Please Help! Chick made hole but not progressing.

[Maggie1030]

Hi this chick made a hole 5 hours ago and has not progressed. I dampened membrane and peeled little off but membrane very tough and white . Attached is picture. Chick chirps Real loud and sticks it’s beak out. Is this mebrance too dry for him to hatch? My humidity is around 65. Five other chicks hatched out of there today so what could be the problem with this one?

 

[Pyxis]

Chicks aren't ready to hatch as soon as they externally pip. They still have absorbing of the blood and yolk to do. Five hours is definitely not uncommon, and you shouldn't start to worry until it's been at least 24 hours since it pipped. For now, let it be.

 

[Maggie1030]

The white membrane is tough and rubbery. Seemed like chick is not pipping through it easily too. Is this normal?

 

[Pyxis]

The white membrane is tough and rubbery. Seemed like chick is not pipping through it easily too. Is this normal?

The outer membrane is normally white like that, so it looks normal to me. If it starts to get dried out and tough, it will turn yellow.

 

[JaeG]

You don't want to jump in too quick to 'help' as you'll do a lot more harm than good. As Pyxis said the chick still has a lot of work to do before it's ready to start turning and unzipping. It's a very tense wait - we know! But it will all be worth it when your little chick pops out of that egg.

 

[Maggie1030]

Yes the other 5 chicks zipped pretty quickly after they pipped. I think that's why I'm worried about this one.

 

[Maggie1030]

I just went to look again and the membrane looks yellowish white and dry and the chicks beak keeps opening and closing in that white membrane. The humidity is 70 ?

 

[cottontail farm]

Ok, I am no expert at assisted hatching so take it for what you will. I would probably make a small hole just big enough for the beak at this point if nothing else is happening. But I wouldn't assist any further than that.

 

[Pyxis]

I just went to look again and the membrane looks yellowish white and dry and the chicks beak keeps opening and closing in that white membrane. The humidity is 70 ?

Just leave it be. Helping too soon can and will kill the chick. Chicks open and close their beaks like that when they are still absorbing the yolk.

It can breathe, it's warm, it's in no immediate danger. If it hasn't made any more progress tomorrow by the time it pipped today, then it's time to think about helping, but not before then.

If there is not a hole in the membrane over the beak (and it looks like there is in the first picture you posted), then you could carefully make one, but otherwise, don't do anything for now.

 

[Maggie1030]

Ok thank you everyone. The chick does have a hole in the membrane to breathe that's how I can see his beak opening and closing. I will leave him alone and hopefully he will be able to zip soon. Maybe he didn't zip yet because he still is absorbing the yolk like you said.