Shrinkwrapped chick?

[bittenbythechookbug]

I had 2 young pullets go broody after a month laying so I gave the first one 8 fertile eggs. The other broody joined her a few days later and was thieving her eggs so I ended up giving her 4 of her own. Not that that worked as they played musical eggs every time one of them got off their nest. I'd come in to find all/most eggs under one broody.
The first broody hatched 3 eggs on Monday so I moved her chicks and remaining eggs into a separate coop where she resumed sitting. The other broody then took exception and seemed to quit with her 4 eggs getting cold so I gave them to mumma hen who continued to sit. Thursday night and Friday morning, 2 of those eggs hatched. This morning (Saturday) I checked and found a zipped egg with a dry back of head and neck chick sticking out. The inner membrane and shell was tightly stuck to it. I freed the chicks head and eventually chipped off all the stuck shell (not sure if I should have) but it seemed very weak. I put it under mumma hen but maybe there's something wrong with its feet as it doesn't seem to stand/ walk well. How should I proceed?

 

[backyardchicks]

It's a hard call. If you do, just be prepared to care for a possibly handicapped chicken. A chicken may not hatch for a variety of reasons- it could be that it has some sort of infection that has caused it to be too weak to hatch. In this case you shouldn't help it hatch. If it is shrink wrapped because the humidity level fluctuated during incubation after it pipped, then I would help it.

 

[backyardchicks]

I see that you aren't incubating the eggs. Chances are that it is not a humidity issue. I would let nature take its course.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I let a perfectly strong and healthy but shrink-wrapped chick die under a broody hen one hot summer years ago. I didnt understand the problem, but will never let it happen again. Even under broody hens, chicks can become shrink-wrapped when weather is hot and dry. From your description, the chick was definitely shrink-wrapped. It expended a lot of energy to try to escape its shell, which was an impossible task. Even during a normal hatch, a chick is exhausted after it hatches and needs several hours to rest and recover. Let it rest with its mom and siblings tonight, Hopefully by tomorrow morn it will be healthy and well, though since it is several days younger than the first-hatched chicks, it will be less mobile for the first 24 hours or so. Please update either way.

 

[bittenbythechookbug]

I let a perfectly strong and healthy but shrink-wrapped chick die under a broody hen one hot summer years ago. I didnt understand the problem, but will never let it happen again. Even under broody hens, chicks can become shrink-wrapped when weather is hot and dry. From your description, the chick was definitely shrink-wrapped. It expended a lot of energy to try to escape its shell, which was an impossible task. Even during a normal hatch, a chick is exhausted after it hatches and needs several hours to rest and recover. Let it rest with its mom and siblings tonight, Hopefully by tomorrow morn it will be healthy and well, though since it is several days younger than the first-hatched chicks, it will be less mobile for the first 24 hours or so. Please update either way.

Thank you. Both mumma hen and I are new to hatching/ raising chicks. She has been incredible given the drawn out circumstances of the incubation and hatch.The chick s head was obviously stuck and it was unable to free its head. Perhaps I should have just left it at freeing the top half but I think it was totally ready to hatch. Hopefully I didn't damage it by removing it from the shell but I saw no sign of yolk, blood vessels etc

 

[bittenbythechookbug]

Well surprisingly the chick is still alive but markedly weaker and less mobile than its siblings. I haven't seen it eating yet either. Should it be starting to eat at a day old?

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

If you saw no signs of yolk or blood vessels, the chick was past ready to hatch, and would have died stuck half out/half in its shell if you had not assisted. If the chick is "damaged", it is because it was shrink-wrapped too long and grew too weak from its predicament, not because you caused harm by helping it escape. On that note, how is the chick today?

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

We were definitely on the same wavelength with our simultaneous posts! Just so I am clear, you helped the chick hatch yesterday morn, i.e. about 36 hours ago? Also, how much older are the other chicks? The fact it hasn't eaten yet is no concern; chicks live off of their absorbed egg yolks for approximately 3 days after they hatch, which is why chicks can be shipped though the mail. However, if the chick hatched yesterday morn, a normal chick would be becoming more active by now, but still not mobile enough to keep up with chicks that are several days older. What type of setup are mom and chicks currently living in? For example, with the flock? In a separate, safe pen?, etc.

 

[bittenbythechookbug]

We were definitely on the same wavelength with our simultaneous posts! Just so I am clear, you helped the chick hatch yesterday morn, i.e. about 36 hours ago? Also, how much older are the other chicks? The fact it hasn't eaten yet is no concern; chicks live off of their absorbed egg yolks for approximately 3 days after they hatch, which is why chicks can be shipped though the mail. However, if the chick hatched yesterday morn, a normal chick would be becoming more active by now, but still not mobile enough to keep up with chicks that are several days older. What type of setup are mom and chicks currently living in? For example, with the flock? In a separate, safe pen?, etc.

I have mum and chicks in a separate old stable with hay bedding on the concrete floor. Mum has a cardboard box on its side that she retreats into with her chicks. Chick food and water within easy reach. On last check the chick is now slowly mobile but nowhere near as active or agile as its siblings (even the ones born the day before it let alone the 3 that are 6 days old) It is starting to peck occasionally at titbits that mum drops for it but the other chicks race in and it just seems a bit confused and is too slow. Hopefully it will continue to improve.
I am just blown away at how great a mum this young pullet is. Super protective too as the peck bruises on my hand attests.

 

[bittenbythechookbug]

Photo shows 4 of the cute siblings - 3 older and 1 newly hatched. Our shrink-wrapped chick not hatched yet is in the blue egg in the box