At what point do you intervene and create an external pip?

t411y said:

I have an egg in the incubator that's been cheeping for about the past 4/5 hours. The egg has a small crack, almost like a pip going inwards that has been there for a few days, presumably caused by the hen at some point. Apart from this there is no sign of an external pip. I candled the egg and the chick is fully in the air cell now (I know I shouldn't be candling etc at this late stage - it's a long story but the hen left the eggs day 21 so I've had to candle to see what is dead/alive and what stage it's at). All the other chicks have had to be assisted, the ones I haven't helped have died.

So my question is at what point do you intervene and make an external pip yourself?

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AmyLynn2374 said:

Usually you don't. It usually takes close to 24 hours after internal pip to external pip and then another 12-24 hours between external pip to zip. 4-5 hours is nothing for an internal pip.

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t411y said:

Thanks for your reply. I waited it out but when I woke up this morning the chick was dead. So possibly should have helped.

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cspar said:

My first post so I'm probably doing this wrong as this is not a reply.....Need advice. I two hens who have been trying to hatch eggs for about a month. I candled the large eggs they were on and found they weren't fertilized. A few bantum eggs were as I only have bantum rooster who apparently can't accommodate full size hens. The problem is the hens have, this week, hatched out 5 chicks but still have eggs between them that need another week incubation. I want the hens to be up and about with their chicks. Should I let them stay on the nest, give up and take the remaining eggs away or try to hatch myself with no incubator....or just go get incubator?

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AmyLynn2374 said:

I'm surprised the haven't already gotten off the nest to tend to the chicks that have already been hatched. Usually hens will leave the remaining unhatched eggs to tend to the hatched chicks after two or three days. People that let broody hens hatch usually collect the eggs they want the hen to hatch, mark them and when they have the number they want her to hatch they give the eggs back to her and check every day to remove any other eggs laid in the nest so that this "staggard hatch" does not happen.  Personally I would say that if it possible, get yourself a cheap incubator. If you are going to be hatching, even by broody it's always good for a backup hatcher. Just make sure that you have the temp at 101-102 in a still air (taken at the top of teh egg.) 99.5 in a forced air and that for lockdown you have your humid pumped up there. At least 65%. I shoot for 75%

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AmyLynn2374 said:

Chances are it wouldn't have made it. Very very seldom does a chick that does not pip on it's own make it when people interfere (the few that do probably never needed assistance to begin with). Once they have pipped and if they are stuck or malepositioned then yes, assisted hatches often result in happy healthy chicks, depending on the reason they needed help hatching. With a chick that has not pipped there are too many unseen variables and often helping before the pip jeaopaardizes a chick that otherwise given time may have made it. It's the not so fun side to hatching chicks. No matter what what decision you make if it doesn't end the way you want it to you are going to second guess your actions and you can't do that in hatching.

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t411y said:

Thank you for your help, I was upset this morning so sorry if my reply came across a little terse. I'm trying not to take it to heart. These eggs were left by the hen ~day 20 and I found them stone cold so I'm suprised any have hatched to be honest! Shows how resilient they are.

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