What to do with my stuck chick?!

[Apomerantz]

I have a little quail that has been working on hatching since last night. She hasn't made any progress for quite a while, she seems to not be able to turn, so she is just pecking the area that she already got (does this make sense?). If, by this evening she isn't out I want to help her. Because she has pecked out around 1/3 of the shell in a semi-circle, do I just go along the direction she was going? I know that I need to very carefully use tweezers and keep her moist and warm, I just don't know what area to carefully pick off.

Amy

 

[CoopCrazy]

Let us know how it went.. Sadly any time I have helped the chick didnt make it past a few days .. Good luck Ill be sending some happy hatching vibes your way

 

[goldnchocolate]

I helped a chick the other day and it's still alive, although it was really weak at first. It had pipped almost all the way around but was having trouble finishing the job (it had been pipping for almost a day).

I had a cup of warm, but not hot, water ready. Then I took the egg out of the incubator and with my finger, dipped in the water, I moistened the membrane that I could see through the crack. After it was thoroughly moist, but not soaking wet, I pulled up (just a tiny bit) on the top half of the shell where it was already pipped. This loosened things just a bit to give the chick more leverage for the next time it pushed on the shell. I moistened the membrane again and replaced the egg in the incubator. It was only a short while before the chick had finished getting out.

It was super weak and I thought it would die. It didn't help that the other chicks decided to come over to it and peck at it so I moved the weak chick to a corner of the bator and surrounded it with some of the unhatched eggs. I expected to see a dead chick in the morning but it was still alive. It's feathers were very sticky, rather than fluffy, so I removed all of the other chicks and left it in there by itself. Later on I put it in the brooder with the rest and it's doing alright.

 

[Apomerantz]

I did end up helping. The chick is doing fine (although I can't tell the quail chicks apart, so I am not sure which one she was)! I ended up just taking her into our warm bathroom and using a damp paper towel, then I chipped a bit more back and pulled it apart, no blood and the she was very happy to be free! Her membrane was pretty tough.

Amy

 

[Chickenfarmer 1-2-b]

I did a first "e-section" on the weak chick 6 weeks ago. I put on surgical gloves and peel the shell off quickly. I then proceed in peeling off the membrane cautiously. Fingers are usually better than tweezers b/c you can feel it. I did it quickly that I didn't need to wet the membrane much. The umbilical cord was still fresh, therefore, I left the piece of membrane attached to it with the chick. I made an "ICU" bed for the chick with a plastic container lined with paper towel so other chicks wont peck the bloody umbilical cord and kill the weak chick. Put him back into the incubator to dry. He is now grown and doing well, but still a little smaller than other sibblings.

Andy

 

[CoopCrazy]

Awesome good job....