Shell cracked. Cheeping inside. No activity in 8 hours.

[CityGirlintheCountry]

So egg number four is cheeping in the shell. This morning there was the start of a pip, but only the shell is cracked and not the membrane. It has been that way since this morning. Today is day 22. The egg is under a broody silkie (not in an incubator so don't fuss at me for opening the bator

) The first three eggs hatched out yesterday and are going strong. The other three eggs are heavy, but silent.

A) What do I do with the cheeping egg? Does it need help or do I leave it alone? Arggggg!!! This is making me neurotic. Little egg has been cheeping all day!

B) How long should I leave the others under her before making her give up? As long as she has eggs she will likely be determined to keep sitting. Unfortunately, she's not doing mama hen things with the others and she's not eating or drinking herself. I've been tempting her with scrambled egg and stuff, and while she will eat a tiny bit, she quickly loses interest and hunkers back down on the eggs.
I'm assuming it's too late to candle. How do I tell if there are slow poke chicks in there or if the eggs are no viable? Shorty the silkie is still determinedly shoving them around under her.

Help please, hatching gurus!

 

[scrapmom5]

I would carefully intervene. I would have a warm washcloth, a heat lamp, and a pair of tweezers and carefully help the chick out. 8 hours is a long time after pipping. Can you still see movement? HEar anything? When you work on the chick keep it someplace warm (heatlamp) and free of drafts.

As for the others go a few more days. I will let them go up to 25 days.

Good luck.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I don't know that it has actually pipped. There was a pip like crack in the shell, but the inner membrane hasn't been broken. I can still hear peeping inside and it kinda felt/sounded like pecking was happening inside.
Do you still think I should help out?

 

[EweSheep]

Just wait for a little bit...I had one Spitz chick that was two days late from his siblings and had to help him out from his shell. Be sure its not bloody. I lost one earlier because of my haste.

 

[silkiechicken]

I like to say at least day 22 OR at least 24 hours after a pip. Which ever is later.

It is under a broody, so if the egg was by her bum fluff instead of against skin for a day, it could slow it down. The hardest part is waiting!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Thanks for the advice all. The last hatch wasn't this traumatic!

The started one had sort of pipped. I used some tweezers to open the hole just a smidge more. There is a little beak breathing, but there is no more cheeping. Should that worry me?

I tried to candle the other three eggs. Two have more translucent ends (air sack?) with about 2/3 solid. Both are heavy. The other egg I didn't see any translucence. Granted my flashlight candler isn't the greatest and it's very possible I did it wrong. If I don't see an air sack is it likely that it is a dud?
I figure to leave the others alone for another couple of days. I just worry that Shorty is neglecting her live chicks in order to sit on the others. They are all still living in the dining room. The weather is getting better so at some I point I will need to move her back out.

So we think I should just leave the pipped one alone for a while? At what point do I start really helping? In my BYC search I've gotten conflicting info.

 

[Bock_Bock]

at this time dont throw away the one without the air sack as the chick might be ready to start pipping and has already popped the air sack so just let the eggs be there is nothing you can do now but wait

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I should never have asked to learn patience...

This is KILLING me....

 

[lauralou]

It's killing me too!

What's happening?