When to assist??

[Traffie Chickens]

I am fairly new to incubating eggs, and so I’m wondering when should I assist? Currently three of the eggs are pipped and have been for at least 12 hours, with no progress at all. My last batch of chicks hatched less than an hour after their first pip, so I’m not sure if this is normal or when I should intervene.

 

[Traffie Chickens]

I assisted a tiny bit, should I keep going? It seems to be getting weaker.

 

[CandyCane701]

Any update? Are they acting stressed or making any noise? Are they making any progress at all?

 

[Toothpick]

I rarely assist. If they are pretty much fully hatched with just a tiny bit of shell stuck on them somewhere I might pull the shell off. Otherwise I don't mess with them. IMO part of raising a healthy strong chick is letting it completely hatch on its own. If it can't then that's just the way it goes.

With the egg I'm seeing I wouldn't mess with that at all. If it can't get out, then it can't get out. Although with you intervening you may have screwed up its hatch plan.

You might think it's getting weaker but the chick is getting stronger. It could take several hours for a chick to completely emerge. As long as 8hrs or more. Just let them do their thing.

 

[Traffie Chickens]

Any update? Are they acting stressed or making any noise? Are they making any progress at all?

I rarely assist. If they are pretty much fully hatched with just a tiny bit of shell stuck on them somewhere I might pull the shell off. Otherwise I don't mess with them. IMO part of raising a healthy strong chick is letting it completely hatch on its own. If it can't then that's just the way it goes.

With the egg I'm seeing I wouldn't mess with that at all. If it can't get out, then it can't get out. Although with you intervening you may have screwed up its hatch plan.

You might think it's getting weaker but the chick is getting stronger. It could take several hours for a chick to completely emerge. As long as 8hrs or more. Just let them do their thing.

I know most people don’t like assisting chicks, but because he was very hardly trying to push his way out, and the membrane was too dry, I went ahead and helped it out. He/She seems to be active and doing great today so I’m very glad!

And last night at about midnight another egg zipped and hatched!
And then I woke up to the other one hatched as well. And now they are drying off. So I guess now I know not to worry for next time!