When to help chick out...

[cheryl98117]

My first hatch ever and I need some advice...

I have one egg that pipped yesterday around noon, started to zip, but then got knocked around and made no progress. The membrane around the zipline has dried, and the poor little booger is trying, but not making any progress. It has been over 24 hours since pip and start of zip. How long do I wait until it is time to help? I have already taken the rest of the chicks out, and upped the humidity with a hot damp paper towel. This one lone chick is having problems getting out, and I am afraid it is completely shrink wrapped in there...

Any advice?

 

[cheryl98117]

Never mind. I got the chick out. Glad I did too as she was copletely shrink wrapped. Now back in the bator stading up and drying off.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

Yay! good job taking care of oyur chick. I'm glad it worked out so well.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Good job.

When I know they are stuck (shrink wrapped) I will help and usually around the 24 hour mark. If they are vigorous enough to keep chirping then they are probably healthy and just had humidity issues.

but most of the time, they either come out on their own or they just don't come out. I have seen a few really horrible sights and it made me realize the healthy ones make it out on their own if the hatching conditions are right. Those that don't aren't supposed to.

 

[oesdog]

Quote:
Well done Shrink wrap is a horrible thing and I lost a lot of chicks with it. At least 7. They were full term and very healthy looking but too dry. We did manage to save two thanks to this BYC site and good sound advice. I am glad you managed to get the chick safe. It can be very hard to do.
Here is the sticky we followed to save ours. Ours were hatched at day 27 and 28 - yeap should be dead but they lived.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9316

Oesdog

 

[hannakat]

Cool. Great job!

Thanks for posting this....and thank you to those who replied. I am new at this and this kind of information is soooo helpful! I have 4 hatched but 3 eggs aren't doing anything. Day 21 today.... I candled them and the air sack is still intact but being dark eggs, I'm not sure if they are still growing or what.

Just gonna wait a couple more days and send them good chickie thoughts.