Should I intervene?

[DTRM30]

I have one cross breed egg in my incubator - (silkie dad/EE mom) it piped internally two days ago, but has not yet piped externally yet. it was moving slightly this am before I left for work ... but it was doing the same thing last night when I went to bed.
not sure what to think. We haven't had good luck with these cross-breeds - with most not hatching (quitting around day 10/15). (we actually only had one hatch successfully so far under a broody - I put this one in the bator after the hens had a dispute and broke two of them around day 10 based on candling) I've hatched before, but honestly don't recall how long between internal/external pip. I've never really paid much attention.
The problem here is i don't know exactly what day it's on because I was away. When I candled, I noticed it had piped intnerally (was chirping ). This is the last one - and my son has already named it and knows it was chirping two days ago. He (and I !) are getting worried !

Should I help it to pip externally when I get home ? What do you think ?

 

[HEChicken]

Personally I wouldn't. Either it is still going strong, in which case it would be better to let it pip, zip and hatch by itself, or it isn't, in which case externally pipping it, isn't going to miraculously change anything.

 

[DTRM30]

mmmm - I know - I just feel so helpless knowing the little bugger was so loud the other day - sounded very healthy. But, I do know also, that the last time i helped a chick hatch - it only lived for two days. But that was after it had already externally pipped and did nothing more.

Should it be taking this long between internal/external pip ?
Like I've said, I've never really paid much attention to that part of it ...
I know I've heard them chirping under broodies - but my everyday life has me so busy that I just don't recall ....

 

[sumi]

If you think the chick's in trouble then you should help it. I know it's a hotly debated topic, to help or not. Personally I choose to help my chicks if they need help. I've had a good success rate with helping chicks hatch and this thread:

If intervention is necessary as a last resort

was very valuable! It tells you what to do and how. Good luck!

 

[DTRM30]

Thanks - I'm kinda torn on this - but I do think the little guy/girl was ready last night and just can't get through the shell - it's become much quieter and less active ( I know, not necessarily a sign of anything bad) - I'll see what is going on when i get home - I think - and decide from there. I think 48 hrs + (could have piped internally well before then, who knows) - is too long between intenral / external pip - from everything I could find. could be a membrane issue since I had it out to candle not knowing exactly what day it was on.

Once I knew - I did increse the humidity to about 70/75% (was holding steady around 50/55%)

 

[DTRM30]

Ok, my son said it's still doing the same thing, slight almost inperceptible "wiggle" - but no external pip yet.

It's been doing that for 24+ hours - and it's been a minimum of 48 since I heard it chirping - likely more. I was expecting an external pip last night at some point.

I wish I had paid more attention to when I heard them peeping in the past to how long till they hatched !

When I set the eggs in the incubator from day one it's so much easeir to know what to do

 

[DTRM30]

Well, poor little guy was DIS.

I decided to externally pip for it, since it had grown so quite after being sooo darned loud yesterday. I guess the loud peeps were it in distress ...

Once I broke open a small hole the shell, I saw no signs of life. I decided to go further and take the top half of the shell off - the membrane seemed OK - was not thick or tough - it had pipped through the inner membrane into the air cell. Still nothing. So, I figured I was this far, I might as well take the whole shell off to see if there was a defect or something. There was no blood (well, I guess because it had died) - and looked to be right on schedule - as in it should have extrnally pipped yesterday after being internally pipped on Saturday night into Sunday. The yolk sac had about 12 hours - maybe a day left which whould have put it right on schedule to hatch today had it not died and finished absorbing it. It was all absorbed in it's stomach - just needed the umbilical area to finish closing. I wonder if the shells are just too hard .... I know when I toss old eggs, they literally bounce on the ground (dirt - not grass) - and skip like rocks. I guess next time I'll know that if it hasn't externally pipped after 24 hours, to help it. But if the genetics site I was reading is correct - then this little guy was a guy. It said that for silkie crosses - if the male is a silkie and the female a standard bird, then the female chicks will have black skin and the male chicks will have pale/gray skin. This chick definately had very light colored skin. If that is true, then it's not necessarily a bad thing b/c I would likely have to re-home him. We have one roo - my DH won't tolerate another - and doubt my neighbors will either.

 

[sumi]

I'm sorry to hear that

 

[DTRM30]

Thanks - it was disappointing after hearing the littly guy peeping so much and anticipating a chick to hatch. I was standing over the incubator talking to it - and it was peeping back.

 

[sumi]

It's hard, I know. I often wonder should I or shouldn't I? If I don't the chick may not make it, if I do the chick may not make it. The biggest worry is always what's going on in the shell? Is the chick ready to hatch, or is it still busy absorbing everything in there? And how long do you wait before you help?

I'm sorry your little one didn't make it