Long night - not sure how to help chick now

[andiedk]

This guy was pipping in wrong direction and never zipped. I tried to “help” by removing a lot of his shell. Maybe I made things worse. I don’t know. Humidity is high in incubator. I’ve been moistening his membrane now and then. He’s still chirping, but seems weak. What should I do now? Any advice appreciated!

 

[DemeterAD9]

I can't tell from that angle, does the yolk sac seem to be absorbed? If you leave the membrane like that it will dry out and the chick won't be able to break free. If the yolk is absorbed then get the membrane off completely. It may have some sticky residue on the down and not fluff up properly. You can gently wash the chick in warm water or wipe it with a wet paper towel to get it off.

 

[andiedk]

Yes I think he absorbed most of not all - here’s the latest - Can’t seem to get him unstuck - should I leave him alone for a while or keep trying? Thx for your help!

 

[andiedk]

Yes I think he absorbed most of not all - here’s the latest - Can’t seem to get him unstuck - should I leave him alone for a while or keep trying? Thx for your help!

 

[andiedk]

Maybe not absorbed? I don’t know what I’m looking at

 

[DemeterAD9]

Yolk is gone and all that’s left is the umbilical cord and some egg goo, so that’s good. If the membrane is stuck to the feathers then use some warm water and paper towel to sorta rub it off. Try to avoid messing with the umbilical area. Take short breaks to let the chick rest a little but keep working at it till all the moving parts are free. I do worry that it isn’t stretching out his/her neck but if it was stuck for a while then maybe it just needs time. Worse case scenario, the chick is malformed or has wry neck. Hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.

I’ve had to help one of my own eggs hatch as it was pretty much shrink wrapped in the egg, it never externally pipped. Little gal was covered in sticky goo that I had to gently wash off, a soft paint brush helped. It still took a couple days before she was out of the woods but she’s fine now and I’ve got 3 of her eggs about to hatch right now.

 

[andiedk]

Yolk is gone and all that’s left is the umbilical cord and some egg goo, so that’s good. If the membrane is stuck to the feathers then use some warm water and paper towel to sorta rub it off. Try to avoid messing with the umbilical area. Take short breaks to let the chick rest a little but keep working at it till all the moving parts are free. I do worry that it isn’t stretching out his/her neck but if it was stuck for a while then maybe it just needs time. Worse case scenario, the chick is malformed or has wry neck. Hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.

I’ve had to help one of my own eggs hatch as it was pretty much shrink wrapped in the egg, it never externally pipped. Little gal was covered in sticky goo that I had to gently wash off, a soft paint brush helped. It still took a couple days before she was out of the woods but she’s fine now and I’ve got 3 of her eggs about to hatch right now.

Thank you! The goo is covering his neck and eye so I’m having trouble getting it off, not wanting to hurt him. He seems strong - I just feel bad for him as he’s kind of stuck. I’ll keep working on it! I’m glad your girl is fine now

 

[Ridgerunner]

I had a chick like that, covered in goo. The down was a mess. I put warm water (about 100 F) in a cup and rinsed it off. That helped some and it was able to move but the down did not all fluff up. I turned the chick loose with a broody hen and its siblings after it dried off. Some down stayed plastered down for about a week, but after that I could not tell which chick it was.

If I had wildlife rescue experience I would have probably used dawn dishwashing liquid to wash it and then rinsed it. Always in warm water.

A happy ending that time but not all endings are happy. I wish you luck!