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newly born chick on towel
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5 from 1 vote

How to Safely Help a Chick Hatch

Trying to help a baby chick out of its hatching egg? Here's what to do if you decide to intervene as a last resort to save its life. Do not attempt this if the membrane is not dry, or if any of the other conditions are not met!

Equipment

  • tweezers
  • washcloths dry
  • Bowl
  • plenty of light
  • thermometer

Instructions

  • Sanitize tweezers. Either wash them in soapy water by hand then then boil them in water for 10 minutes. A quicker way is to use 70% rubbing alcohol after you wash it.
  • Fill a bowl with warm but not hot water. Aim for around 100 °F (or around 38 °C).
  • Place a washcloth over the bowl so it touches the water - but just barely. Think of it as a soft safety net for the chick if you can get it out of the egg safely.
  • Carefully lower the chick in the egg onto the washcloth and even more gently attempt to moisten the dry membrane at all points where it is attached to the chick.
  • Using another washcloth that has also been slightly dampened with warm water, fold it over the chick in the egg for a few moments and then remove it.
  • Repeat this process numerous times to weaken the membrane. This often requires extreme patience - at least in my opinion, but is essential to helping the chick hatch.
    Warning! Do not, under any circumstance, try to pull the dry parts of membrane off of the chick, even if it appears to be smothering. Doing so can not only tear the chick’s tender skin but rip its veins.
    Another warning! If you see any blood or visible blood vessels at any point, abort the process and put the chick back in the incubator.
  • You can gently try to break parts of the moist parts of the eggshell with tweezers, if it seems vital to getting the chick out, and to reach more membranes. If the shell will not crack easily, it could be that the membrane is still too dry, and needs to moisten again with the cloth again - maybe multiple times.
    removing eggshell of hatching chicken with tweezers
  • Use the tweezers or your fingers to carefully and slowly detach only moistened membrane from the chick - if absolutely necessary because it is still struggling. ONLY do this with a moist membrane that lifts away easily, and never touch the chick's skin!
    You can use your fingers too, but only to remove the final pieces of membrane at the end.
  • If the water in your bowl starts to get lukewarm or cold, replace it with more warm water.
  • If you get a live chick out of the shell, gently wrap a dry washcloth around it so it does not get chilled, and pat it dry as thoroughly and quickly as you can.
  • Return the chick to the incubator as quickly as possible so it can get warm and stay warm.