- Thread starter
- #71
- Feb 26, 2009
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Quote:
I had chicks that pipped but then waited a long time before their little beaks started working on the shell. Sometimes if they couldn't turn they just started making the hole bigger which sort of makes it worse cause it dries out the membrane more.
So pip that has been open a long time
hole gets a little bigger
I can see a chick beak trying to work
I hear lots of distressed peeping
and most importantly, I see the clear dried out shellac that the membrane turns to around the egdes of the hole.
That tells me the chick is stuck to that membrane and can't turn to zip, but they are ready to zip.
I helped one out last night that was definately stuck but that needed to absorb more before she hatched; so I was worried about her. She's great today. Just a little shellaced looking.
It's a risk. I do not want to help a chick and then be heartbroken cause it isnt' quite right and I should cull. I am not a good culler. I only help because I can see it is a humidity issue, not a deformanity or 'failure to thrive.' One pipped a tiny hole and has done nothing else. I didnt' think the tiny hole would have gotten the chick stuck. I did not help that one and I believe it died in the shell.
I am not anxious to help. Letting them work it out themselves is the best thing. But when it is the end and I have to decide to let that live, peeping, I-want-to-live-but-I'm-glued-to-the-shell baby die or help it out of the stuck part of the shell.... I have tried to help. I prefer them to do the work themselves so I don't have to worry so much. I work hard to keep humidity up too (65-70%). Still working on the perfect levels.
Hope that helps.
I had chicks that pipped but then waited a long time before their little beaks started working on the shell. Sometimes if they couldn't turn they just started making the hole bigger which sort of makes it worse cause it dries out the membrane more.
So pip that has been open a long time
hole gets a little bigger
I can see a chick beak trying to work
I hear lots of distressed peeping
and most importantly, I see the clear dried out shellac that the membrane turns to around the egdes of the hole.
That tells me the chick is stuck to that membrane and can't turn to zip, but they are ready to zip.
I helped one out last night that was definately stuck but that needed to absorb more before she hatched; so I was worried about her. She's great today. Just a little shellaced looking.
It's a risk. I do not want to help a chick and then be heartbroken cause it isnt' quite right and I should cull. I am not a good culler. I only help because I can see it is a humidity issue, not a deformanity or 'failure to thrive.' One pipped a tiny hole and has done nothing else. I didnt' think the tiny hole would have gotten the chick stuck. I did not help that one and I believe it died in the shell.
I am not anxious to help. Letting them work it out themselves is the best thing. But when it is the end and I have to decide to let that live, peeping, I-want-to-live-but-I'm-glued-to-the-shell baby die or help it out of the stuck part of the shell.... I have tried to help. I prefer them to do the work themselves so I don't have to worry so much. I work hard to keep humidity up too (65-70%). Still working on the perfect levels.
Hope that helps.
