STICKY CHICKS

[pokey]

i just thought i'd pass this along.when my last chick(s) hatched it was so dry because i had humidity problems that i had to help it out of its shell. it literally stuck to the wire in the incubator and could not move.
NOW, i am not going to tell you this was the smart thing to do, but i decided to rinse the chick under warm water. ok, my husband freaked, but , i dried it gently with a blow dryer, put the chick back , and no harm done. i just wanted the other people who feel like

when this problem arises that this was tried and atleast worked for me. again i am not going to tell you to do it, just that i tried it.

 

[robinaggie]

Sometimes we have to play it "by ear." Last night I had to help some chicks out of their dried out membranes, too. I partially submerged them in a bowl of warm water, and gently peeled the membrane off. It had to be done - the chicks were in straight jackets! They're dry and they're fine.

(And somebody out there is probably freaking out about what we did.)

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Last hatch I had albumen covering two chicks. Both were from extremely large eggs. I had to rinse both of them under warm running water to get it off. I hated to do it because of their navel cords, but afterward I touched their navels with a q-tip dipped in betadine.

 

[robinaggie]

I didn't even think about their open belly buttons. Is it too late to medicate?

 

[pokey]

guess better safe than sorry........maybe its not to late or hopefully they will heal up w/o it.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

It's not too late. Just touch them with some betadine on a q-tip. It will help them dry up faster too.

 

[robinaggie]

I was going to ask if Betadine was safe for the chicks, so here's my next question: if I ever have to rinse membrane from another chick, could I use a mild Betadine/water solution to do it?

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Yes, you could. But if you have city water that has chlorine in it, just putting betadine on the navel is probably enough. Well water...I would put a touch of betadine in it.