Chick stuck to shell

[docdubz]

One of my chicks hatched with a small amount of unabsorbed yolk. I don't see any bleeding and the chick seems energetic but the unabsorbed yolk is still attached to the shell and it's just walking around dragging the shell and tripping all over it's yolk sac. Not sure what to do here, I tried seeing if I could gently get the yolk to release but it's stuck good enough that I wouldn't be able to do so without tearing it. Do I just leave him alone in the incubator and see what happens or what?

 

[JaeG]

There is a risk that he could rupture the remains of the yolk if he's left to roam about. Can you immobilise him in a small cup to see if the rest of the yolk gets absorbed?

Sometimes they hatch out still attached to the shell by a little string. If that is what's happening here you can cut it with sterilised scissors as far from the chick and as close to the shell as possible.

 

[docdubz]

That is kinda what it looks like, it's a stringy membrane that looks like it was part of the yolk sac, the yolk sac itself is definitely still visible on his underside though. Another wierd thing, so far this is the 2nd to last chick to hatch. Two hatched about an hour before him and one hatched about 40 minutes after him. I want to say this was 5 hours ago (I had to make my trips to the feed stores today and just got back) so about 5 hours later, one chick hatched after him, but somehow this one is still wet while every other chick in the incubator is dry. He isn't like soaked looking like when they first come out but still he's no where near a dry fluff ball like the other 16 chicks

 

[JaeG]

That is kinda what it looks like, it's a stringy membrane that looks like it was part of the yolk sac, the yolk sac itself is definitely still visible on his underside though. Another wierd thing, so far this is the 2nd to last chick to hatch. Two hatched about an hour before him and one hatched about 40 minutes after him. I want to say this was 5 hours ago (I had to make my trips to the feed stores today and just got back) so about 5 hours later, one chick hatched after him, but somehow this one is still wet while every other chick in the incubator is dry. He isn't like soaked looking like when they first come out but still he's no where near a dry fluff ball like the other 16 chicks

Sometimes there's left over albumen in the egg which ends up on the chicks down and dries. It makes them still look wet but he'll likely feel crispy. You might have to give him a bit of a sponge bath once he's recovered from hatching. Hopefully he'll absorb the rest of his yolk sac.

 

[docdubz]

I left him alone because it

Sometimes there's left over albumen in the egg which ends up on the chicks down and dries. It makes them still look wet but he'll likely feel crispy. You might have to give him a bit of a sponge bath once he's recovered from hatching. Hopefully he'll absorb the rest of his yolk sac.

Looked like the string was finally starting to dry and it fell off on its own. The chick seems healthy.