Should I help this egg?

[5littleeggs]

Hey y'all,
So this is my second hatching with a Janoel incubator. There are 6 eggs, each with a name written on them in pencil. On Friday morning, day 22, we found that Squidney (my little sister named him) had hatched overnight.
T aq,,fz Vv (Squidney typed that, so I just had to keep it there! He loves pecking at my phone lol.)
Anyways, that night Chicky pipped. Poor thing got rolled around lots by Squidney, who was staying in the incubator to get fluffy and adorable. This morning (day 23) I woke up to find that Chicky started making a zipper, but was rolled zipper-down by Squidney! My little sisters helped me move Squidney into the brooder and roll Chicky zipper-up in under 30 seconds.
It has been over 5 hours now, not including the time Chicky was zippering while I was asleep. He is still breathing, but isn't progressing at all. My other hatchings all took about 30 minutes from zip to hatch. Should I help Chicky?
Also, here is a picture of adorable Squidney.

 

[MGG]

Hey y'all,
So this is my second hatching with a Janoel incubator. There are 6 eggs, each with a name written on them in pencil. On Friday morning, day 22, we found that Squidney (my little sister named him) had hatched overnight.
T aq,,fz Vv (Squidney typed that, so I just had to keep it there! He loves pecking at my phone lol.)
Anyways, that night Chicky pipped. Poor thing got rolled around lots by Squidney, who was staying in the incubator to get fluffy and adorable. This morning (day 23) I woke up to find that Chicky started making a zipper, but was rolled zipper-down by Squidney! My little sisters helped me move Squidney into the brooder and roll Chicky zipper-up in under 30 seconds.
It has been over 5 hours now, not including the time Chicky was zippering while I was asleep. He is still breathing, but isn't progressing at all. My other hatchings all took about 30 minutes from zip to hatch. Should I help Chicky?
Also, here is a picture of adorable Squidney.

Yep, finish the zip for Chicky. If you see any blood stop though. Squidney is cute!

 

[5littleeggs]

Thanks! But how should I do this? I've never helped a chick hatch before. Do I use tweezers or my fingers?

 

[ValerieLovesChickens]

Start with your fingernails, and try to remove tiny pieces. If the membrane is dried out, put a couple drops of water on the membrane with a cotton swab. If its dried out, the chick is most likely stuck, and exhausted from trying to get out, when it was upside down.

 

[MGG]

Thanks! But how should I do this? I've never helped a chick hatch before. Do I use tweezers or my fingers?

I think tweezers are much better to use. It's not too hard. Just go slow and careful. Have you read this article? Just skim it before you start. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/
You can do it.

 

[mzhof]

Do you have a picture of the chick in egg? Yesterday morning I had one bantam stuck in egg with just a quarter size cm yellow membrane opening, could hear it peeping loudly so knew it had tried to zip for awhile, the other 4 had been out for awhile. I wondered if it had also rolled around to the bottom and couldn't roll back around to zip. It was totally dry once I peeled off some shell so I was able to get its head out of the shell and it quickly got itself out and was out walking around within 15 min. Sometimes it just needs an assist. If the membrane is still white then it hasn't been too long but if its dry and yellow it's been awhile and drying out so have to help or it'll die.

 

[SmoresandMinnie]

I have had to help several of my chicks out, if they start pipping and don't hatch for a few days I help them. Just gently pick away tiny pieces of shell by the part that is already pipped. Just enough so that they can get out themselves. I use my fingernails. My last two that I helped out had problems though, and that is probably the reason that they could not hatch on their own. One had wry neck and splay leg and the other one could not walk well, not sure whats wrong with it. Did your chick hatch and is it ok?

 

[5littleeggs]

Thanks for all the replies! I took the egg out of the incubator and applied some coconut oil to the dry membrane. Then I peeled off pieces of shell with my fingers to finish the zip for Chicky, putting on more coconut oil as I went. Lastly I used tweezers to open a thin line along the zip and Chicky pushed out of the shell on her own! Here is a picture.
Also, thanks for the article MGG!

 

[MGG]

T

Thanks for all the replies! I took the egg out of the incubator and applied some coconut oil to the dry membrane. Then I peeled off pieces of shell with my fingers to finish the zip for Chicky, putting on more coconut oil as I went. Lastly I used tweezers to open a thin line along the zip and Chicky pushed out of the shell on her own! Here is a picture.
Also, thanks for the article MGG!

That's great, thanks for the update! I'm glad to see Chicky doing well.