Help me help this newly hatched chick

[hanneke]

See pic. It hatched but feels dry. Doesn’t fluff up like others. It peeps but lays down.

 

[kattabelly]

See pic. It hatched but feels dry. Doesn’t fluff up like others. It peeps but lays down.

It looks like it has a load of hatching gloop from the egg that's dried onto its down. That will generally come off in time, but if there's a lot - and it looks like there probably is, here - and it's still like that now, you might want to try washing it off.

If you do, use water that's hot but not uncomfortably hot (the chick will make it pretty obvious if it's too hot or cold), in a warm room, and get it dried as quickly as possible once you're done. Be gentle and take care not to let the chick slip or breathe in any water.

 

[hanneke]

Thanks. I did exactly that and the chick is doing fine now. It was basically glued in it's own goop. Couldn't move. I left it in the incubator all night so it stayed nice and warm. This morning I took it out and it walks around now. The feathers still look a bit weird but I think it will be ok.