Chick got stuck to incubator floor!

[EmmaJane88]

Hi all,

Need some advice/thought I'd share.

Been hatching silkies for a while now but never had anything like this. I'm hatching in school so came in to find one had hatched early this morning (Tues)... They weren't due til Weds. As it happens all 13 came out early so must've been temps.

Anyway... This little guy was physically stuck to the incy floor. Not in egg but covered in that cement liquid they have and was glued fast. With 5 chicks flopping about and several pips I was stuck as to what to do but it was struggling.

So I peeled it off... All the feathers remained on the floor along with some skin but eventually I got him out.

He's still in the incy nearly 24hrs later, alive and kicking but weak and matted, not fluffed at all and bald in places.

Did I do the right thing? The bleeding stopped after a while but I feel sick knowing how painful it must've been.

I've named it Patches

 

[Amykins]

Bleeding?! That's not good...what I'd have done was carefully taken a spray bottle and worked him, verrrry carefully, off the floor. After having all his feathers ripped out there's a chance he may have lost too much blood or could develop an infection from the wound site.

Sorry for the bluntness...not trying to be negative, just want you to be prepared for the worst case scenario. :/

 

[EmmaJane88]

I totally agree, however I had limited resources and as other eggs had pipped I couldn't keep the incubator open long enough or I'd have risked them all.

The bleeding was slight & not much at all, more of a shimmer than drops.

I'm more confused as to how it happened. He was so stuck that his feathers to this end are still in a patch glued onto the floor. Fingers crossed he's ok!

 

[thehackleguy]

You did what you thought was right at the time, don't beat your self up over that. The chick probably hatched prior to absorbing all of his yolk and then that dried to the bottom of the incubator. I'm kind of spoiled and have a nice set up but I have seen this before when I was using the small foam incubators. Usually if they can eat and drink and they are not deformed they recover with little problems. If you can mark that chick it may be wise to keep it out of the breeding pen incase the condition is genetic.

 

[EmmaJane88]

Thank you

I think you're right- although I hatched in my Brinsea 20 so it's pretty reliable... only problem was they pipped a day early (internally) so I had to hurry them into lockdown... hadn't brought my trusty j-cloths into school otherwise the floor would have been less prone to sticking I suppose.

It is still with us, full of energy just tiny. I'm having the same issues I had with a previous chick... it's eyes are always closed. I've given him 3 warm baths and endless eye soaks but they're not stuck... just not open. He opens them when I feed him water by hand but not when he is with the other chicks so I'm worried he wont be able to drink!