There's something wrong with my newly hatched chick

[chickenlover772]

My dad helped the last chick hatch yesterday. He pulled the egg apart in two pieces and put the chick back into the incubator. As soon as the chick came out of the egg, it wouldn't stop chirping and I noticed that it was walking funny and had a HUDGE belly. It was waddling around a lot and was laying on the other eggs and running laps around the incubator. I put it in the brooder later that night. I didn't think anything of it waddling around like that but hen i came home today it was still walking weird so i looked closer. It's feet get scrunched up and flop all over when it tries to walk. It still manages to get places but collapses whenever it reaches its destination. It's been eating food and the other chicks seem to be helping it out. It rests its head on the food tray because i do t think it can hold it up very good. It's still chirping very loudly and it's belly is still very big. I feel so bad for the poor thing and decided to gave it a drink of water since it can't reach it. at first it drank the water normally but wouldn't stop making the swallowing motion so i gave it another drink and it couldn't drink the water. I don't know what i should do for it... this is my first time hatching chicks, we only got 6/24 eggs to actually hatch.

 

[MrsBachbach]

My dad helped the last chick hatch yesterday. He pulled the egg apart in two pieces and put the chick back into the incubator. As soon as the chick came out of the egg, it wouldn't stop chirping and I noticed that it was walking funny and had a HUDGE belly. It was waddling around a lot and was laying on the other eggs and running laps around the incubator. I put it in the brooder later that night. I didn't think anything of it waddling around like that but hen i came home today it was still walking weird so i looked closer. It's feet get scrunched up and flop all over when it tries to walk. It still manages to get places but collapses whenever it reaches its destination. It's been eating food and the other chicks seem to be helping it out. It rests its head on the food tray because i do t think it can hold it up very good. It's still chirping very loudly and it's belly is still very big. I feel so bad for the poor thing and decided to gave it a drink of water since it can't reach it. at first it drank the water normally but wouldn't stop making the swallowing motion so i gave it another drink and it couldn't drink the water. I don't know what i should do for it... this is my first time hatching chicks, we only got 6/24 eggs to actually hatch.

Do the feet look normal or curled up? You said it gets around so I am assuming it does not have splayed legs or curled toes? If it does have either of those things, do a search here on splayed legs for a remedy or curled toes for a remedy. Vitamins in their water also help with these situations along with the other remedies. As far as the big belly, it's is normal for chicks to have big bellies when they hatch. That is the yolk inside that they feed off of for about three days after hatch. After that the swelling goes down and they must start eating and drinking on their own.

 

[chickenlover772]

It's feet kind of curl up and go wherever when it walks, i can send a picture of what it looks like when standing. The belly is humongous though.

 

[MrsBachbach]

It's feet kind of curl up and go wherever when it walks, i can send a picture of what it looks like when standing. The belly is humongous though.

Well it will need vitamins and a foot sandal to straighten out the toes. Looks up "chick sandals" here on BYC to see how to do it. There are bound to be plenty of threads on it.

 

[chickenlover772]

it died yesterday

 

[Ryley25]

I have a chick that hatched last night. It’s head is crooked and it can’t walk right. There is also something hanging out of its vent. It looks like a small piece of poop on the vent but then there is a string hanging out from it. I tried soaking a cloth and taking it off but it’s attached on the inside. What should I do?

 

[abraga]

I have a chick that hatched last night. It’s head is crooked and it can’t walk right. There is also something hanging out of its vent. It looks like a small piece of poop on the vent but then there is a string hanging out from it. I tried soaking a cloth and taking it off but it’s attached on the inside. What should I do?

Your most likely seeing the umbilical cord. DO NOT REMOVE IT. Sometimes when a chick first hatches thier neck cN look a bit crooked depending on the position in the egg. They will have a bump on the back of the neck which is the muscles used to peck out. Recent hatched chickens need a good 24/48 hours of rest as the hatching process is stressful! They don't always eat the 1st couple days as they absorb the yoke prior to hatching. Your chick needs rest and warmth at this point. Unfortunately, sometimes chicks are born with wry neck or a deformity. Sometimes you can treat wry neck with vitamins. Look up wry neck on this site.