When to Assist

[Crysta2704]

I have a question. This is my first hatch (I'm incubating them for my mom) and I'm trying to decide when to try helping.

I had one chick hatch on day 19, 1 on Day 20, 2 on Day 21, all unassisted and very healthy. I have 2 more that have been pipped about 12+ hours as of right now. They are moving around and seem to be fine. There are 4 brown shelled eggs (she said they are blue partridge brahma giants) that she is really wanting to hatch. They were harder to candle but looked viable at lock down. These are the ones I am wondering if I should help. None of them have pipped. There are some white shelled eggs that have not pipped either. Its about 12 hours into day 22...should I candle to check for the internal pop and make an air hole or wait a while longer? If I need to wait, how much longer should I wait?

 

[sophiafur]

I have a question. This is my first hatch (I'm incubating them for my mom) and I'm trying to decide when to try helping.

I had one chick hatch on day 19, 1 on Day 20, 2 on Day 21, all unassisted and very healthy. I have 2 more that have been pipped about 12+ hours as of right now. They are moving around and seem to be fine. There are 4 brown shelled eggs (she said they are blue partridge brahma giants) that she is really wanting to hatch. They were harder to candle but looked viable at lock down. These are the ones I am wondering if I should help. None of them have pipped. There are some white shelled eggs that have not pipped either. Its about 12 hours into day 22...should I candle to check for the internal pop and make an air hole or wait a while longer? If I need to wait, how much longer should I wait?

Hi, i think you should wait another day or so, Try to not help them and resist the urge as if you do something wrong you could kill them. If they still dont hatch you should see if theres an internal pip but if not look up on google to see how to help them in the slightest way possible But the main key is to resist the urge to help them! Hope they hatch safe and sound!

 

[MGG]

I have a question. This is my first hatch (I'm incubating them for my mom) and I'm trying to decide when to try helping.

I had one chick hatch on day 19, 1 on Day 20, 2 on Day 21, all unassisted and very healthy. I have 2 more that have been pipped about 12+ hours as of right now. They are moving around and seem to be fine. There are 4 brown shelled eggs (she said they are blue partridge brahma giants) that she is really wanting to hatch. They were harder to candle but looked viable at lock down. These are the ones I am wondering if I should help. None of them have pipped. There are some white shelled eggs that have not pipped either. Its about 12 hours into day 22...should I candle to check for the internal pop and make an air hole or wait a while longer? If I need to wait, how much longer should I wait?

I would candle the unpipped ones and check for internal pips. Leave the pipped ones until tomorrow. Has your temp and humidity been accurate?

 

[Crysta2704]

I would candle the unpipped ones and check for internal pips. Leave the pipped ones until tomorrow. Has your temp and humidity been accurate?

I can't be sure about the temp and humidity...I didn't know to calibrate before we got started. I'm using a forced air incubator. There is about a 1 degree discrepancy between what the incubator display says the temp is and what the thermometer inside said. The thermometer inside was reading a degree lower than what the incubator was saying it was. I was worried early on that it was too low so I bumped up the incubator temp a little until the inside thermometer read 99.5, but don' know which thermometer was more accurate. Humidity was reading between 35-50% during incubation, I kept it about 60% starting at lockdown on day 18 (worried the air cells were a little small) and I'm keeping it high 60's-70's since pipping started.

 

[Crysta2704]

I candled all the rest of the eggs and saw what might be an internal pip on only one of the remaining eggs.. one of the brown shelled eggs so I pipped it. I couldn't see any movement but its hard to see anything on those.

I have another egg with the air cell is on the side. That chick is definitely alive but hasn't popped internally. Is there as anything I can do to help that one. Pic below.

 

[MGG]

I candled all the rest of the eggs and saw what might be an internal pip on only one of the remaining eggs.. one of the brown shelled eggs so I pipped it. I couldn't see any movement but its hard to see anything on those.

I have another egg with the air cell is on the side. That chick is definitely alive but hasn't popped internally. Is there as anything I can do to help that one. Pic below.

The side air cell is probably a detached air cell. Can you cut out one egg slot from an egg carton and put it in that? Hatching detached ones upright is usually best.

 

[Crysta2704]

The side air cell is probably a detached air cell. Can you cut out one egg slot from an egg carton and put it in that? Hatching detached ones upright is usually best.

Ok I'll try that. Thanks!

 

[Quailen]

I usually candle from the side on the air pocket side of egg in a dark room. Turning egg under light to get indication from shadow movement if chick is alive. You will see it breathing/move from its shadow. I would not recommend assisting chicks until they've externally pipped AND they start making that circular break out pattern but if and when they have issues doing so.

 

[Crysta2704]

The chick that had internally pipped that I poked the rescue hole for was already dead. I didnt see it moving when I candled the egg before making the rescue hole but I was hoping I was wrong. I watched it for a few more hours with no sign of movement in the pip and expanded the hole and it was dead. I did an eggtopsy and the feet looked funny and wings looked too small. Any idea what happened? Does this look like a deformity?