Urgent help, may be dry membrane

[fluffy9947]

Can you see any yawning?

I only have chickens but I would definitely help at this stage. Mum would normally help, but if they are in an incubator it's up to us to use intervention as needed. I have had chicks whose membrane was too tough for them to get out. Sometimes I needed to use small nail scissors to cut the membrane. Once free to breathe they were fine.

 

[nao57]

I only have chickens but I would definitely help at this stage. Mum would normally help, but if they are in an incubator it's up to us to use intervention as needed. I have had chicks whose membrane was too tough for them to get out. Sometimes I needed to use small nail scissors to cut the membrane. Once free to breathe they were fine.

@MGG and @fluff9947

So are you to generally take the 'yawning' behavior, as trying to get air, or seeking for food? (Or both??) This seems interesting to observe. Thanks for bringing up the yawning aspect. It seems worthwhile to note.

And when you say that 'Mum would normally help', did you mean the chicks mom? Or your mom? Do the mother hens start helping them when they get stuck hatching? Is that what this means, or has anyone see that? (for either chicks or ducklings)

If the mother hens themselves help the chicks when they get stuck then the idea of not helping them out to only have strong survivor chicks is false.

 

[EarlJ]

The "strong survivor" thing is a bit misleading.

A strong chick can die because it's in an egg with a thicker than normal shell. It can be too large to move, and die without pipping. It can pip, then change position to zip, and suffocate because it's body now blocks the pip. There are lots of reasons chicks die or quit, and yeah, genetic flaws or problems in development are among those, but there are also lots of reasons perfectly healthy, "strong" chicks die without intervention.

Not to be ranty or anything.

 

[MGG]

@MGG and @fluff9947

So are you to generally take the 'yawning' behavior, as trying to get air, or seeking for food? (Or both??) This seems interesting to observe. Thanks for bringing up the yawning aspect. It seems worthwhile to note.

And when you say that 'Mum would normally help', did you mean the chicks mom? Or your mom? Do the mother hens start helping them when they get stuck hatching? Is that what this means, or has anyone see that? (for either chicks or ducklings)

If the mother hens themselves help the chicks when they get stuck then the idea of not helping them out to only have strong survivor chicks is false.

This is speculation, but I've always thought it induced the contractions needed to absorb the yolk. Don't quote me on that, but it's the only thing I could think of that made sense. Chicks don't need or want any food or water until at least 24 hours old. Sometimes they'll pick at food a little and drink a sip of two of water, but that's about it.
Hens of mostly all bird species can and will assist their babies in hatching if there are complications. These are pics from an article (not mine) of two call ducks assisting a duckling.

I know chicken hens do it a lot too.

 

[nao57]

Fascinating! Thank you very much for the comment and pics.

 

[EarlJ]

We had 3 guineas hatched in the incubator for a few hours, and when the 4th started zipping the others helped it.

That's certainly because keets/chicks are curious busybodies, and not some instinctual benevolence, but it was neat all the same.