Pipped but not Zipped 48hrs Later..Miracle Update Post #1

[redhen]

Start slow.. just chip off the very top of the pip and see whats going on... if you hit any blood stop right away.. (i'm sure you know all this though.. )

 

[jamesrm]

I would let nature take its course. Every bob white that had pipped that I decided to help did not make it. And most bob whites that are that far behind the others are weak birds. In my last hatch of 200, of the 15 or so that decided to hatch late, only about 5 actually made it. I helped a few that had pipped and not hatched for days before getting rid of the eggs, and non survived. Be sure your humidity is high before doing any help, and do not get your hopes too far up.

 

[CoopCrazy]

Thanks for all the help folks... I am gonna give it a shot when i get home and see how it does... If it doesnt make it thats fine and since i am not planning to breed these guys, as long as it is strong enough it can live ...

 

[CrazyWestTexasFarmGirl]

I have helped regular chicks that started zipping and stopped after I had opened the incubator... saved two that were shrinked wrap tight just this week. I ran warm water in a bowl in the sink... Dipped the egg in the water, dripped water on the membrane witha sponge and tried to moisten it. Kept ziping the shell and working on moistenting. I did NOT pull the chick out... I got down to where there was no more shrinkwrapp and then talked and poked at the chick until it kicked out with its leggs. One chick was a little kinked in the neck for a bit from leftover shrink wrapping, both went into my strybator ICU until they were running around... then into the brooder... Now I cant tell who they were at all... I just had a couple duck eggs pip that i had given up on and started cleaning out the incubator.... I put them back in and sprayed them heavily with warm water and bumped the humidity back up... one hatched this morning and two more are unzipping.... We shall see how they do.

Thats just my experience........

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Just this afternoon I helped the last porcelain silkie chick hatch. It was pipped and breathing and stayed that way for way too long. I always keep the humidity up to at least 70% on babies like that to make sure the membranes stay moist. Today, I took it out twice, and gradually opened the pip more and more until I could see that the yolk had been absorbed and that the blood vessels were shrunk already. The last time I opened the shell enough that it could push on out when it was ready and it did very quickly.

The chick was HUGE!!!! It would never have been able to turn in that shell and it would have died. So this is one time that I glad I helped...but there have been others that I regretted.

So I think each situation is different.

 

[beckymom3]

Having lost 8 chicks due to shrink wrapping on my first hatch, then 14 on my second, all due to shrink wrapping, I'd definitely help. I know nothing about bob whites, but for my chicks, helping the pipped and/or zipped chicks that had not made progress after 24+ hrs saved 8 lives. Those babies are now a month old and are huge and gorgeous and healthy (buff, gold and light brahmas).

So, I vote yes!

Warm water, a soft cloth and q tips help. Mine had absolutely no bleeding, but definitely, I think you should do slowly if there's any blood. Mine were definitely dry and ready to come out. Once I extended the pips and zips enough to see the membranes, and saw they were white and thick and dry, I quickly zipped around (using hemostats to sort of "chew" in a circle around the egg) and let the chicks finish. If membrane and shell remained stuck on them after 12-24 or so hours, I helped get it off with very wet soft cloth and q tip.

Good luck!

 

[CoopCrazy]

Well I went ahead and helped, the lil guy was weak but doing ok when i went to bed.. Sadly we had a good storm come thru and knocked the power out last night, so the lil one did not make it...