Urgent advice needed hatching chick

[Emilychick]

Another pic

 

[Emilychick]

I would definitely assist at this point.

I tried but realised how inexperienced I am now it hasn't all been plain sailing like the last hatch as am in a total panic of wanting to do right but feeling like I'm going totally wrong

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi all, I have a silkie chick that pipped 20hrs ago. It has been making very slow progress, fully expected to see a chick wandering about this morning but it is still very much in the shell, although has made progress overnight zipping. A hatchmate has pipped, zipped and hatched all within a few hours. The chick is breathing, i can see some movement through the gap it has created zipping and I can hear it chirping. Should I be concerned and be intervening to help it out? Trying to attach a photo but first time posting and not sure how sorry! Edit - photo below.
It is day 21 crossing over into day 22. Been in lockdown since day 18. Temps have been stable throughout. Humidity had dropped to 40% overnight when I checked them first thing this morning but is sitting back up around 60 now. Another egg has pipped and is currently zipping so I really don't want to open incubator if I can help it out don't want to leave it too long and this chick die when it's so close to hatching

Chicks can take 24 hours to hatch from the first pip to out of the shell. I'd just leave it be and let Mother Nature do her thing. If it's over 24 hours and seems like the chick isn't making any progress, then you could consider assisting. I don't like to because that raises the propensity for wry neck, splayed legs, and/or disjointed legs to occur.

Here's a great article about how to assist:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

 

[Altairsky]

there was a crusty dry gluey clump of something which I gently removed as it was stuck to the chick and the shell

If the chick is stuck to the shell it can't hatch. If it can't hatch it will eventually die.
Mother nature doesn't care if a chick dies or not, so letting mother nature do its thing isn't always the best advice.
If the chick still can't get out of the shell, make sure its head is free and not stuck to the shell. Once the head is free, the chick should be able to get out of the rest of the shell on its own.
Expect this chick to take some time to straighten its head and find the legs so don't worry if it looks a bit crooked for a few hours.

 

[Debbie292d]

If the chick is stuck to the shell it can't hatch. If it can't hatch it will eventually die.
Mother nature doesn't care if a chick dies or not, so letting mother nature do its thing isn't always the best advice.
If the chick still can't get out of the shell, make sure its head is free and not stuck to the shell. Once the head is free, the chick should be able to get out of the rest of the shell on its own.
Expect this chick to take some time to straighten its head and find the legs so don't worry if it looks a bit crooked for a few hours.

Chicks generally aren't "stuck" to the shell. She never said it was. I find that "stuff" inside the egg shells after they hatched. She assisted a bit too soon was all. I just have more patience than you do apparently but that's fine. I've hatched my share and have had to assist because of air cells on the side. In fact, that one out of 34 was just August 8th.

 

[Altairsky]

Chicks generally aren't "stuck" to the shell. She never said it was. I find that "stuff" inside the egg shells after they hatched. She assisted a bit too soon was all. I just have more patience than you do apparently but that's fine. I've hatched my share and have had to assist because of air cells on the side. In fact, that one out of 34 was just August 8th.

I lost 2 perfectly formed chicks because I waited too long before helping. One pipped but he had his head stuck to the shell and couldn't zip.
If a chick, when pipping, hits a blood vessel or the yolk sack, the blood cloth or the loose yolk drying near the pip hole can make a chick's head stuck to the shell and lock the chick in that position.

 

[Debbie292d]

I tried but realised how inexperienced I am now it hasn't all been plain sailing like the last hatch as am in a total panic of wanting to do right but feeling like I'm going totally wrong

Emily, it just takes experience, is all. You tried your best due to instincts. This is how we all learn. That chick will probably be fine. If it's not, we can easily fix it, but leave it in the incubator a bit longer if it's not finding its feet yet. I've hatched thousands and I still can't get over the excitement of it. Did I ever assist too soon, you bet I did. That's how I know what happens when we do, and I try like heck not to. You'll be fine. I'm hoping they all hatch for you.

 

[Emilychick]

Chicks generally aren't "stuck" to the shell. She never said it was. I find that "stuff" inside the egg shells after they hatched. She assisted a bit too soon was all. I just have more patience than you do apparently but that's fine. I've hatched my share and have had to assist because of air cells on the side. In fact, that one out of 34 was just August 8The chi

Chicks generally aren't "stuck" to the shell. She never said it was. I find that "stuff" inside the egg shells after they hatched. She assisted a bit too soon was all. I just have more patience than you do apparently but that's fine. I've hatched my share and have had to assist because of air cells on the side. In fact, that one out of 34 was just August 8th.

I think you are right and I assisted too early. We are just reaching the 24hr mark since pip. There was only one part I could see where the chick was stuck to the very hard goo clump which was stuck to the shell, this is the area where it first pipped. I've released that part but the rest of the shell and membrane seemed to come off easily and not shrink wrapped so I put egg back in incubator. I can see the beak but the head is not out, if I try to unravel the head to check if its stuck I think I'm going to do more damage than leaving it and giving it some time seen as the beak is free and chick is breathing. The chick is not wriggling around desperately trying to get free but not being able to so I'm not convinced it's stuck, although could not be trying to get out as is exhausted?

 

[Emilychick]

I lost 2 perfectly formed chicks because I waited too long before helping. One pipped but he had his head stuck to the shell and couldn't zip.
If a chick, when pipping, hits a blood vessel or the yolk sack, the blood cloth or the loose yolk drying near the pip hole can make a chick's head stuck to the shell and lock the chick in that position.

This chick managed to zip a good chunk although took far longer than any others from this hatch so I presume its head can't be stuck for this reason? I'm no expert though so please do correct me if I'm wrong!

 

[Emilychick]

Emily, it just takes experience, is all. You tried your best due to instincts. This is how we all learn. That chick will probably be fine. If it's not, we can easily fix it, but leave it in the incubator a bit longer if it's not finding its feet yet. I've hatched thousands and I still can't get over the excitement of it. Did I ever assist too soon, you bet I did. That's how I know what happens when we do, and I try like heck not to. You'll be fine. I'm hoping they all hatch for you.

Thank you for such a kind reply. It hasn't come out of the shell yet, still breathing. My son and I are sat watching like hawks hoping the little one makes it out and is ok