Day 23 possibly twin chicks how do you know when assistance is needed

[Beavan]

I have a hen that frequently lays double Yolkers. My small flock is Isa Browns, so they have dark eggs that are difficult to candle at the best of times. But this egg seemed too full from the start from what I could see and based on what I can normally see in our particular eggs. It is an egg that has 2 big round ends. Yesterday mid afternoon the chick peeped and was rolling and kicking in the egg. But it didn’t pip the shell. I do realise that the hatching process can take time. But since 7pm lastnight 14hours ago all has gone quiet. I’ve tried playing peeping sounds against the bator and shining a torch through the bator side without opening. There has been no temp or humidity issues I can identify. I’m concerned that if it is twins as I suspect, then perhaps the chicks are both now malpositioned. How do you know the right time to do a water candle or even assist a pip? Particularly if you suspect twins? My thoughts were to do nothing until at least 24 hours from that first peep. But I’m concerned it’s day 23 without the first pip. Any ideas would be much appreciated.

 

[Beavan]

It was a singleton and it had sadly passed overnight. It was malpositioned it had peeped halfway down the shell and had not absorbed all the yolk or blood vessels. I candled it first and there was no air cell visible. I tapped and waited and had a really good look before I egg topsied. Something was clearly not right with it. This is our second egg to get to pipping and die. I’m feeling disappointed. I have 2 staggered hatchlings behind this one and both are alive with good air cells. I really hope we have success with them. We have hens but they stopped brooding so we have to incubate. I’m so frustrated with the incubation process. We are yet to have a successful hatch. We have a seperate thermometer and humidity reader and are so careful with humidity levels and temperature is always a stable 37.4 unless we get a slight drop when we open it to candle them but it jumps back up so quickly. The bator is a self turner,