When is it appropriate to give help to hatching eggs?

[royalhillhomestead]

I have an egg that has been pipped out since sometime during the night. It is currently 11:30 am. It has a piece of shell dried onto it's beak, with it's beak outside the shell. It hasn't made any progress all day. Is it okay to remove the stuck shell? How long should I give to do it on it's own? Thanks! Anxious new "Mother Hen" here haha!

 

[Chicken Chat]

Mine can take anywhere from 12-24 hours to start zipping after I notice the external pip. You don't want to go in too early as they are still absorbing yolk and waiting for blood vessels to shrink. What day are you on and is your humidity still high?

 

[oregonkat]

I have an egg that has been pipped out since sometime during the night. It is currently 11:30 am. It has a piece of shell dried onto it's beak, with it's beak outside the shell. It hasn't made any progress all day. Is it okay to remove the stuck shell? How long should I give to do it on it's own? Thanks! Anxious new "Mother Hen" here haha!

Welcome Anxious new Mother hen, join the rest of us here on the BYC chicken train. First off, don't worry about this little one for 24 hours. If you can see his beak moving, opening and closing, twitching, he is fine and doing what he supposed to be doing, which is absorbing the yolk and blood supply. Please dont mess with him now. The piece of shell on his beak is not important and will come off eventually.

Keep your humidity nice and high. Post back if nothing changes by tomorrow mid day your time.

 

[royalhillhomestead]

Mine can take anywhere from 12-24 hours to start zipping after I notice the external pip. You don't want to go in too early as they are still absorbing yolk and waiting for blood vessels to shrink. What day are you on and is your humidity still high?

Day 21, humidity 65% Thank you!

 

[royalhillhomestead]

Welcome Anxious new Mother hen, join the rest of us here on the BYC chicken train. First off, don't worry about this little one for 24 hours. If you can see his beak moving, opening and closing, twitching, he is fine and doing what he supposed to be doing, which is absorbing the yolk and blood supply. Please dont mess with him now. The piece of shell on his beak is not important and will come off eventually.

Keep your humidity nice and high. Post back if nothing changes by tomorrow mid day your time.

Thank you!

 

[oregonkat]

Day 21, humidity 65% Thank you!

You are absolutely fine. Do not worry. You will have new babies tomorrow, or maybe the next day too.

 

[Chicken Chat]

Day 21, humidity 65% Thank you!

Just as oregonkat said, it looks like you are right on track. Good luck!