Need Input on a Navel Issue

[Fyremelody]

Hey all! So I've done a search and read through what I can find, but it isn't really helping. I was supposed to go on lockdown tonight. I had some temp issues last week, and out of the six eggs was only expecting one to come in in the next 72 hours.

So, went up to do my last candle and make sure my lil bugger was still kicking, only to find it already hatched. It had not pipped as of 10 this morning. By 5pm I had a chick. From all appearances it was a completely normal hatch: no debris out of the ordinary in the incubator. No "stuff" clinging to the chickie. It was up, bright-eyed, looking at me, peeping, and all systems go. Until I picked it up, and it's navel isn't closed.

There is no large yolk sack hanging out; no evidence there ever was. It has a bump about the size of the tip of my pinkie finger, and a hole in the external layer of skin -- if it were a horse, I'd say this is 100% a navel hernia.

I wrapped the chickie up in a super soft baby washcloth that was warm and damp, put it in a coffee mug, and stuck it back in the incubator. Although I'm not entirely certain why I'm keeping it moist given there's no... umbilicus or yolk sack hanging out. Went to dinner at a friends. Came back and just checked on the chickie--it's been a good five hours now. We're even more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, more awake, and still right as rain...only no change in the navel. I put a tiny bit of Bacitracin on it, put her back in the washcloth and back in the incubator.

So... er... what to do? I don't really have a 'rough' navel -- there's no injured tissue. I don't have a (obvious) yolk sack I'm trying to protect. But I don't want to put the chick in the shavings in the brooder and risk irritation of sub-dermal tissue. I can't really "push anything back in"... It *is* healthy as far as attitude and not showing any signs of stress, etc. Otherwise it's presenting like a "normal" chick.

Do I keep it moist? Do I dry it out -- there seems to be a range of opinions but all for situations different than this, with active tissue hanging out. Someone said something on here about chick overalls with vet wrap... I'm almost afraid to mess with it too much and interfere if nature will take its course and pull the skin back over. Although, I'm not entirely opposed to taking the chick to the chicken vet and asking him to insert a stitch or two....(my gut says this skin needs some help) but how on earth to transport over an hour?

Advice? Thoughts? It's a really beautiful chick out of a cross I was really looking forward to. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
Val

 

[gruffy]

I had my first chick hatch this morning with what looked a bit like what you're describing it dried off and bled a tiny bit which seemed to close it entirely. I think that's how it closes the skin together after the yolk is absorbed it's a little unnerving to see a bleeding hole in a brand new baby but it's normal . But I'm not sure what you're looking at here. If it's ginormous with no way of closing then drying may not be a great option. In my bird it was a good sized hole and looking pretty gory. The skin also looked like it probably needed stitches I woke up to the little guy running around managing to squeeze over the incubator racks I thought he must have hurt himself but now he seems completely normal eating and pooping like a normal bird. He's just super hyper for a day old bird haha It just created a tiny scab under his fluff which I remember finding on some chicks I got years ago that turned out fine so I think it's probably normal.

 

[Fyremelody]

Gruffy, so did you keep it moist or did you just keep him isolated...? My little one is still pretty damp from being in a wash cloth. I can't grab a photo without an extra pair of hands, but I will see what I can manage in the AM. I guess, for now, wrapped up in the incubator isn't hurting anything.

My best friend had a chick that hatched with obvious yolk sack protrusion, and it burst before she caught the hatch. That was a bloody hole... and well, the chick didn't make it. But that chick was always lethargic and "off". Totally different presentation than this one. So I'm hopeful.

 

[gruffy]

He's the only one we just set him in a huge plastic container with papertowel and a heat lamp because he just couldn't stay in my incubator he's so hyperactive but it took about an hour after I put him in there before it actually started bleeding and then closed on its own.
I thought I'd ask a question as well since you seem to have much more chicken experience if you have any advice.I'm not sure if it's because he's under a heat lamp or low humidity or if he's too young but he seems to have problems keeping his eyes open. Every time I check on him one or both are stuck shut. It only takes a few dabs of water but it's every 10 minutes one or both are shut completely and he runs around blind o0 there's nothing to note other than he just doesn't open them. I was wondering if you've experienced anything similar because I just can't find anything on it

 

[Fyremelody]

I've experienced this twice, and neither with positive results, unfortunately. But that may very well have been my fault and my being too overly "attentive" to trying to get them to perk up...and uh... quite possibly getting water in their lungs.

I'd see if perhaps a couple dabs of sugar water -- touch his beak to it -- clears that up, or Poly-Vi-Sol without iron drops in his water. In hindsight, I'd go straight to those drops and not fiddle with the chick much. If he's with others now, the drops wouldn't hurt any of them -- just like humans they'll excrete excess vitamin within reason. Do it for three to five days. See if it makes a difference. If it does, by then he might be sturdy enough you can drop a drop under his tongue without worry of his inhaling the liquid.

Both of the two that we dealt with were poorly from the get go though. The one made it 48 hours. The other two weeks before just kicking over with no forewarning; I watched him eat and drink and run around hours before I found him dead. Personally, I blame it on the fact they were bantams, and bantys and I just don't seem to get along. They make me nervous as all get out when they are chicks and I've never done well with them.

You also might check with moving your brooder / light and cooling off a little. I've noticed that if they are uncomfortably hot they just wilt, as opposed to chirping off their heads if they are cold. And they seem to wilt instantly. Move the heat so it's less direct and voila! He may just not be wanting to open his eyes because it's been dark in his world for so long.

Hm. I may try putting this chickie in the isolation box tomorrow. I know that with dog navel hernias, and to an extent horses, pushing it in irritates the surrounding tissue and helps it close up. So getting that slight bleed might just be the trick. I'm going to crash for the night though and see how he is doing tomorrow before changing up anything.

 

[ochochicas]

Can you take a picture of it? Does it look something like this?


I had a chick that hatched similar to yours about 4 weeks ago. The other chicks in the incubator jumped on his egg and smashed it before he was totally ready to come out of it. The result was what you see in the picture. I left him in the incubator like you did so he could rest. I was told to put iodine on it to keep infection to a minimum. He seemed a little tired and slow for the first few days. I did keep an eye on him to make sure he was eating and drinking. The spot dried up and became smaller so it looked like a scab. When he was 7 days old he seemed to be doing well and I sold him to a lady who wanted to buy all my chicks. I mentioned that she should keep an extra close eye on him. I have not heard anything from her about the chick getting sick or dying. I assume he is OK now. Maybe yours will be OK too.

 

[gruffy]

Ah thank you Fyre I'll do that first thing I've moved the light further up and his eyes have stayed open this morning so I'm hoping that's all it was. Our climate is very airid so I'm going to set up a humidifier for him soon.
And good luck with your little birdie Keep us posted