Week Old Chick still has Umbilical stump and lump above it….

[craftyanthro]

Hi, one of my week old RIR chicks still has her umbilical stump with umbilical cord attached. While I was looking at it this morning I noticed that her belly has a soft lump that is slightly larger than in eraser right above her umbilical stump. When I gently pressed on the lump it seemed to flatten back into her body and then it would protrude again. She also will not use her right leg for anything more than to help her hop along or as kind of a kickstand to keep her balance, she doesn't really but any weight on it. Her right leg is much thinner and very pale compared to her other leg and when you feel along her femurs there doesn't seem to be any muscle mass on the right side. Do you think the lump on her belly is a hernia? Is there anything I can do for her? She manages to get around but not very well and I already have her on vitamins and electrolytes. She also isn't growing nearly as fast as the other birds. Do you think something might have gone wrong when she hatched? Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like a small hernia. It may improve as the cord dries out, and I would clean it with betadine or alcohol. Put some poultry vitamins in the chick's water (also good for the others,) in case it has a vitamin deficiency. Watch for any worsening in the belly that could be mushy chick disease. Here is some info about that: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mushy-chick-disease-yolk-sack-infection-omphalitis

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC!

Can you post some pictures of her belly?

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

found this interesting:



-Kathy

 

[craftyanthro]

Sorry it is so blurry. You can see her umbilical stump and the little pink bit you can see is the bump on her belly. It is fully feathered so it is hard to really capture a photo of it.

 

[Eggcessive]

Your pictures may not be showing up due to not having made the minimum number of posts. Post on some threads if you can, and after 5 or so they may come through.

 

[craftyanthro]

Hmmmm lets see if this photo works…. it's the same photo I tried to post above. Its hard to see her little bump but it is where the little bit of pink is showing on her belly, the bump is fully feathered and you kind of have to be looking for it.

 

[casportpony]

Hmmmm lets see if this photo works…. it's the same photo I tried to post above. Its hard to see her little bump but it is where the little bit of pink is showing on her belly, the bump is fully feathered and you kind of have to be looking for it.

Can you post a picture of it's poop?

-Kathy

 

[craftyanthro]

She just pooped this and then hopped over the the feeder and is pecking away at her chick feed.

 

[casportpony]

Sorry for all the photo requests, but can you take some pictures that show the differences between her two legs. You said one was larger and one was pale, right?

-Kathy