Chick pipped 24hr+ beak out but no zipping.

[Forestschoolchicks]

So to make a long story slightly shorter I work at a preschool and I’m certain that we have been incubating these eggs all wrong probably due to the fact that we had the incubator out for the kids and they’ve knocked the lid off several times and played with the heat settings. It’s day 24 and only one egg has pipped. It’s beak emerged fully yesterday and it started chirping this morning. The hole it has made is pretty big now but I think it is stuck (from what I’ve read probably due to low humidity).
I’m feeling pretty guilty because the incubation could have definitely been handled better so my instinct is to help but I’ve resisted intervening after reading through most of this website!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Shezadandy]

OK: Don't panic. Have a look at the "Assisted Hatching Thread" posted below, and read it very, very carefully because it's extremely detailed with excellent advice and photos. The main thing to NOT do is rush. If it's talking it's breathing. If it's breathing, it will be fine in that shell for a little longer. Chances are decent it's probably "shrink wrapped" which means it can't break free from the internal sac.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching.64660/

 

[Shezadandy]

My favorite hatching "tools" : Tweezers- for chipping off JUST THE "FAT" end of the egg above the air/pip hole - QTIPS- for wetting that internal membrane so you can see how much veining is still going on. If you have it- use bacitracin instead of water -(not neosporin, and NEVER anything with any sort of "pain relief") - which will keep the membrane moist without re-applying. The article above talks about how that membrane should look once it's moist, whether by water or bacitracin. That part is very, very important.

It could be just adding moisture to the sac will allow the chick to break free.

Always if in doubt, WAIT.
Again: If the chick can chirp, it can breathe.
It won't starve. It can survive 48+hrs without food/water because it uses the yolk sac for nutrition.

When the time comes and the veins are clearly shrunk like the ones in the article's pictures, it's important- even if you do remove the internal sac (as described in the article) for it- that you let the chick push itself out of the egg.

 

[hebe5]

I don't have any experience but just want to say good luck and that I'll be following this thread.

 

[Shezadandy]

If you're nervous about assisting, don't forget to use youtube as a resource to watch how it's done in real time. Search "assisted hatch" or "shrink wrapped chick" or some combination thereof.

 

[sdm111]

Why never anything with pain relief?

 

[Forestschoolchicks]

If you're nervous about assisting, don't forget to use youtube as a resource to watch how it's done in real time. Search "assisted hatch" or "shrink wrapped chick" or some combination thereof.

Thanks for the advice, you’ve been really helpful I’m going to give it a go. Made notes from the article to follow as I go along. Fingers crossed.

 

[Forestschoolchicks]

Okay so I’ve chipped away a little still don’t know if it was the right decision. However there was no blood, hooray! Although I think the chick may be positioned wrong the head seems to be toward the pointy end of the egg. This chicks not got much going for it.
Letting the little guy rest now.

 

[Forestschoolchicks]

Okay the chick has managed to get the top off but I think it’s wings are stuck to the membrane and it can’t get out. I’ve tried upping the humidity but he’s still stuck. Also I think he cut one of his legs on his way out

 

[oregonkat]

Why never anything with pain relief?

I think it's because any of the 'caines' are considered dangerous to poultry.