Should I help my silkie hatch?????

[Alexia]

Hi everyone. I have one lonely shipped silkie egg in the incubator. The air cell has an oddly shape (it goes on the side of the egg). Today is day 21 and no external pip yet. Getting worried! Do you guys usually help those little guys? If so, how do you know when is the right time to do it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

I only will help after a chick has pipped. It has never worked out for me to help before that. I'm not sure what the air cell down the side means. I have a goose egg in the incubator like that. I don't think it's a good thing. It very well may mean its a quitter.

 

[Tracy the chick]

I agree with enchanted sunrise farms. If it pips you know that its getting oxygen so i would leave it. Ive had eggs hatch the wrong end, the middle and they have all been fine. Its hard to sit on your hands i know ive got the T-shirt! Its still early at day 21 it could start pipping day 22 and hatch day 23.. Keep us posted hun and good luck

 

[Luv-my-lil-farm]

is the chick making sounds? it could take up to 24 days. I have helped if peeping sounds become light and most of the others are out. I have helped un-pipped ones with great turn out. Silkie shells are hard, and being small makes them stronger to.Best of Luck

 

[AngelaPenny]

Trying to make that judgement call is a tough one.

I had an egg pip at the wrong end and chirp really loudly for 16 hours. He made no progress at all, but he sure was vocal about it. When his peeping started to quiet down I made the decision to help. He was in the wrong position for getting himself out of the egg, not to mention, he pipped at the wrong end. I know he would have died had I not helped.

The next batch, I had 2 eggs that pipped at the wrong end, and one of those pipped underneath. I waited 36 hours to help those guys. They were trying, but making very little progress. Both of those helped babies died within 3 days of hatching. It was heart-wrenching for me...I gave them vitamins, tried to force feed and water them, they just were not thriving.

I wondered what the difference was, and you know, both of those chicks that didn't make it weren't vocal in the eggs. Sure, they were trying, but they weren't peeping.

I don't think they were meant to hatch, and helping them caused me huge guilt and heartache.

In the same position again, I'm not sure what I would do.

But I think, for me, if there was no pip, I probably wouldn't help.

 

[AngelaPenny]

So what happened?

 

[Alexia]

Sorry guys for not getting back earlier. She ended up hatching on her own without any problems! Cute white silkie chick!.

Thanks everyone for your advice and help.