Please help QUICK!

[TeamChaos]

So I was candling the guinea eggs that have yet to hatch and came across one that had a massive air cell that went up the side of the egg as well. Since I have a feeling that we messed up the humidity, I assumed the air cell indicated a shrink wrapped chick so I pipped on the air cell end to look... He's in there and the membrane is tight around him. He's alive but not active. Should I open the membrane so he can breathe? Please advise, I've never been in this situation. Thanks

 

[bugglesmommy]

This is what you need to look over - https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

 

[TeamChaos]

This is what you need to look over - https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

. Thank you, I've read that again and again... I just don't see where it says if I should puncture that inner membrane so the baby can breathe air or not.

 

[bugglesmommy]

I would moisten the membrane with a q-tip and get a good look at the veins. I normally use Bacitracin. You do not want to poke through blood vessels. There is a decent chance that with the misshaped air cell the chick is malpositoned so you will need to find where the beak is.

 

[TeamChaos]

I found the beak and the veins still look pretty "juicy" so I'll moisten the membrane and just give it more time. I guess I keep worrying that the baby will suffocate but I guess it's made it this long without breathing air, no reason to rush now... Right?

 

[bugglesmommy]

I've saved chicks in similar situations to this, and lost some. Right now it is up in the air. It is a very fine line between too soon and too late but rushing is the most dangerous mistake of them all. Chicks normally internally pip 12-24 hours before externally pipping. Use the rest of the hatch as a gauge for where he should be.

 

[LTygress]

Is there any spot around his beak that does not have a blood vessel running through it? If so, you can pierce the membrane right there to let him breathe air.

But before doing that, it might be more helpful to know which day of incubation he is on. Have any of the others made an internal pip yet?

To find out if they have, put the egg against your ear and scratch the outside lightly with your fingernail. If they have made an internal pip, they'll peep pretty loud at the scratching.

If the others have, then it should be safe to pierce that inner membrane, as long as you do NOT cut through a blood vessel.