WORRIED about my new hatchling...

[MamaMarcy]

she's been out of the egg for 6+ hours and I haven't seen either eye open once. She's still lfuffing up, stretching, peeping, rolling over etc. I do notice a weird twitch now and then.

time to worry??

 

[Impress]

Do they look normal otherwise (it's eyes)? I know sometimes people can be born with their eyes sealed shut, never seen it in a chicken personally but anything can happen.

 

[MamaMarcy]

I googled it and took the suggestion of wetting them with q-tips...i can separate the lids and see eyeballs but she's not opening them on her own. They literlly look like skin over eyeballs with the top of the bottom lid way up high.

 

[GrannysRoost]

Let her dry off, then when you take her out, do the Q-tip thing with warm water, is she sticky anyplace else?

 

[Melissa Rose]

Hi

It can take a little while! I had one that had not absorbed it's yolk sak yet and it laid pretty lifeless for almost 18 hours. I wet the eyes with Qtips and waited. She woke up pretty frisky and flapping her wings then she tried standing by the next day she was/is a regular little chick

 

[MamaMarcy]

So let her dry the rest of the way then rewet lids?

 

[Jessica_1285]

I had the same problem with a chick that hatched last month! it was just like you described. I was worried sick, she didnt even stand up untill she was almost 2 days old! The next day to my surprise she had normal eyes lol. She is a healthy normal chick now