New here & need advice

[momof11gifts]

Hi
I'm new to the thread.I'm using the farm innavators incubator. We had 20 eggs in and so far, 13 successful (1 stressful) hatch. We have one chick that's really struggling. He pipped at least 24 hrs ago. I could see his beak pipping out for a while, but now it's just his toes sticking out & he's not moving.He's still alive, because I can occasionally see him breathing, but he's not moving at all. Should I do anything at all to try to help him? We have all the hatched chicks in the brooder & the other 6 eggs have not pipped yet. Please advice soon. I'm scared for him,but I don't want to intervene if it'll make matters worse.

 

[n8ivetxn]

I may not be much help.... I just started my first incubation, but in the past I have helped a couple chicks get out of their shells. Both chicks lived and another broody adopted them 2 days later

At the time, I didn't know anything about when or how to help. They were being brooded by a hen and she had rolled a couple out of the nest. The chicks had pipped but had some blood in the shells. It was too cold to leave them lying out there with her and I was afraid she might kill them due to the blood being present. So I brought them in and placed them under a heat lamp and took turns picking shell and then letting them rest.

Is your chick shrink wrapped in the shell membrane?
Is there moisture in the shell? ( has the chick dried?)
Did it zip? (break all around the shell) Or just pip and stop?

If you can see its beak, maybe you can use tweezers and gently break a little back, see if the chick is stuck to it.

Maybe somebody with more experience will chime in soon, but don't give up, if the chick is breathing, it can stay right where it is for a while, with no harm..... Best of luck....

 

[n8ivetxn]

Let me know how things develop, I'll check back later....

As long as the chick can move around a bit and breath, it can be there for a while, I'd say 24hrs, maybe more. If the shell dries too much and the chick gets stuck like glue, it may need you to moisten the shell and help it get out.

If you go to the main page "Incubating and Hatching Eggs" and look to your right side of the page, there is a cheat sheet tabbed for how to help a chick. Click on that, and it's full of info.