Need Help Quickly. Please! Hatching egg

[HomesteadDebi]

Today is expected hatching day for one of my hens and 5 eggs. I have one pipping nicely. I have found this one however. I don't know for sure what happened to it. I made the rookie mistake of not moving Chili when she decided to sit. So other hens will get in her nest to lay when she leaves to eat and such. I don't see a hole and the chick is still moving around inside. Should I help or just let it be? I don't want it to get squished underneath her since the shell is broken so much.

Advice please?

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Hmmm. I've experienced hens crushing their chicks

and chicks who are under her and hatch just fine. I would take the chick inside, put it under something warm, allow it to hatch and then super quickly return it to the mother.

 

[Farmer Viola]

yes if you have an incubator that would be perfect. make sure the humidity is up around 55-65%. if the chick is still moving, it's still alive! but it isn't ready to hatch just yet. the white membrane you can see is very delicate and contains lots of active veins, we don't want those to become severed right now or the chick will die. the chick needs to pip it's beak into the air cell on it's own, start breathing, and then it will start absorbing the veins.

 

[HomesteadDebi]

Thanks. I don't have an incubator. The chick is very active. I have situated the egg as best as I can to prevent crushing. All I can do is pray now.

 

[Farmer Viola]

ooh good luck! keep us posted