[little bo peep]

Hi again, next problem! Hope your not all fed up with offering your pearls of wisdom. My broody is now on clean bedding and is pest free!

However she has hatched one chick so far, but another has been hatching for 14hrs+ now and is making little progress, I know this isn't a very long time and it can survive etc. but my concern is the membrane is very dry and appears to be stuck to the chick. It is breathing, chirping, quite a large area of shell broken off, and beak is poking out through a small hole in the membrane but it has been like that for some time now. Could I dampen it to help.

[chrismahon]

Water spray may be required or a wet sponge. Lukewarm water of course.

[Steph Hen]

It only takes a tiny amount of water to remoisten the membrane. Eg. A slightly damp (very clean) finger will turn it back to slime, so be careful not to over moisten and get drips inside.

I've only had this problem in incubator hatches, but in my experience, if the membrane is dried out on them they don't make progress hatching, so I would be inclined to intervene as you suggest.

[in the hills]

We have just hatched chicks under a broody. My daughter thought that a couple of the chicks were alive but struggling and the shell had broken away but the membrane was very dry and attached to the chick. In one case membrane seemed rubbery and although the shell had come away there was no break in the membrane itself. They had made no progress overnight so daughter carefully punctured and peeled back the membrane that was visible. Not the remaining shell though. The chicks hatched quickly afterwards and are strong and healthy.

You could try something similar if you are concerned but don't think I'd pick them out completely as it can take a good 24 hrs for them to completely hatch and if you do too much the yolk sack etc. won't be absorbed and chick will bleed.

[little bo peep]

Well thanks everyone, I dampened the membrane which was very dry and rubbery, and loosened it from the chicks feathers because it had stuck fast, (he had made little or no progress) but did not break any more of the shell, he was then nearly half out and within a short time had come out completely. Time will tell now but he had obviously absorbed all the yolk and there was no blood so I think he was ready for help.
Thanks again, gosh it's a rollercoaster this hatching malarkey, and what time wasters, Mrs broody is getting a bit fed up with me I think.