Umbilical cord still attached and pulling!

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amaurichick

amaurichick

In the Brooder
Jul 1, 2015
56
3
33
Greenville NY
700

700



This chick had a hard time hatching, and had to be helped out because it was stuck in the membrane. Now it's got a wet, red cord or vein still attached and when it moves, it pulls on the chick. Am I safe to assume this will just dry up and fall off on it's own?
 
Sorry it took so long to respond. Yes, the umbilical cord should just dry up and detach in its own good time. Don't pull on it, just leave it alone.

I'm glad you helped the chick out!
smile.png
 
Thank you for your response! I ended up cutting it at the end that was attached to the shell and then I held the chick in a paper towel to keep it from bleeding. I wanted to leave it attached, but each time the chick moved, it was tearing the belly and bleeding more.
The chick seems ok now. It's all dried and no more bleeding but it's very weak and hasn't stood up yet, just kind of hobbles around and squeaks and sleeps. Hopefully it's going to perk up after a good rest.
In the pic, it's the one on the right.


400
 
I'm glad it survived, and that was probably a wise decision.
When we had chicks that suffered blood loss when young, they all couldn't stand and they all ended up passing away. I held them during the night, keeping them warm until they died.
sad.png
It was very sad.

I hope yours gets stronger soon!
 
So far, the chick made it through the night. It's chirping up a storm but still won't put any weight on it's legs. They seem weak and rubbery compared to the other chick that's 2 days older. It also looks like there is white, hard stuff stuck to it's vent. Should I try to clean that off or leave it alone? Would that make it not be able to stand? I'm hoping to give it's belly a little extra time to fully heal before messing with anything else so I don't spread bacteria. This is so much easier when the hen takes care of everything!
 
Last edited:
Chicks that can't stand at birth, often never manage to stand. However, there is still hope for it yet. Try giving it food with minerals and vitamins to strength its legs. Encourage it to walk on an easy to grip surface.
If the vent is blocked up it should be cleaned. How ever, if it can still use the bathroom then you don't have to worry about it right now.

I hope it gets better soon!
 

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