Please help, Day 21 and temp dropped to 25, pipped today and cheeping

[kthorne21]

Well still no chicks, the one that pipped thursday still has not hatched. he keeps popping his beek out and moving but still nothing. i have tried to help him a little by damping the shell and taking a little away but membrane slightly bled so i stopped, im not sure how much longer i can leave the poor thing like that. the other egg pipped friday at 2 in the afternoon and still nothing.
the temp is back to 37 only because of the heat lamp i have shining on the stupid incubator

 

[loves2hatch]

Wish I could be more help or comfort to you. you can try helping a little every couple of hours or so on the one that is bleeding. just wait a couple hours and try taking a little more off, if you see blood stop again and wait another hour or two.. Only problem is it could make it bleed out if you do hit a vein or it could be deformed somehow. I just had a chick zip all the way around and never popped off the top and died. I probably would have helped that one but I never noticed til it was to late. opened it up after everything hatched and it looked perfectly normal. I dont know what the issue was. Just to weak I guess. It's a tough call on what you should do. Just do what feels right to you.

 

[California_chickie]

Well still no chicks, the one that pipped thursday still has not hatched. he keeps popping his beek out and moving but still nothing. i have tried to help him a little by damping the shell and taking a little away but membrane slightly bled so i stopped, im not sure how much longer i can leave the poor thing like that. the other egg pipped friday at 2 in the afternoon and still nothing.
the temp is back to 37 only because of the heat lamp i have shining on the stupid incubator

I know this is probably hard for you to hear, but really you should leave the pipped egg alone from now on. If you help that chick anymore you could end up with a very weak and/or deformed chick. That will be much much more heartbreaking to deal with--- I promise. You think you're sad now? A barely living chirping chick will be even more devistating. I have personal experience. Don't do it.
I am a huge animal lover myself (I think everyone on this site is!) and honestly, my first few hatches I balled my eyes out constantly. It was so stressful that I would swear I couldn't handle it anymore-- then after a week or so try again. It's a learning experience, but very difficult to accept failure when you're dealing with a sentient being.
I have met ALOT of friends who have also admitted to feeling guilty when their hatch doesn't go as well as they wanted--- but you have to learn from it. It's part of life & it will get easier, it doesn't make you a bad person as you obviously care.
You have a ECO, which is great, but there is definitely more of a science behind it because you have to monitor everything yourself. Get several thermometers (wet & dry) for next time---you'll be surprised how different the temperature gradients are.
If after a few more days nothing happens with your current hatch, I would recommend you call a friend or a supportive person in your life to come over and help you dispose of the eggs. Clean out your bator, have a good cry, and if you're feeling up to it, do all little "egtopsy" and see what went wrong. I understand if you don't want to do it (I had my BF dispose of the eggs the first time & do the eggtopsy himself--he's got a science background) but if you want to continue hatching it's very helpful to find out what you can do differently next time. You might even discover that the eggs weren't even hatchable & you did nothing wrong.

Good luck & I hope you can enjoy your weekend

 

[SpiritedFarm]

I know this is probably hard for you to hear, but really you should leave the pipped egg alone from now on. If you help that chick anymore you could end up with a very weak and/or deformed chick. That will be much much more heartbreaking to deal with--- I promise. You think you're sad now? A barely living chirping chick will be even more devistating. I have personal experience. Don't do it.
I am a huge animal lover myself (I think everyone on this site is!) and honestly, my first few hatches I balled my eyes out constantly. It was so stressful that I would swear I couldn't handle it anymore-- then after a week or so try again. It's a learning experience, but very difficult to accept failure when you're dealing with a sentient being.
I have met ALOT of friends who have also admitted to feeling guilty when their hatch doesn't go as well as they wanted--- but you have to learn from it. It's part of life & it will get easier, it doesn't make you a bad person as you obviously care.
You have a ECO, which is great, but there is definitely more of a science behind it because you have to monitor everything yourself. Get several thermometers (wet & dry) for next time---you'll be surprised how different the temperature gradients are.
If after a few more days nothing happens with your current hatch, I would recommend you call a friend or a supportive person in your life to come over and help you dispose of the eggs. Clean out your bator, have a good cry, and if you're feeling up to it, do all little "egtopsy" and see what went wrong. I understand if you don't want to do it (I had my BF dispose of the eggs the first time & do the eggtopsy himself--he's got a science background) but if you want to continue hatching it's very helpful to find out what you can do differently next time. You might even discover that the eggs weren't even hatchable & you did nothing wrong.

Good luck & I hope you can enjoy your weekend

Nobody could have said that better..........well done Cal Chickie........and best of luck to you Kthorne

 

[kthorne21]

Thanks so much for your support. Im not sure i can ever go through this again, its such a nerve racking time. Have left the chick alone but incubator still not keeping its temp so still has the heat lamp shining on it. Im not opefull for the poor thing but im going to see it through to the end. Is it possible there is something wrong with the incubator as the temp dropped to 25 of day 18 and then has not gone up since and it doesnt sound as loud now.

 

[SpiritedFarm]

oh yes, it sounds like you have bator problems for sure, there should not be a temp drop like that.
Did you say it was new?
I would return it for an exchange for sure.

It does get easier, it is a learning process with much reward! Hang in there!

 

[Habibs Hens]

my prayers are with your chicks

i had to help mine today as it was unable to move round to zip

he been out 7 hours now and is doing well

but yes they can be weak and deformed if you need to help em so try not to but do it as a last resort

i persoanlly take it as try to save em by going in then to let em die without trying

you may need to send your brinsea back to them for repair or colabiration

it shouldnt drop that dramatically all of a sudden

good luck

 

[kthorne21]

Im borrowoing form a friend so feel terrible that i broken it but it just dropped to 25 on day 18 and the noise from it stopped and has only gone up since i put a heat light on it.

Sadly the brown egg that pipped thursday has died but the white that pipped on friday lunchtime made improvement last night. i came down today and she was stuck and had been like that over niight so im afraid i had to help her out. Shes cheeping very loudly and tryng to stand. hope fully she will be ok. like you say i would of rather tried than not at all. i know your not surposed to help but she was stuck and was just exhausted. poor little thing must wonder whats going on the temp has been all over the place for 3 days.

Just a quick question if she makes it is it possible to put her with a silkie that has 8 chicks only a week old or would she be better on her own in a brooder ?

 

[Habibs Hens]

Im borrowoing form a friend so feel terrible that i broken it but it just dropped to 25 on day 18 and the noise from it stopped and has only gone up since i put a heat light on it.

Sadly the brown egg that pipped thursday has died but the white that pipped on friday lunchtime made improvement last night. i came down today and she was stuck and had been like that over niight so im afraid i had to help her out. Shes cheeping very loudly and tryng to stand. hope fully she will be ok. like you say i would of rather tried than not at all. i know your not surposed to help but she was stuck and was just exhausted. poor little thing must wonder whats going on the temp has been all over the place for 3 days.

Just a quick question if she makes it is it possible to put her with a silkie that has 8 chicks only a week old or would she be better on her own in a brooder ?

put the chick in a brooder

the silkie might reject it

good for you

i had to make the same judgement and help a chick and it been out 24hours and doing well no deformaties

its just excessively resting but im gonna spoil it to get its strength up

 

[kthorne21]

Thanks silver fox. she has tried to stand up a few times and is cheeping so fingers crossed. shes still in the incubator and is drying out slightly.
I just had to help her, i knoe some peoples views on helping may not be the same as mine but it felt right.
If she makes it im calling her thankfull as thats what i am to have her here and like you im going to spoil her rotten
is yours out of the incubator now ?