Peafowl, day29, chirping, no egg movement, huge air sac -should I help

[stacir]

I have two peafowl eggs, that were in the incubator with three others (2 peafowl, 1 turkey). A week apart. I moved the two eggs to another incubator, while I locked down the three. Both incubators are Little Giants. I incubate at 60% and hatch at 80%. The three eggs hatched perfectly and on time with healthy chicks.

But when I moved the two eggs back into the hatching incubator, their air sacs were huge, They had seemed to be developing OK until the end, then all of s sudden, huge air sacs. I could see the chicks moving in both eggs. I'm pretty sure one egg is dead. I can see the chick in the other and hear peeping and a little "ticking". What do I do if it never pips? Should try to break it out myself after 2 more days? My research tells me that if the air sac is too big, chick won't be able to get out of shell.

I am worried, because the other egg didn't make it. I have helped some chicks out of the shell, but that was after pipping, and taking a long time to come out. And they had feet problems. But I was able to fix them and they grew up to be healthy birds. Is it better to let nature take it's course? So hard for me to do, when I can hear and see the chick.

I have never had an egg last this long with an air sac this big. It takes up probably 2/3 of the egg.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

I also have 19 eggs (peafowl and turkey) in the same incubator that the two eggs were in, and they all seem to be developing on schedule.

 

[CatDaddyAlbert]

Hi:
As much as I am sure you do not want to here this...."leave them alone". I have been hatching eggs a very long time and do not try and help one out until the third day. I tried to help a Black Shoulder Peacock out of the shell because I have never hatched on and the egg was big enough I could peel some away. 99% of the time that WILL NOT work. Mine got out but could not stand. Breaking out of the egg is where the chick or peafowl gets it's strength. I helped mine and then it couldn't walk because it did not gain the strength breaking out of the shell.

There is a good article here on BYC about helping a bird out. I can't put my finger on the article but I am sure you could find it with little trouble..

Best of Luck
albert

 

[Chickiebabyfluff]

Quote:
its the sticky tht is at the begining of this forum at the very top read it it will help you out alot and help you to understand when you should intervene!

 

[stacir]

Thanks for the reply. I tend to agree with you. Just needed to hear it from someone else. I just hate to go through 28 days with live chick to lose it. I did see a couple of posts on helping chicks out before pipping. I have helped some out, after pipping, and even then I've had issues. I had to tape toes.

Probably better to wait and just monitor my other eggs. Darn it anyway!

 

[stacir]

my chick is still peeping and can hear the tick tick tick, but no pipping yet.