Sticky Chick

[Country_bumpkin]

Hi,

I have a sticky chick and as he is drying he is getting very stiff and i don't know what to do as he always ends up on his back and starts to give up

His egg was all gooey and yellow inside with thick clear glue coloured goop, now i have read a few sites that say why it happened though they contradicted one another but none of them say what to do to help the poor little baby thats slowly turning into a chick statue. Should i wash him?

I have hatched out hundreds of eggs over the years and never seen this before, please help, any advice is better than none.

C.B

 

[Louise's Country Closet]

I've had that happen before, it's a pain in the rear.. but doesn't mean he's a lost cause

I take a cotton ball and soak it in warm water, then wash him.. just a little bit at a time and stick him back in the incubator before he gets too cold. Honestly, it usually doesn't work very well.. some times I can get it cleaned up and other times I just have to keep an eye out to make sure that the little thing isn't getting cold until he fluffs out on his own. I've only ever had this happen with eggs that were given to me though.. weird.

 

[Country_bumpkin]

Ok thanks, its really nice to hear that. I will have a go and trying to clean him up a bit at a time like you said and see how we go. He certainly seems to have a pair of lungs on him

Thanks for they reply, I know its just a chick but I get so mumsy with them when they are tiny.

 

[Louise's Country Closet]

Me too!! I almost can't keep my hands off them, especially when something is off!

I hope he fluffs out soon for ya.. I think the longest I had to wait was maybe a day before it started to fluff out and after that, the rest starts to happen pretty fast.. so he shouldn't stay stick for TOO long!!

 

[IroquoisEgg]

I just hatched my very 1st babies earlier this week. All of them were sticky. The worst was the first one to pip but the last one to hatch. Has done fine, a little slow at first but starting to fluff out although still has some hard fuzz! I have been using a cotton ball and dabbing him he and there a few times during the day.

 

[Country_bumpkin]

The little chap is doing fine, his legs head and belly are fluffin up lovely, just his back is crusty. Sadly another one was like it, must of started hatching last night after I went to bed, when I found him this morning the goop had dried hard around his beak and he had died....Its such a horrible thing, and he was a little blue one

.

I have read that the stickyness is humidity related, It cant be thats its too dry as my incubator was running at high humidity so I am guessing its because it was too damp but then not had the issue before and the other 6 that have hatched in this brood are all perfect.

Thanks again for your replies