Small chick egg

[bellems]

our chick is hatching but it’s coming out of a really small egg. I hasn’t done anything all day but it’s still alive . Should I help if?

 

[Sparrowsong98]

Do not help. It is unusual for chicks that hatch from small eggs to make it, or ever thrive as much as peers. Most, in my experience do not live as long. But, nevertheless, not helping it would be the best path, simply because if it does make it out, it will have better quality of life, and might be able to catch up to peers, whereas a helped chick is weaker, so a small helped chick will never catch up.

 

[JaeG]

Chicks will pip then wait 24 hours (approximately) before proceeding. In that time they are still absorbing the yolk. A chick shouldn't grow bigger than the egg can handle but it does happen occasionally. I had a quail chick I had to help as it was too big to get out on its own. It's still bigger than it's hatch mates.

This is a very good article on assisted hatching:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching.64660/

Helping too soon will kill the chick. I know waiting is difficult but trust the process.

 

[bellems]

Ok I won’t. Thank you.

 

[bellems]

Ok it seems to be doing fine right now so I’m not too worried