If they pipped 24 hours ago and still no chick, I'd assist a bit if the chick seems exhausted or is still with no peeping. Check the internet for sites on how to assist a hatching egg for more pointers. Gently peel the shell around the pipped area, if it is not wet and bloody go ahead and clear an area around the chicks' beak and face and let it try to get out the rest of the way by itself. You may have to peel even more, do it quickly, calmly and gently, and return it to the incubator before it can dry out and get stuck. There is a fine line between jumping in too soon--if the chick is still OK and the inside of the shell is wet and bloody--and waiting too long and having a dead chick. If you really think the chick is in distress and would die otherwise, go ahead and help. I had a RIR/Americaunas chick do that to me two years ago, it was a huge chick in a huge egg. She was the first egg to pip and the last to hatch, and I had to help her out. Today her name is Bear (due to her enormous size at hatch *L*) and she is the Head Hen of the flock. :)

Velvet ~:>

Very good info here, Thanks. My first batch of incubated eggs are starting to pip. The first chick was at day 18 late ??? Still had yolk sack ( fatal ) the second day 19 chick seems ok but weak and after 6 hrs still not walking. What is the normal time before a chick is strong enough to walk and eat drink ect...... Thanks !!

The normal incubation period for chicken eggs is 21 days--hatching at 18 or 19 days is too soon, and usually indicates too high of a temperature in the incubator or some other issue. Chicks that hatch too early or too late invariably have health problems or tend to do poorly.

It can take up to 12 hours in the incubator after the actual hatch before a chick dries out and is strong enough to stand--hatching is VERY hard work! The chick absorbs the last of the egg yolk right before hatch and it sustains them for days--typically the chick doesn't eat or drink for up to three days after hatch--so don't panic. Once they are out of the incubator and in the brooder, help them along by dabbling your fingers in the food and water while calling 'chick-chick-chick' or even dipping the chicks' beak (gently!) into the water to give it the idea. But don't panic and don't rush it, chicks are very clever--when one learns where the food and water is, the others learn by watching it--and they catch on quickly. :)

If you click on my 'My Page' link, there is a link there to my chick info page which has tons more information.

Good luck and enjoy the chicks! :)

Velvet ~:>

Day 23 will be tomorrow and only 3 were pipping when I left school today. How long do I wait until I either help them out or dispose of them?

I give my eggs three days beyond the 'Hatch Date' to catch any stragglers. The time from pipping to hatching can be anywhere from 15 minutes to 12 hours, depending on the chick.

Knowing WHEN to help a chick hatch is tricky--too soon and the inside of the shell will be very wet and bloody, and the chick may not survive if it comes out too soon. Too LATE, and the chick can dry out and stick to the shell, where it can't break out and dies in the shell. If I suspect a chick is in trouble--say it has pipped 12 hours ago and it's peeping and movement is getting weaker--I will break a small amount of the shell away from it's beak area and take a peek inside the shell to evaluate how wet or dry it is.

If the chick appears ready and the inside is fairly dry, I'll break a bit of the shell from around it's head--chicks generally turn in the shell just before hatch so that their head is at the large end of the shell, then as they hatch, they rotate inside the shell and pip a line around the circumference of the large end of the shell, then kick free. If the chick seems too weak to hatch, I'll gently break the shell in this line, but leave the shell on and return it to the incubator, so that the chick can hatch as naturally as possible on it's own.

Velvet ~:>

My chicks hatched yesterday!! But one is not doing so well. It came out but is just laying there and when I picked it up I noticed it was deformed and couldn't stand on it's own. How can I help it? If at all? Also, if the chicks are not dry yet when do you take them out of the incubator before they need food?

Wait and see if the chick can recover, chicks should be dry before removing them from the incubator. They can go w/out food and water for 36 hours or more after hatch. I always remove mine to the brooder when dry and offer food and water then.

Is there any chance that you could fix the chick using a chick shoe? Chicks are quite rubbery at first and now is the time to make a splint for the leg/feet. If it can move it's toes or grasp with them, it's worth a shot--splints often can fix a chick in just a few days of wearing it. Here's how to make one:

http://www.peafowl.org/ARTICLES/1/

As Sheila said, leave them in the incubator until they are dry and fluffy (meanwhile they'll charge around bashing into the other eggs and helping to stimulate them to hatch), and don't worry if it takes them hours or an entire day to start eating and drinking--they absorb the last of the yolk just before hatching, so they are set for a while for nutrients. You can help by tapping a finger in the food and water to draw attention to it, while make your 'chick-chick-chick' call.

Congrats on the chicks! :)

Velvet ~:>

we had one chick hatch at 11 last night and another had a pip, the one with the pip has made little progress, just pokes its beak out and peeps here or there. At what point should we help it?
the one that hatched is still wobbly, we took it out of the incubator to give it a little water and put it back in as it is warm and the other eggs seem to peep when they hear this one. when will the hatched chick be stronger or whould be worry, it has been about 10 hours.

I have chicks hatching as we speak and a few are struggling. I am apprehesive about aiding them along because of prvious failed attempts.
Do you think its better to let nature take its course?

Thanks for the information

irishdave, read the advice in this thread--it still holds! :) Hatching is a trying and nerve-wracking time for we humans...

Chicks WILL struggle mightily to escape their egg, it looks awful. I assume yours are in an incubator? If so, talk to them and encourage them, they'll respond by kicking up a fuss and peeping, then they'll rest for a bit. The time to help a bit comes when the chick is obviously losing strength after MANY hours of attempting to free itself from the egg and is weak and it's peeping is infrequent and weak. I've had chicks I had to help a little, I just removed enough shell by their heads and feet so that they could easily finish on their own, then replaced the egg in the incubator for the chick to emerge on it's own. That way the chick wouldn't dry out too soon.

So if the chick is strong and energetic, leave it be. If it has been many hours and it's weak, help it a bit and put it back.

Good luck and enjoy the chicks! :)

Velvet ~:>

I've had 2 eggs hatch so far. The first needed assistance yesterday morning after many hours of trying to get out. The second hatched on it's on later in the day. The first is fluffy but can not seem to walk, it simply can't balance itself. It also has something still attached to it. The second has not fluffed up yet and doesn't really try to get up much. Should I be concerned about these chick and if so is there anything I can do for them? Thanks

I'd leave them be. It takes many hours for them to dry out in an incubator and fluff up. They'll be weak and very wobbley at first, too. They'll get stronger and more sure on their feet as time goes on. The only time to worry is if they have splayed legs or curled toes--but chicks are very rubbery when they hatch, so lots of things straighten out in the first day.

Just give them time. :)

Velvet ~:>

From reading somewhere on the internet I think it said that it can take up to 40 hours from pip to full hatch out of the egg. that is close to 48 hours or two full days.

It also said to NOT OPEN the incubator during this period. Leave it shut until all eggs are hatched and then open it up and take ALL the chicks out.

I now think this is good advice.

There is no sense in taking one out and putting it back in because it really does not eat for 3 days. It is not ready for food and water. So leave it in the warmth of the hatcher or incubator. Try to keep the humidity high when hatching.

The last 3 days the temp can go down a very small amount and the humidity should go up some.

The chick that is in the process of hatching is absorbing the egg yoke and has plenty of energy from that. It should last 3 days. So try to relax and go to work and come back home and see how they are doing.

Do not open the incubator because it will chill the egg and chick inside the egg. That is not good for the chick. So keep your hands off the incubator and go watch TV or do some work around the house and let the chick stay warm and absorbe the egg yoke and GROW.

Remember give the chick up to 40 hours before assisting the chick from getting out of the egg.

The problem with small incubators is that the temp is different around the incubator. for example it is usually warmer in the center and cooler around the edges. The chick thus hatch differently or at different times. Do not chill the chicks. keep hands off. and most importantly.

KEEP LOTS OF DETAIL RECORDS. WRITE IN A BOOK EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING SO AS TO IMPROVE YOUR HATCHES NEXT TIME.

It's tempting to want to remove too much of the shell to help a chick or duckling out. Remove only enough to free the beak or bill but stop the moment you notice the membrane appearing to bleed even slightly. I've lost several years back to this. The chick or duckling must remain in the shell long enough to absorb the yolk sac. You can dab a little warm water from a q-tip on the membrane to prevent it from drying out. Try though to leave the incubator closed though for another few hours before checking again. If you must chip away at the shell only do 2 or 3 pieces then stop for an hour.
Nature can be cruel in what does and doesn't make it. We have one 11 year old duck that was helped by a friend out of it's shell and it turned out to be very deformed and unable to ever walk. It ended up purely a pet that gets tons of attention/TLC,loves to swim,and can't live out with the other ducks for obvious reasons. Messing with nature can sometimes end up to be a long commitment but still a rewarding one. Good luck.

hi i found this thread on the net and became a member strait away!, ive got 15 eggs in the inky and am on day 19, im def sure of this,as i have everything written down. i noticed before a chirping out f the inky and one of them is pipping already. the other eggs are quiet. i can also hear moving about scratching sounds in there. i think its just the one egg at the min. topped up the water and dampend sponges quickly, then replaced the lid. do you think all is ok or is something wrong poss. thanx and hello!!!

Usually the cause of early hatching is that the temperature during the 3 week period was a bit too high on average. It can be difficult to maintain an even room temperature during incubation, so the incubator in turn can fluctuate more than it should, they can be fussy. I had one of my last batch of chicks hatch out on day 19 also and he's just fine. :) The others hatched a couple on day 20, and most of the rest on day 21. Now they are all 5 weeks old and doing great, no ill effects from being a tad early with the early birds (sorry).

Just don't rush it and keep the chick in the incubator as long as possible--opening it right now may endanger the other eggs. Chicks absorb the last of the yolk just before hatch and this can sustain them for up to three days after hatch, so don't worry about him needing to eat or drink within a day or so if he DOES come out early. Keep us posted on the hatch!

Don't panic, trust in Mother Nature and the egg. They've been doing it longer than we have! :)

Velvet ~:>

I opened one of my eggs since it was on day 25 of incubation. I thought it would be dead, but it was bloody and moving and hadn't absorbed the yolk sac. I put the egg back in the incubator. What should I do? Keep waiting for the other eggs to open themselves? Will the one I opened survive? HELP!

Our chick has cracked most of his egg, and is breathing outside of the shell. He has been stuck like this for about four hours... How long will it be untill he is out of the egg itself???

Hi I have incubated 20 eggs I candled them and they were all growing but only 5 hatched, what do you think caused that?

There are many possible causes for hatch failure, anything from older parent birds to temp and/or humidity that fluctuates too much to bacteria entering the shell. Do you know at what point in the incubation they died? Also, if you tell us about your setup (what kind of incubator, etc.) it may help.

Velvet ~:>

I've never incubated the eggs, we usually let the hen do her work and then put all the chicks in another cage with a heat lamp and food, water, etc. Doing this makes them more likely to survive, but also lets them hatch very naturally. Good luck though! hope they all come out good.

Oh sure, if you are gonna cheat and let a HEN do all the work... :)

Just kidding. Yes, hens make us humans with incubators look totally stupid though. The fun of incubators is that you can watch the entire hatch process. Hens tend to clamp down on the babies and not let us peek. Boo. :(

Since the end result is cutie fluff balls, can't complain either way!

farmerboy98, serious question though--do you take away ALL of the broody hen's chicks or leave a her a few? If you take them all, doesn't she freak out? I wasn't clear on if you eventually put her back in with the chicks and how that worked out...

Velvet ~:>

We usually take all the chicks, and the hens don't seem to mind to much. We don't always get all of the chicks though, we cant always catch them all. And once the chicks began to feather up a bit, we release them all into the "herd".

My first chick hatched yesterday,,,,Its now almost 24 hours old, It is not walking and mostly lying on its side....Do i need to be concerned,,,what should i do

I am on day 19 and three are pipping. One has pipped a hole about half the size of a dime. I can see his little beak working but he hasn't made much progress since this morning (about 9 hours). The temo is at 100 degrees and the humidity is 86 degrees. Is he okay? Should I add more water to raise the humidity? Thank you!

I've got eggs on day 24, with no pipping. How much longer should I wait before giving up on this batch?

My chick pipped 3 days ago but still has not came. Out it just chirps alot what do I do?

My first chick is still connected to his shell. There is a cord connecting him, maybe the chalazae from his butt to the inside of the shell. Is this normal? He's been out for a few hours and hasn't been able to disconnect. He's moving around like crazy with the shell still hanging from him. Help please!

It's probably the umbilicus. Leave it be, even if it is annoying him. It should dry out and come loose naturally soon. Once he's dry, fluffed out and moving around and standing strongly on his own and you take him out and put him in the brooder box, check his little belly button--make sure he doesn't have a mushy navel. If it seems OK he should be fine.

Velvet ~:>

my eggs r piping but 1 hatched bu it died soi put 20 more eggs on bc my hns wont lay on them do u know y idk but i hear piping should i help it

I recently started incubation Turkey and Chicken eggs. The shells of the turkeys are very hard and the chicks have trouble emerging. The chickens do not however. The manual says both can be incubated, but I'm thinking the humidity is different.

Today I looked at my incubator and saw that there was a small hole in one of the eggs. I have about 14 eggs and they are all moving. 2 more eggs have holes; it�s been about 6 hours since the first one had a hole. There is not much progress. How much longer will it be until they get out, or until I need to step in?

Hi, my eggs did hatch and I was wondering how long do I have to wait until I can start handling them? Thanks! Kaity

Man the last 36 hrs have been a rollercoaster. woke up yesterday to baby chicks hatching a day early. as the day progressed I heard lots of peepimg and saw lots of them pipping through. I had 30 eggs I collected from my hens. out of the first 3 one never finished pipping and died in its's shell. By bedtime 9 had hatched. When I woke in the morning only 2 more had hatched and 5 more had died in their shells. The temp was fine. I added more water to the incubator thinking the humidity was off. Now I have 2 very sticky chicks. UGH! I have several eggs left and am not even hearing peeping now. Should I give them another couple of days?

HELP !!!

I have a double yolk egg hatching,,,, the first is out,,, and the second is alive, but not doing any egg pipping on the other end,,,, assuming that's where it's air sack is,,, the first came out of the more pointed end,,, any tips or advice on helping the other making it !!!

thanks in advance,,, RAY

we just started incubating this year. the chick eggs are duds (i dropped two after we pulled them from incubator and they were just regular eggs) but the turkey eggs are almost 100% fertile. we have had three hatch succesfully, one never broke it's shell, one died at 2 weeks, and now we just had one break it's first pip then begin to die. after 5-12 hours (it broke it in the night) it was getting weaker and quit peeping. i began to break off shell and wait, then decided it wasn't going to make it anyway so we worked on getting it out. now i know that it needed maybe a couple of more days. it was wet and bloody, and the yolk was on half of it. head was at narrow end. was there something wrong with it, or did we mess up?

Hi all !! me & my husband are new to this we've got 9 eggs in a incubator 1 hatched today on the 21st day how long shall we leave the rest before taken them out! And how long can the chick stay in the incubator before putting it under a light? Hopefully I'll get some help thank u!

I'm worried have a chick that hatched and its alive and breathing, but the yolk sack is not in its body. What do I do?
.

I am on day 29 hatching duck eggs - I have three eggs that have dark spots forming, 2 of those have a pip in them. Is that normal during the break out process or are they dying there?

Hi Heather West! I am on day 28 with duck eggs and also see dark spots forming but no external pipping though a quick candling on one, when replacing wet sponges, showed duckling internally pipped and still movement. I would love to know what happened to yours. Did they eventually hatch, or die in shell?

p.s heather, it is not really 1.06am, it is 9.07 am. I am in Scotland.

Whiteleghorn, if you opened that incubator to put in the sponges you may need to hatch out those eggs. I had a teacher recently do a hatch of my eggs in her classroom and she had to hatch out half the eggs and the one that had dark spots had it's beak out but didn't hatch out on his own. He pipped two days early. When they hatched him out he had already completely separated from the shell.

will all the eggs pip at the same time? i had two pips out of 15 eggs this morning. one has hatched, one has done nothing and there are no other pips i can see so far. is there hope?

Yes there is hope!!! Boy this is an old thread, it can usually take three + days depending on when you took the last laid egg. Did you take them all at once and put them in? Congratulations, so fun and the waiting game is so hard! Seriously wait, don't give up for another 4 days and then candle them to see for life if they haven't pipped before chucking them.

How long do duck egss take? And I have a hatched duck and there is some inner membrane stuck on him what do I use or do?

This is our first time incubating quail eggs. 9 of the 15 were viable at lockdown. Yesterday was day 18 and only one began to pip and one was rocking. It is 12 hours later and still none have hatched. What should I do?

This has been the most helpful discussion. I'm hatching turkeys. 1st one was successful. I noticed my heat temp had dropped to 95 due to kids and grandkids opening by setting knob on top. So i bumped it back up. Waiting on 2nd one. But it's different. Yellow yolk bubbles coming out of piping hole. I have taken a Qtip and wiped outside away quickly and replaced lid. Little guy is breathing and chirps some. I'm a little worried about the yellow ooz. There is no blood so that's a plus. Any comments or help for me or my little gobblers?

Hi I had to help one of my quail to hatch and after I did I put it back in the incubator but it's always on it's back and running in the air should I take it out or leave it in??

so I have a cockatiel egg that is 18 days and it we heard is peeping yesterday and I pipped this morning it has been roughly 16 hours since if pipped and I candled the egg but when I was putting it back my cockatiel cracked a line on the egg and im wondering if it will still survive since the egg already was cracked from the baby