Struggling Chick?

[ManthaM13]

Hi guys,

Hatching my first ever batch of chicken eggs so I'm a novice but have done an awful lot of reading.

Out of four viable eggs we've had two hatch successfully which are still in the incubator (they hatched yesterday afternoon) as the other two eggs have pipped so don't want to risk drying their membranes. One I am not worried about yet as it only pipped this morning so lots of time for that one to get going!

However, one of these eggs pipped some time in the early hours of yesterday morning so we've been going for well over 24 hours with no progress. The chicks beak is viable sticking out of the hole and it is moving still. I'm starting to get concerned. In addition to this slow progress, it has pipped at the small end of the egg. Is it likely my chick is stuck? And is it worth intervening at any point or is it better to let nature take its course?

I'm eager to get the other two chicks out of the incubator but don't want to jeopardise the other pippers!

Thanks!

 

[GitaBooks]

Sorry it took so long to respond.

I would help the chick. Just carefully pick around the shell in a ring where the chick would do it and let it push out on its own. Some chicks aren't strong enough to escape, or the shell is too thick, or they simply are positioned wrong in the egg.

Best of luck!

 

[Outpost JWB]

Hi guys,

Hatching my first ever batch of chicken eggs so I'm a novice but have done an awful lot of reading.

Out of four viable eggs we've had two hatch successfully which are still in the incubator (they hatched yesterday afternoon) as the other two eggs have pipped so don't want to risk drying their membranes. One I am not worried about yet as it only pipped this morning so lots of time for that one to get going!

However, one of these eggs pipped some time in the early hours of yesterday morning so we've been going for well over 24 hours with no progress. The chicks beak is viable sticking out of the hole and it is moving still. I'm starting to get concerned. In addition to this slow progress, it has pipped at the small end of the egg. Is it likely my chick is stuck? And is it worth intervening at any point or is it better to let nature take its course?

I'm eager to get the other two chicks out of the incubator but don't want to jeopardise the other pippers!

Thanks!

Good morning! Did you end up intervening? How did your hatch turn out? Sometimes they get "shrink wrapped" in the egg. It's caused from lack of humidity. Hope all turned out well. Have a great day.

 

[ManthaM13]

Good morning!  Did you end up intervening?  How did your hatch turn out?  Sometimes they get "shrink wrapped" in the egg.  It's caused from lack of humidity.  Hope all turned out well.  Have a great day.

Morning! We did intervene and unzipped most of the shell. However we decided to leave it there as I nipped slightly and there was a little blood so stopped, moistened the membrane and popped back in the incubator - unfortunately the chick never pushed out so we lost it in the night we did only lose one chick out of four though so not too bad for first time hatchers!

 

[GitaBooks]

I'm sorry to hear about the chick.

Sometimes we do all we can and they are just too weak.

I'm glad the others are doing well!

 

[Outpost JWB]

Glad you got some out of the batch.

Unfortunately it does happen that they are just too weak to get out of the shell by themselves. I have intervened before, mostly to find that chicken eventually dies before it's time. Just a weak link in the flock. Sorry. We'd like pics of the chicks if you can

 

[ManthaM13]

It was a shame to lose it as it was a lemon millefleur sablepoot which we were keen to have. Can't complain though as we've got a blue and a chocolate orpington (bantam) and a very lovely cuckoo maran!

 

[Outpost JWB]

Very cute!!