So I just want to share an ongoing story...... this little chick refuses to die! "Tiny's" siblings all hatched four days ago. Poor little guy had poked a dime-sized hole in his eggshell, with his little face poking out and chirp-chirp-chirping away, but could NOT zip himself out of the shell. Momma hen abandoned him to tend the other three babies. Little egg just left alone, cold, in the nest for TWO DAYS. (Long story short, I thought he died and hubby disposed of the egg. Just found out two nights ago he was still alive!) I brought him in, oh-so-carefully picked bits of shell away, and v-e-r-y carefully peeled enough membrane back so he could get out. Some was stuck (dried) to his feathers. I wrapped him in a warm, damp washcloth until the membrane loosened and fell away. After a couple hours of warming up in a shoebox with a soft towel and heating pad, I tried to put him back with momma, but she was having NONE of that. Other chicks just running all around, twice his size already, and Tiny not even able to stand up yet. Momma pecked at him and stomped on his little body. So..... I now have an orphan chick in a brooder all by his lonesome. Heat lamp at one end, paper towel lining, food sprinkled around, waterer handy. He's just doing FINE. Not sure he's eating yet, maybe, as there are two spots of droppings so far. Chirps when I talk to him, runs and hops around, spends most of his time sleeping just at the perimeter of the heat zone. *Sigh* I didn't want to brood chicks anymore (let their mommas do all the work!), but here we are..... I'll post updates and maybe a photo or two.
