Shrink Wrapped Peeping Chick - What do I do now?

[rapunzil]

I had a pip that was peeping in the shell for 2 days. I finally caved and helped it out. There was no blood, but the membrane was shrunk around half of its head. There was also a fair amount of green chick poop that had collected around its vent.

I was able to use some warm water and remove the membrane, then put the chick back in the incubator. Its been chirping like crazy, but it is laying on its back and the feathers never fluffed up. I assume the feathers are glued dry to the chick?

I thought by morning it would be able to stand and start walking, but not the case. Do you all agreee I should cull it?

 

[trilyn]

It's not walking at all? Hmmm, I kind of remember reading on other posts that people have washed the babies with a drop of dawn, dried them and put them back in the bator to fluff up. Gosh, I hope somebody else jumps on here soon!!

 

[yotetrapper]

I would give him a little longer. This was the case with the last two I hatched in the last batch, and I had em considered goners, as it had been over 8 hours and they werent able to walk either. Then, somehow, a few hours after that, they were up and walking. They still didn't look fluffy, though. I put em in with the rest of the hatch and now I can't tell em apart.

If, however, by tonight, it still can't walk, then yes, you should cull.

 

[UGAchick]

WOW - I wouldn't cull it! Perhaps wrap him in a warm wash cloth, right side up, in the bator. I am certainly no expert, but it seems like culling is a little drastic.

 

[lilchik]

I'm definately not an expert either but I recently had a chick I helped out. It took longer to fluff up and was very weak at first. I gave it a few drops of the poly-vi-sol liquid multi-vitamin and then every so often a few drops of fresh water. Within 24 hrs was showing a little improvement and within 48 hrs was running around with the other chicks. If it gets onto its back, flip it back over. It makes it more difficult to breath on the back.

Good luck!

 

[onthespot]

I had a bourbon red turkey poult same scenario hatch with help a couple days ago. The yolk was not quite absorbed. I wraped it back up and left it in the bator overnight. The feathers dried all slicked down to the body, so I picked up the poult and roughed up the feathers by hand, set its head on the hygrometer to help it start lifting it up so it didn't have so far to lift and get its balance. An hour later it was holding its own head up, and by the afternoon it was walking, dried off, fluffed, and I put it in with the other four that hatched the day before and it is eating and drinking fine.

Give your chick a little time. If it is peeping lwell, that is a good sign it has strong lungs and a will to survive. I would not wash the chick off. Not neccessary. If there is a hunk of dried membrane, just moisten it with a q-tip until it comes away easily. Getting the entire chick wet when it is freshly hatched can (possibly) infect the navel where the yolk should have been completely absorbed but not completely closed yet, and kill the chick in a day or so, a very difficult death for the chick. Just rough the feathers up some with your fingers for now. In a couple days if it still needs a bath, go ahead and just rinse it off, no soap needed. Dawn is a pretty harsh detergent.

 

[monicas]

as far as not fluffing goes, I've used a soft toothbrush to 'fluff' them if their fuzz is stuck to them.

 

[yotetrapper]

Any updates?

 

[ntiveheart]

give it a nice warm bath (without soap) to remove all the "glue" then get it under the warmer to dry. it may not be standing/moving around because it's simply too stiff from the glue to do so. keep us posted

 

[peepsnbunnies]

I agree with ntvheart. I had that happen before. I rinsed the chick off with nice warm water, being very careful not to get water too close to the face, the head I wiped with a warm wet paper towel. Then I gave it some vitamin/electrolyte water (poultry), and put it back in the incu to dry off. After an hour or so it was dry and I put it in the brooder with the other chicks. Any down that was not fluffy, I fluffed for it while I was moving it to the brooder. It did fine. I had trouble keeping the humidity up in that incubator and I think the egg dried out a little too much during incubation is why it hatched so gooey. Just a guess.

Good Luck with your baby!