SHOULD I HELP!?? Chick has been piping over 48 hours?

[Kennyhasquails]

I decided to wait another few hours. I’ll keep everybody updated.

 

[Aunt Angus]

 

[Lunarpuppy]

Good luck!!

 

[Kennyhasquails]

Okay update! I took off the shell part of the cap. What do I guys think? I wet the membrane with a damp Q-tip. Shes back in the incubator. She also seemed pretty active in the egg.

also how do I upload a video?

 

[tacothechicken]

I do chickens not quail but generally I'd get their head and upper body free and leave them to it! If they arent fighting to hatch they could still be absorbing their yolk and to remove the shell can cause rupture and death

 

[tacothechicken]

This chick self hatched but thats about as much as I'll help a chick hatch before leaving them to it, if they cant hatch successfully they probably wouldnt survive post hatch whithout help either.

 

[Kennyhasquails]

Okay update! I took off the shell part of the cap. What do I guys think? I wet the membrane with a damp Q-tip. Shes back in the incubator. She also seemed pretty active in the egg.

also how do I upload a video?

do the blood vessels look absorbed? I’ve never done assisted hatches before so I don’t know what to look for.

 

[ShannonR]

I've done both. Helped and not helped. I have found the majority of the time helping hurts more than it helps. Even if a live chick makes it out, it may not be viable to the outside world or there may be other problems such as malformations. After hatching for years, I now leave it to nature. Survival of the fittest. It sounds harsh, but I think nature knows best.

 

[Ebony Rose]

I've done both. Helped and not helped. I have found the majority of the time helping hurts more than it helps. Even if a live chick makes it out, it may not be viable to the outside world or there may be other problems such as malformations. After hatching for years, I now leave it to nature. Survival of the fittest. It sounds harsh, but I think nature knows best.

I agree, UNLESS the poor thing is shrink wrapped. I apply a bit of cooking oil to an egg that I'm assisting like this, it helps me see where the veins are in the membrane. Rock the head a little by using your index finger against the chicks beak, in an effort to free the head from it's tucked into the wing position and once the head is free to move, place the chick back into the incubator for an hour to give it a chance to finish hatching solo. If it's still having problems, you can then decide how much more assistance you can offer. Keep us posted. This can be nerve wracking, but I have had some successful assisted hatches that resulted in perfectly healthy quail chicks.

 

[Kennyhasquails]

Update. I’ve gotten up periodically through the night to check on her and damped the membrane. She seems ready to come out but the blood vessels are still deep red but seem thinner. I don’t want to act too hastily. She also seems like she’s in a position where she is able to wiggle out now.