Advice needed on freshly hatched chick!!

AgnesGray

Free Ranging
Mar 8, 2019
1,693
5,266
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Ohio, US
My Coop
My Coop
This little guy was half unzipped for a long while before finally coming out of his shell. He doesn't seem to be drying out though and has pieces of shell and membrane stuck to his back which seems to be bothering him. The other chick that hatched just before he did is now pretty fluffy and resting. I tried to post pics from my chick cam but they're not great (sorry!) and am deciding if I should go home from work to help him out. Is there a time when I should intervene and clean him up?

This is the first time I hatch in a carton per the seller's suggestion for keeping the air pocket on top and I wonder if something went wrong because of that.

Thanks!!
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Neither have I! This is my first time with getting eggs in the mail though and they said for that reason I should.

I think we're losing this little guy though. He seems to be wearing out and is still not drying out at all.
 
He is probably a "sticky chick" Covered in egg gunk. Most of my chicks don't seem to dry off if I leave them in the 'bator. I would take him out, carefully rinse him in lukewarm water, then dry him and place him in your brooder.
 
Should I wash him? Electrolytes? No one has ever dealt with this before? :(
I would suggest giving him electrolytes and putting him under a heat lamp away from other birds. Something that my family always does is giving them sugar water and Gatorade along with some chick feed. Just try to keep him warm and safe from the other chicks so he doesn't get bullied. Maybe just drying him off with a dry paper towel will be better than washing him, as they are sensitive when they are young.
 
Hi there, hope you are enjoying BYC! :frow

I would clean him up as soon as you get a chance using warm water. The egg gunk dried on him and giving the wet look in addition to the crusty shells which can keep wings glued down and such.

If you have poultry nutri drench, I would add that to the water for general purposes for the first container full. It may NOT be needed. But it WILL offer a boost.

Back into the bator might be the best place to dry off after washing. :fl
 
Ok, thank you all! I am picking up nutri drench on the way home and will try washing him. I've never had this happen and it just doesn't seem right.
 
I'm pretty sure following these steps saved this little roo's life. By the time I got home, he looked like a little turtle. Had the membrane dried to his back and he was totally exhausted. There was some blood on his shell and where he sat in the incubator. I'm hopeful that there is nothing else wrong. He had a little warm water bath which he seemed to really enjoy, we peeled off the membrane and shell, was wrapped in a cloth and took a little baby nap in my hands before going into the brooder with the others. They made a chick pile all afternoon and he is able to stand up briefly and hold his head up now. Thanks for your input! Now up to 5 sweet little bielefelders. :love
 

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