When should you help peachicks hatch?

[RSD]

There are three times when I help out a chick hatching all with varying degrees of success.

One, when the chick zips but the membrane does not release I will pop the top and assure the chick is not stuck and let it push itself out. There are usually no problems involved and the chick will hatch fine on its own, rarely will I have to apply shoes.

Two, when the chick has not lost enough moisture and it pips but the beak is sticking out of the shell and it can not continue zipping. This normally will have problems with feet and sometimes with legs and need attention with shoes or to be taped to a board.

Third, when it is obvious that it is internally pipped and 48 hours or more late from the main hatch I will try chipping away the shell and try to help it hatch. This is not going to end well in most cases but there is nothing to lose when the chick would have died anyway. In this case you will have to give it life support with shoes, board, and crop feeding to help it start growing.

Hi!! I know this was posted 3 years ago but I’m having the second problem you listed above, where the chick externally pipped yesterday morning and is still in the same spot this morning with only the beak out. No zipping or anymore pipping/breakage of the shell has happened since initial external pip. Any tips?!!

Thank you in advance. Slightly panicking, as usual.

 

[RSD]

There are three times when I help out a chick hatching all with varying degrees of success.

One, when the chick zips but the membrane does not release I will pop the top and assure the chick is not stuck and let it push itself out. There are usually no problems involved and the chick will hatch fine on its own, rarely will I have to apply shoes.

Two, when the chick has not lost enough moisture and it pips but the beak is sticking out of the shell and it can not continue zipping. This normally will have problems with feet and sometimes with legs and need attention with shoes or to be taped to a board.

Third, when it is obvious that it is internally pipped and 48 hours or more late from the main hatch I will try chipping away the shell and try to help it hatch. This is not going to end well in most cases but there is nothing to lose when the chick would have died anyway. In this case you will have to give it life support with shoes, board, and crop feeding to help it start growing.

Hi!! I know this was posted 3 years ago but I currently am hatching some peafowls and one egg externally pipped yesterday morning and has not progressed since. Its beak is out, seems similar to what you described in the second scenario above.

Do you have any tips or suggestions of how I can help if needed? I don’t want to make anything worse as I see you said it may have leg deformities.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[KsKingBee]

If the chick can not pull its head back in to continue zipping it will not be able to hatch without help. The egg did not lose enough moisture and the chick is too big without enough room to swing its head to chip out. Either your humidity was too high or the shell was not porous enough to let moisture escape. There has been enough time passed to now begin checking to see if the blood has been absorbed from the membrane. Carefully chip a little of the shell and look at the membrane, if the blood has been absorbed the color of the membrane will be an off white, a sign you can continue. Caution that if you break a blood vessel the chick will bleed out so go very slow and cautious. If the membrane is gray the blood has been absorbed and you can continue without risk. You will probably find that the chick will need shoes or worse yet, need the ankle braced if it is turned in. Good luck.