How can i remove stuck egg shell?

[koakritters]

I had a chick i just had to rescue, the humidity dropped in the incubator and it's shell got stuck to it. I go the chick out and managed to free both wings and feet, but it's still got a huge chunk of shell stuck to its back. should i wait for the chick to dry completely and then remove it or should i try to get it off now? and what is the best way? it almost looks as if some of the yolk was up in the wrong spot or something and glued the chick to the egg, the 'glue' is yellow. ???

 

[Matt A NC]

To get it off you will need to get water(around 100 degrees) between the shell and he chick. That gunk can be really sticky and dry as hard as glue. Just go slow and wet and peel. You may remove some fluff, but feathers will replace that later. Just don't get in a hurry and pull too hard. A chick's skin is very thin and delicate. You don't want to tear the skin.

Once it is off dry the chick or return to the incubator to dry. Hypothermia can set in fast on a wet chick.

Matt

 

[mandelyn]

I get a bowl and fill with warm water (when you touch the water, it should feel warm and comfortable, not "OMG that's hot". Not lukewarm either, too chilly.

Dip your finger, dab the glue spot. Work it in gently. Repeat. Once you have the shell worked off, make sure your water is still warm, dab in a paper towel, sqeeze it out a bit to make sure it's just damp, and gently rub the spot down with the fluff direction. That will work off the last little bit so that the chick dries out nice and fluffy. After that, gently dab with a dry paper towel to remove excess moisture.

Also works when there is just glue and no shell. Also works on crusty poo stuck on the rear end.

It's fine if you need to place the chick back in the brooder to warm back up before you are finished, you don't want to chill it. Keep it warm and keep an eye on time. Go back as needed.