*day 22, need advice!!*

[FunnyFarmChaosCoordinator]

I’m incubating/hatching silkies for the first time. We started with eight eggs and four made it to lockdown. We were not having any action until finally on day 21, one pipped. I gave it 24 hours with no progression or movement so started to chip away the shell to help it. It instantly started moving more and chirping more, but it still hasn’t zipped. Should I continue to help him try to get out or let him do it on his own? I want to add that, I candled the other three eggs and I’m afraid they are no longer alive so I’m afraid if I don’t get him out soon, he may not live either.

 

[Phantom-Brahma]

I help them out sometimes but it doesnt always end well but try to open some more and see if he will try to get out it shouldnt take more than a day from first pip

 

[DemeterAD9]

I would help by peeling away the exposed membrane and trying to see if the yolk is absorbed. After confirming the yolk is absorbed keep chipping away to create a zip and pop the top of the shell off. That should free the chick's head and it should be able to kick the rest of the shell off.

As for the other eggs, see if they wobble or chirp at all. Give them maybe another day and then I would start chipping away at the air cell end without rupturing the membrane. I would expect some sign of life by now so it is probably right to think they are gone

 

[Ridgerunner]

One thing the chick needs to do before it hatches is to dry up the blood vessels in that membrane around it and absorb that blood into its body so it does not bleed to death if those are broken. From your photo that doesn't look too bad but go slowly and be prepared to stop if you encounter any blood.

The chick should absorb the yolk. Occasionally one doesn't finish doing that until after it hatches but there are risks if it hatches before fully absorbing the yolk. So if it hasn't absorbed the yolk I'd go really slowly.

Since you've been working with it outside of the incubator it is possible that the chick is shrink-wrapped. That's when the membrane surrounding the chick dries out and shrinks, trapping the chick so it can't move enough to hatch. If that has happened carefully and watching for blood remove that dried up membrane.

Good luck with that chick and the other three.