Help! What's wrong with this baby?

[chicken_china_mom]

I had all my chicks hatch between the 25 and the 26 and when I found that 1 last chick had pipped. So I left the chicks in the incubator while I waited for this last chick to hatch. But by the evening of the 27 the baby still had made no progress so I lifted the lid of the incubator and I pulled back some the shell and moistened the membrane. By late that night he had still not made any progress so I again moistened the membrane and used a small pair of scissors and cut some of the membrane and pulled off some more of the shell. He fought a little bit and was able to escape his membrane and escape his egg. We have been watching him but since yesterday he has not moved from the spot where he hatched. Also, his umbilical cord was still attached to the membrane so we rubbed it with a warm wet q-tip and it separated with no bleeding. The little guy was dry but did not fluff up like the other chicks did, instead all his feathers got hard and plastered to his skin. After his umbilical cord was free he was struggling to try to get up but he couldn't because he had a piece of membrane still stuck to his back and the side he was still laying on. I removed him and took him to my bathroom and I gently washed his back to remove the rest of the membrane. He still can not stand and pretty much just stays laying on his left side. I examined him and his eyes don't look right the eyelids on his left eye are set high and are barely more then a slit. His left wing droops but I'm not sure if that's not because he spent nearly 2 and a half days laying on that side. But ohhh, this little one has fight in him! He peeps very loudly and does not want to sit still. I have him wrapped in a dishtowel and on a heating pad. He is on my chest and peeping like mad. Is there any hope for this little baby? What should I feed him because I'm not sure that he can see the food I gave him some water and he took a sip but was to busy fighting too drink very much. I'm including some pics of him. Any help with this little guy would be much appreciated. He has the will to live so I think that I should give him the benefit of the doubt. Sorry for the quality of some of the pictures, he didn't want to sit still:

This one is before his bath. He looks wet here but he's actually completely dry:

 

[sonew123]

Im sorry the little bugger is taking his time-his eye in the first picture does look "off" and not so normal:-( Im not sure what to do except give him time and try and have him siping some water with some Poly-vi-sol iron free drops in it. Have you diped its beak in water yet? I do hope someone else comes along and helps better than I did-I just wanted to say good luck and I hope for the best.

 

[dieselgrl48]

Well in My opinion(only) if he or she absorbed all of the cord there is some hope.I have nursed a lot of chicks back to health.Sugar water is good but a ratio of about a teaspoon to a quart water' some do a tablespoon.This gives them some energy.Keep it warm under a lamp and try putting a flat lid of some sort with some chick food and peck at the food.I have put flegling chicks in a small box on my night stand beside me all night before under lamp.I hope it make's it's such a cutie. DG

 

[chicken_china_mom]

He is up and trying to stand upright now. He's next to me on the heating pad and has figured out how to go backwards. He isn't extending his toes though, they are kind of balled up. Will they straighten out? He sure has a set of lungs on him! I've dipped his beak in water a few times and had him get super mad at me for it too, lol. He has fluffed up just the tiniest bit since I gave him his little bath and you can actually sort of tell that he's a chicken now, lol. He has so few feathers though that I can't really tell what color he's suppose to be. Do EE's come in gray? I don't know what to feed him though. I tried to put the food in front of him and lower his beak to it but all he did was scream at me, so I dunno what I'm suppose to do. This is my first time with a chick like this. He sure has a lot of life in him though! And he's letting everyone in the room know it too!

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Looks to me like the egg gunk has dried sticking to him, can make it painful for them to move. With a very wet, warm washcloth bathe him/her or in a warm dish of water give the chick a bath. Chick will be cold and cry, so using a hair dryer on low, you can warm/dry little chickie. A little poly vi sol, dribbled along the beak will not hurt.

If you have a bit of fingernail - use it to bring food to the chick or attrack the chick to food.

I had a couple hatch like that - shrink wrapped in the egg and had to clean them off so they could dry properly and fluff up. Might take a couple days for the feet to flatten - I did use a couple bandaid splint/boots type thingies but the other chicks picked them off and the funny feet fixed themselves.

 

[bantybev]

Have you tried moistening the food with warm water? I had a chick reluctant to eat and the warm mash did the trick. The eye in the first pic looked like it was just kinda dried gunk and stuck in that wierd pulled up way. I agree he really needs to get a good washing, just do it in a warm draft free room so he doesn't get a chill. The polyvisol mixed with a bit of water (cause it tastes awful to them) is also a good idea.

Good luck...hope the little guy makes it.

 

[cheshie]

Sending warm well wishes!

Please give that little baby hugs and kisses, that must be what he/she needs most.

What a lucky little chick to have a mommy who cares so much.

 

[chicken_china_mom]

Quote:
How long exactly does it take to absorb the cord? He pipped late the evening of the 26th and I didn't pull him til today. He isn't eating or drinking, though he's moving around and peeping. He's finally sleeping now.

 

[lizardz]

You might try making a slurry of chick starter (crush it until it's almost a powder), cooked and finely crumbled egg yolk, water and maybe a little bit of poly vi sol (non-iron). Put it in an eye dropper and drizzle it alongside her beak to see it she'll take some of it. I hope she pulls through for you.
Liz

 

[chicken_china_mom]

I sat up with the baby, unsure of where to safely put it tonight, and when my show ended at 2 I looked down at the baby, after just checking it a half hour earlier, and it had passed quietly away. I'm saddened, but I know it's for the best. Tomorrow the baby gets a little funeral. Thank you everyone for your help. I'll keep it in mind should this situation ever arise again. I pray it doesn't though.