October-hatch-along 2019

[Kat MacK]

Please urgent advice needed. The chick looks like a shrink wrapped but is still alive. Do I help? It's been like that for 5-6 hours.

Here's that Assisted Hatching article again, in case you need it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching.64660/
I keep it in my "Watched Articles" on the site so that I can find it quickly.

 

[Compost King]

Please urgent advice needed. The chick looks like a shrink wrapped but is still alive. Do I help? It's been like that for 5-6 hours.

The Advice thread is great so if I say something contrary to it go with the what is said on the thread because so many people in here know so much more about hatching that I do but I thought I would share how I handle shrink wrapped chicks. I use my longest fingernail (if I have a long one) and gently break the egg shell in a circle around the egg (doesn't always go smoothly) then I try to pull the shell apart. When the chick is mostly out I put the egg back together again the best I can... if I can. then I make them bust out on their own. Often they still have shell stuck to them. I only peel of egg shell stuck to them if its restricting wing or leg movement. Its very hard to loosen up the wing and if I feel I might be doing damage I leave it alone. I always make sure their legs have full motion because they need those right away to get to the food and water.

I usually do not do this until the end of the hatch, When I open the incubator to move the chicks to the brooder I always end up finding 1 to 5 eggs still pipping that I could not see before I removed the chicks and I assist them at that point because likely they are being shrink wrapped as I open the incubator and let all the humidity out. I never open the incubator until the chicks are all out (to the best of my knowledge) and ready to be moved. Sometimes I can see one is having trouble and not progressing and I will go ahead an open the incubator if all the others have been out long enough to have dried off.

A lot of people say they can open an incubator real fast during lock down and not have a problem however I am not someone who is fortunate enough to get away with it, (exaggeration warning) sometimes my chicks get shrink wrapped because I had a brief thought about opening the incubator. Ok honestly I actually have to open it but it seems to be instant so I stopped opening the incubator during lock down unless I absolutely need to.

 

[Compost King]

Lock Down tomorrow... only posting because I have the urge to tinker with something that isn't broke. posting this message sorta helps out with resisting the urge. Tomorrow I get to do one big tinker as I set up incubator cages, candle eggs one last time, Add non stick flooring material, and remove the egg turner. For now I just stare at an incubator for a few minutes then realize I have work to do outside as feeders start to go empty (already watered everyone up as I do every morning).

 

[FortCluck]

Do I pull out the red plug? I'm using the farm innovator 4250. This is my first ever incubation unless you count when I incubated ostrich eggs when I was 7 with my grandfather.

 

[Compost King]

I say yes, I once suffocated chicks because I did not

 

[FortCluck]

I say yes, I once suffocated chicks because I did not

I got this from Amazon and one of the water plugs for the fill hole is gone and one of the red plugs for the top.

I covered the one for the water with waterproof tape that I have. I just didn't know what to do with the red one but I will pull it out.

Thank you

 

[igorsMistress]

Do I pull out the red plug? I'm using the farm innovator 4250. This is my first ever incubation unless you count when I incubated ostrich eggs when I was 7 with my grandfather.

View attachment 1930925

No all your heat and humidity will leave the incubator. The humidikit provides fresh air for your eggs.

 

[FortCluck]

No all your heat and humidity will leave the incubator. The humidikit provides fresh air for your eggs.

So I should cover up the holes? I'm confused, it doesn't take much

 

[Maiahr]

Ok the shrink wrapped chick is now out in the brooder. Indeed it needed very little assistance and then I placed it back in the incubator to finish hatching on its own. Now sleeping happy with the rest.

 

[aliciaplus3]

Here at 6000 feet above sea level I always run with the vent plugs open. Less oxygen here so babies need all the help they can get (that's what your little red plug is) I am not familiar with a humidikit.