San Diego Chicken meetup and Chat thread

Hey peeps, late yesterday was hatch day. Three of my five hatched. I left the other two in all day today but still no hatch. As I went to candle them I could here the teeny peeps of a baby chick in each one. Candling proved they were still alive.

I'm not sure what to do. Should I leave them or should I help? There are no pips in the shell at all yet.
I'd leave them. It wouldn't be unusual for them to hatch a day late. You'll probably wake up to two new babies tomorrow morning.
 
Hey peeps, late yesterday was hatch day. Three of my five hatched. I left the other two in all day today but still no hatch. As I went to candle them I could here the teeny peeps of a baby chick in each one. Candling proved they were still alive.

I'm not sure what to do. Should I leave them or should I help? There are no pips in the shell at all yet.
assisted hatching is such a slippery slope. give them a chance
 
Hey peeps, late yesterday was hatch day. Three of my five hatched. I left the other two in all day today but still no hatch. As I went to candle them I could here the teeny peeps of a baby chick in each one. Candling proved they were still alive.

I'm not sure what to do. Should I leave them or should I help? There are no pips in the shell at all yet.
They can hatch as much as three or four days late.

deb
 
Every time - except the very last time - I have assisted, it has never ended well. Granted, it was all with quails. The chicks usually ended up with super long necks for some reason (maybe I waited too long?) or curled toes. Within 1-2 days they got lethargic and died . Otherwise while opening eggs a couple days past hatch due date to check the fertility on the eggs I used, I will admit, there have been a few that were still alive, and though trying to be careful, I have broken the membrane on accident before the blood was entirely absorbed and they bled out - NOT pretty and makes you feel super crappy. Just leave them. If they don't hatch, maybe that was nature's intention. I'd rather feel like, "maybe if I had helped they would have lived" vs. "maybe if I had just let nature take its course they would have lived". Either way it's sad.
 
UPDATE: 1 of the 2 eggs has hatched!!!! The other is on it's way. I can see the little beak of the baby poking out of a teeny hole in the shell!!!! I can't wait to meet my two little Swedish Flower Hens! I'll post pictures later when I get home :)
 

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