Tweeting but no Pipping

[New Chick Mum]

Hope you can help; this is my first attempt so anxious to say the least!

It's day 23 and we have a chick twittering away in the egg but no signs of movement or pipping. I know assisted hatching is an absolute last resort but obviously I'm also scared about leaving her to suffocate.

My concern is the temperature and humidity dropped while we removed the rampaging chicks that had been in the bator since hatching on day 20, and I'm wondering if this has made it difficult for the chick to break the shell?

Hoping for advice: should I leave the hatching process until day 25 then, if she's still chirping try a slow assisted hatch (assuming she's still alive), or do I try sooner in case she suffocates...

I know I need to expect losing some, but thinking about losing one that's developed enough to chirp at me is heartbreaking - any help would be welcomed.

Thank you so much in advance!!!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Hope you can help; this is my first attempt so anxious to say the least!

It's day 23 and we have a chick twittering away in the egg but no signs of movement or pipping. I know assisted hatching is an absolute last resort but obviously I'm also scared about leaving her to suffocate.

My concern is the temperature and humidity dropped while we removed the rampaging chicks that had been in the bator since hatching on day 20, and I'm wondering if this has made it difficult for the chick to break the shell?

Hoping for advice: should I leave the hatching process until day 25 then, if she's still chirping try a slow assisted hatch (assuming she's still alive), or do I try sooner in case she suffocates...

I know I need to expect losing some, but thinking about losing one that's developed enough to chirp at me is heartbreaking - any help would be welcomed.

Thank you so much in advance!!!

How long has it been chirping from within the shell? It can take a good 24 hours before they actually externally pip once they have internally pipped and you can hear them.

I don't normally suggest this, but seeing as how it is day 23 and there's a chance of the chick being weaker, if it's been over 12 hours (24 would be better) you can put a small hole in the air cell to allow for outside air to vent in, that way it gives him longer to be able to make the external pip and it might decrease your anxiety levels a bit knowing that he at least won't run out of air.

I personally do not ever recommend doing an actual assist on a chick that hasn't made it's own external pip. If a chick can't make the external pip chances are there is something quite wrong and by going in an egg before the vascular system between chick and egg shuts down (which doesn't complete until hours (usually) after the external pip) you can cause a viable chick to bleed out and it'll never have a chance.

As for opening the bator to pull out the other hatchers, that should not effect the unpipped eggs (and rarely affects the pipped ones.)

Good luck!

Oh, and play this for him if you can periiodically. Should keep him motivated: