't internally pipped but was shrink wrapped and couldn't finish the job. So with them being the last hatchers and 2 dying in shell and one having problems and dying a weak later I was curious about wether they had a higher mortality rate and tougher time hatching so I asked on the NN thread and one reply was that they had researched and found a report that claimed they did have a slightly higher mortality rate at hatch.

 

[FarmerWife]

Well maybe they also have a high mortality rate, out of 12 eggs, I only have one hatch so far, and that was the one we helped. The last one I'm getting really worried about, I'm at a loss, and don't know what I should do. I know I'm not supposed to help them, but it's been well over 24 hours, and no sign of pip, and movement is less, and less peeps. Sigh.... what to do. I'm just waiting, and I keep going back to check. I have a chick in the bator who's making plenty of noise, so that's not it. What would you all do at this point? I hate to think of letting it die in the shell if he can be helped , but I don't want to kill it by breaking the shell. I have no idea what to do.


Dianna

 

[Purpletie3]

Glad to hear you are doing well! I hope the last little peeper makes it out too!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Well maybe they also have a high mortality rate, out of 12 eggs, I only have one hatch so far, and that was the one we helped. The last one I'm getting really worried about, I'm at a loss, and don't know what I should do. I know I'm not supposed to help them, but it's been well over 24 hours, and no sign of pip, and movement is less, and less peeps. Sigh.... what to do. I'm just waiting, and I keep going back to check. I have a chick in the bator who's making plenty of noise, so that's not it. What would you all do at this point? I hate to think of letting it die in the shell if he can be helped , but I don't want to kill it by breaking the shell. I have no idea what to do.


Dianna

I think most of us would say the same thing there's not much you can do. He hasn't pipped through the shell chances are his body isn't ready to hatch or he's shrink wrapped. What day are you on? I'm not recommending this, but if no other eggs are pipped you can candle and mark where he has internally pipped and put a small hole in the shell at the point of the internal pip and that way you'll know he at least has air.