When should I intervene on a hatch

[rheo]

I'm not sure if I'll get a response in time...

I'm hatching some coturnix quail right now and they started pipping around midnight last night. It's 9am now. The first one I noticed had pipped is still not out. It's just that same little pip it had last night.

I'll give it some more time but at some point I should probably try to give it a hand if it's not completely out right?

How long should I wait?

I only have 6 eggs out of the dozen I expect to hatch after the candling I did a few days ago. So far only 1 of those 6 have completely hatched.

 

[007Sean]

You say it's the first one that pipped? Are the others already hatched?
I'd give it a little longer, it may not have read the book on how long it should take to hatch after pipping.

 

[rlchatham]

Personally, I never intervene unless all others have hatched and it’s a last resort. Just my two cents.

 

[Bluemonster107]

Did you end up helping it?? Was just curious since the post was from yesterday.
Hope all is well

 

[702Quails]

They can survive around two days without food / water after hatching. Use that to determine when to pull them out. Some can hatch earlier (15 days), while others can hatch later (18+ days). If you still have unhatched eggs with 48+ hr chicks in the incubator, it's best to pull them out at that time. Most of the eggs will hatch in two days, so I think it's better to make sure the ones already hatched stay alive than worry about a few unhatched eggs that might never hatch anyways.

If you're worried about the remaining eggs, do this: The key is to slowly equalize the temperature or put the incubator in a hot room (90+ degrees) when opening the incubator. Otherwise, a sudden influx of cold air (even room temperature) can make the membrane in the egg shrink which can trap a chick.

 

[maadroj]

If you're still waiting, check this link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching.64660/

I waited about 30 hours to help my last chick. It seemed so very weak, I wasn't sure it would make it. Now it is the boldest and most energetic of them all! I hope your hatch finished smoothly.