In agreement 100%. My "King" is testament to that! He is so active and hops on top of his Brinsea Ecoglow whenever I enter the room to get a better view of me, maybe I did start feeding him within 10 hours and a lot say to wait. He struggled so much that I think the extra calories were needed. I have 9 more eggs that are due out on Feb. 1st and I will be using your thread as a resource very soon...I am sure.You are very correct. Humans have removed the natural process and tried creating an artificial one. As we know, humans aren't always good at trying to do things ourselves. I absolutely agree that the backyard farmer/home incubator has to help more often than not which is exactly why I felt the need to create this thread. Some also believe that if a chick can't pip and zip on it's own that is it either genetically deficient somehow or a weak chick that should not live...I say phooey on that. I have dozens that are alive, strong, and great breeders. Just putting in my two cents lol.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, time and hands-on experiences with all of us. You've given us the the courage to intervene when we find ourselves with stuck chicks....priceless.