To meddle or not to meddle?

[jluna16]

Now day 21 11am. No movement or progress since day 19 5pm. 2 hatched. No other pips. Do I tweeze a little off the pip?

 

[Morrigan]

Does it look like it is trying to break out? Chirping still. How do the membranes look?

 

[jluna16]

Does it look like it is trying to break out? Chirping still. How do the membranes look?

Looks dryish.. Humidity is at 80%. Not chirping. Not working on it. No movement at all.

 

[Morrigan]

Ok, so no progress in 36 hours, and no movement. At this point, I would meddle figuring there is not much to lose. I had one like this last hatch, I meddled and it hatched successfully and is now a healthy 1 week old chick.

Go slow and stop immediately if you see any blood. You might want to read the following article from this site that I've found helpful in providing guidance. It provides detailed directions on what to do when you go into assist.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching.64660

Be forewarned that sometimes a hatch just wasn't meant to be regardless of whether you intervene or not.

 

[MGG]

80% sounds too high. I'd knock it back to 70%. You are at risk of drowning them with the humidity that high. I'd open it up, its probably a late quitter. How many eggs did you set, how many hatched, and how many are left? Any more external pips?

 

[jluna16]

K.. so when actually able to look at it, it had not pipped the membrane, just enough to knock a bit of shell off, but the beak was glued to the membrane. It is dead. I did have it closer to 70 but bumped it up this morning in case they needed more. No more external pips today (day 21). 2 hatched of 28 viable eggs (per candling on day 10).

 

[MGG]

K.. so when actually able to look at it, it had not pipped the membrane, just enough to knock a bit of shell off, but the beak was glued to the membrane. It is dead. I did have it closer to 70 but bumped it up this morning in case they needed more. No more external pips today (day 21). 2 hatched of 28 viable eggs (per candling on day 10).

Something must have gone wrong in there then. Sorry you didn't get more. What was the temp? Was your thermometer calibrated?

 

[jluna16]

It was a little over 100F at times but not up to 40C.... thinking next time I will try to keep it a degree or two lower closer to 36C I have been reading a lot about dry hatches too so had the humidity at 50% maybe will bump that up to 55% next time and make sure I draw my air cells.

 

[MGG]

It was a little over 100F at times but not up to 40C.... thinking next time I will try to keep it a degree or two lower closer to 36C I have been reading a lot about dry hatches too so had the humidity at 50% maybe will bump that up to 55% next time and make sure I draw my air cells.

50% throughout or at lockdown?

 

[jluna16]

Throughout. At lockdown I raised it to 70%. This morning it had gone down overnight and then I added too much water (through the air vents) so by 10am-ish it was just above 80%....gahh! overcompensation!