Shrink wrap follow-up?

[slmwatts]

I assisted a shrinkwrapped chick but she’s got a hardened coating on her. Should I clean her up or leave her be?
Also, I’m on day 22 and 13/16 hatched in one incubator and 12/41 in the other. Any hope that second hatch rate will go up? When should I peek? Assist?

 

[Rose Quartz]

I have bathed the chicks with glued down fluff before, it didnt really help. With it dry after a few days the chicks rubbing against each other and grooming each other helps clear it off.

For your second incubator if you want to you can candle the unpipped eggs. Most that have internal pips will cheep the second you touch them so just leave any noisy ones inside.

At this stage you should be able to see movement even if they're asleep, they make what look like breathing movements. If they're not moving in the light then they're already gone.

 

[BelovedBirds]

I assisted a shrinkwrapped chick but she’s got a hardened coating on her. Should I clean her up or leave her be?
Also, I’m on day 22 and 13/16 hatched in one incubator and 12/41 in the other. Any hope that second hatch rate will go up? When should I peek? Assist?

Give them a bit more time, day 22 isn't that late. Give them another day, then candle from the air cell looking for movement, listen for taps or chirps. Any with movement or sound, back in. I always recommended opening dead eggs up over the air cell, very carefully, to ensure they are definitely gone before giving up on them.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Give them a bit more time, day 22 isn't that late. Give them another day, then candle from the air cell looking for movement, listen for taps or chirps. Any with movement or sound, back in. I always recommended opening dead eggs up over the air cell, very carefully, to ensure they are definitely gone before giving up on them.

I do the same. I have learned so much about hatching chicks by examining the contents of eggs that failed to hatch; whether that be day-three quitters or last-day quitters.

Sometimes I have discovered a very weak chick or one that is pipping prematurely and I'll put them right back into the incubator. I typically apply a bit of sunflower oil to the membrane covering such chicks before putting the egg back into the incubator to not only keep it hydrated (so it won't shrink-wrap, but also because the moist membrane lets me see the blood supply. If the blood supply is quite evident in this membrane, then I don't assist, but if it's pretty much (absorbed?) not evident, then as a last ditch effort, I'll offer more assistance.

The less you assist a chick, the healthier the chick will be throughout their lifetime. In nature, a weak chick is abandoned by it's mother because a weak bird is a threat to the survival of the flock.

 

[BelovedBirds]

I do the same. I have learned so much about hatching chicks by examining the contents of eggs that failed to hatch; whether that be day-three quitters or last-day quitters.

Sometimes I have discovered a very weak chick or one that is pipping prematurely and I'll put them right back into the incubator. I typically apply a bit of sunflower oil to the membrane covering such chicks before putting the egg back into the incubator to not only keep it hydrated (so it won't shrink-wrap, but also because the moist membrane lets me see the blood supply. If the blood supply is quite evident in this membrane, then I don't assist, but if it's pretty much (absorbed?) not evident, then as a last ditch effort, I'll offer more assistance.

The less you assist a chick, the healthier the chick will be throughout their lifetime. In nature, a weak chick is abandoned by it's mother because a weak bird is a threat to the survival of the flock.

My first attempt at incubating was a huge fail- they'd been shipped to me. Only one made it to the hatch date, and died. I opened the egg up to make sure, it was perfectly formed, not quite positioned correctly and the yolk was not fully absorbed. I think she may have broken blood vessels by her beak too.
Pretty sad, but I think that helped me learn more. And on my next try, I had to assist my first hatcher- sweet little duckling, got stuck zipping. A piece of the membrane had stuck to her skin, pulling when she moved, and she didn't have enough room to turn properly- and had already lost her egg tooth! I took some shell off the air cell and she popped right out- and has grown into a beautiful strong young duck!
I'll always be pretty hands on with hatching!

 

[Ebony Rose]

I pay attention to my little hatchers, but I assist them as little as possible.

 

[BelovedBirds]

I pay attention to my little hatchers, but I assist them as little as possible.

To each their own! I do agree that the more they do themselves, the better, though