Help for a newbie....chick stuck in egg?

[dearduckyducky]

I have a broody hen setting on several eggs. She has successfully done this before.

My question is this....
One of the eggs started to hatch last night. My son found it about half way out of the shell at about 8pm. This morning at 7:45am it is still partially in the shell. It is peeping and breathing, but the shell seems to be stuck on it's back. At what point do I try to help it along, and how?

 

[Arielle]

Sometimes the inner lining glues to the chick. I beleive it is ok to help a chick, others do not. If you would like to help the chick, it only needs a wee bit of assistance. Break away as much of the shell as possible to determine where the membrane is glued.NOTE: If you encounder any veins STOP and wait. THen veins must be resorbed into the chick first. Use WARM water to drip over area to unstick the remaining membrane.

Would love to hear back from you how the chick is going

 

[dearduckyducky]

Thanks so much! Everyother time we have had a broody hatch, the chicks are all fluffed up and walking around by the time we find them. This is the first time the kids actually got to see one in the process.

Is there a danger to leaving the chick like it is? Why wouldn't you help it? I don't want to lose the chick if possible, but I don't want to hurt it because I've never done anything like this before.

 

[Ksane]

Maybe just get some really really warm water on a washrag (nice and toasty warm) and drip in on the chick to try to soften up where its stuck on its back. I certainly can't see how you could harm it doing that assuming the water is 100 degrees.

 

[Arielle]

Some people don't think is appropriate to mess with the natural order of things; often assistance is not given as this may be helping a chick to survive that should not for a number of possible reasons. I respect that thinking. I choose to do otherwise.

How did the warm water work?

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
I don't normally help but I had the same thing happen poor baby got the shell cracked all the around then couldn't get out so I helped. Good luck with your baby. Michele

 

[dearduckyducky]

I just went out. The chick is making progress, eyes open, moving around. The membrane was looking particularly dry and stuck on one portion of it's back. I drizzled the warm water on that portion and it softened up immediately. I did not pull on any portion of the shell because I did see one vein. I put the chick back under broody, and will check on it later today.

Thanks so much for the advice! We love our hens, and the we would all be really sad to lose this chick.

 

[dearduckyducky]

I went and checked again. The chick did not make it. so disappointing.

 

[bobcart]

that's too bad...

 

[becklinn77]

Sorry