
It’s so exciting to incubate eggs! Waiting for the pip and the zip of the chicks, whether they be chickens, ducks, quail, geese, turkey, or pheasants is something we always look forward to. But anyone who has incubated eggs knows that often times there are chicks who struggle to hatch—which brings us to our controversial question: If a chick is struggling to hatch from its shell, do you help it…or let nature take its course?
I talked to several homesteading friends and asked about their experiences with struggling chicks and how they chose to deal with the situation. The answers were as varied as the homesteaders I asked.