dirt caked on newly born chick

[eumios]

hi, so, i've had a hen hatching out chicks lately. went into the coop the other day and found one, bran spanking new, in the middle of the coop on the dirt floor. not sure how it got there, but the problem now after bringing it inside is that i guess its embryonic fluids were't dry when it was rolling in the dirt so now the dirt is hard dirt, caked on the backside of the chick and on it's left wing. i don't want to scrape it off for fear of removing skin and so forth.
what's the best way to get this caked dirt off the chick now? thanks.

 

[FriendFarm]

When we had a similar problem with our chicks we used very warm water and soap, and just gently rubbed the area using a paper towel. It took a while, but the chicks came out clean with minimal stress and no torn feathers. It does takes a while to do this, so be patient, and don't pull at the feathers or dirt, just rub gently.

 

[eumios]

friend farm,
thanks. that's what i figured would be the best and only way to go about it, so i did that before i saw your post. it did take a while like you said but it mostly worked. i got it cleaned up and put a couple of the older-but-smaller chicks in with her to encourage her to move about more and eat.
we'll see how she fares. thanks again.