Should I assist the quail eggs? Pipped for 12 hours, no signs of life.

[Celeste Cannon]

Look for it struggling. If it's trying to work the egg, but can't make progress, then you can try assisting. If it's just sitting there, but breathing, it's probably fine.

ok one more question, should I wrap a wet towel around it?

 

[Nabiki]

ok one more question, should I wrap a wet towel around it?

That's just going to chill the chick. Go shopping, go for a walk. Go do something other than hover over the incubator.

 

[Verna Y]

I'm worried the chicks in there are stuck/need help, I noticed the pip at around 11 this morning, but I have no idea how long it had been like that. Theres a chick that hatched at around 2pm today, pretty soon after we noticed his pip at 11. The other 2 haven't moved, cheeped or pipped any more than when I first noticed them. Should I poke a hole in there tonight or tomorrow to give them some strength back? I plan on moving the hatched chick to the brooder in the morning. Should I wait till then? Or just not touch them? I really want more babies

I dearly hope that you did NOT open the incubator. That is worst for them, then taking two days to hatch. Let nature take its course. Forget the incubator until you hear a bunch of chirping from more than one chick. Let them stay in there until they dry off. IF you open the incubator, you can cause the one that has pipped to be shrink wrapped and killed.

 

[Celeste Cannon]

Ok so last night the egg started hatching, but this morning he hadn’t made any progress. I thought he had died, when I lifted the lid to check on him and add some water, he moved around and was peeping again. Is this normal? She had started unzipping but not gotten very far. She doesn’t look stuck or anything, but do you think I shrink-wrapped the membrane? At what point should I help?

 

[Nabiki]

Ok so last night the egg started hatching, but this morning he hadn’t made any progress. I thought he had died, when I lifted the lid to check on him and add some water, he moved around and was peeping again. Is this normal? She had started unzipping but not gotten very far. She doesn’t look stuck or anything, but do you think I shrink-wrapped the membrane? At what point should I help?

Okay, now it's time to pop the top off of the egg. It's likely to have been having hatching problems for reasons, though, and you may need to cull it anyways.

 

[Celeste Cannon]

Okay, now it's time to pop the top off of the egg. It's likely to have been having hatching problems for reasons, though, and you may need to cull it anyways.

i can’t cull a chick are you sure that’s necessary why would I need to

 

[Nabiki]

i can’t cull a chick are you sure that’s necessary why would I need to

It might be deformed. It might just be too weak, and culling is kinder than having it die a slow, suffering death. If you're not sure, you may want to just leave the chick and let nature take its course. In my experience about 75% of the chicks that need assistance have problems. I do it to give that 25% a chance, but I'm prepared to cull if necessary.

 

[Celeste Cannon]

I’m so grateful to say that she did it! We took her top off and chipped off some more dry membrane and shell under her and she did the rest herself all in the incubator! Right now she’s got the shell stuck on her head, I think because her wing is still attached to some dry membrane. The shell was a little bloody, but nothing too concerning. She looks healthy and even did a poop right as she got her booty out. Welcome little one!

 

[Nabiki]

Can you put some grippy shelf liner or something in the incubator? That cardboard is awfully smooth, and it could cause some splayed legs and other problems.

 

[TimberLine Homestead]

Any update hopefully everychick is happy and healthy
how many chicks ahve hatched so far