Help with an unabsorbed yolk sac

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youngbiddy

youngbiddy

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One of my chicks hatched out with the yolk sac attached to it's navel, and I don't mean partially absorbed, it was hanging on outside and it has a flat little abdomen. The yolk sac was brownish-yellow and it burst when the little guy tried to kick out of the egg. I wrapped the whole thing up carefully in a cloth and put it in a coffee mug in the brooder so it can't kick anymore. It seems to be doing fine. Anyone else have experience with this issue?
 
Help with an unabsorbed yolk sacOne of my chicks hatched out with the yolk sac attached to it's navel, and I don't mean partially absorbed, it was hanging on outside and it has a flat little abdomen. The yolk sac was brownish-yellow and it burst when the little guy tried to kick out of the egg. I wrapped the whole thing up carefully in a cloth and put it in a coffee mug in the brooder so it can't kick anymore. It seems to be doing fine. Anyone else have experience with this issue?

Most will tell you to leave it alone and it will reabsorb. That has not been my experience. The chick will give himself a hernia by stepping on the egg sac that will be difficult to stuff back in. This will look like a loop of intestine is hanging out as well as the egg sac which will blacken with time. The other chicks will instinctively peck at it and give the chick a slow miserable death if not isolated. If the chick has a hernia he will probably die, even if isolated in about 3 days. I would cut off the egg sac and cauterize the stump immediately or clamp it for 30 minutes especially since its already broken. The dangling mess he is dragging around is inviting infection and will almost certainly be stepped on pulling out things that won't go back in and making life impossible. I would also dip his bill in sugar water and keep him warm and isolated. Very tiny amounts of sugar water will keep him going.
 
Its pretty normal to get one like that. If you just leave them alone for a couple of hours nature will take its course & the umbilicle will let go.

The chick doesn't need the yolk because you will be providing food & water.
 
When you say it will be ok in a couple of hours, how much of an egg sac are you talking about?
The two times it happened with me, it was early hatching very active chicks that had large egg
sacs hanging from flaccid umbilicous. They didnt absorb or fall off but pulled out more innards after the
chick struggled with its hanging eggs sac for hours before herniating. At the time intuitively I felt I should have cut
it off but after hearing over and over they would reabsorb I didnt and the chick suffered and died and
never reabsorbed anything but indured for three horrible days. Are we talking about the same thing?
A little protrusion will go in and should be ignored, but a hanging sac invaribly in my case results in herniated chicks doomed
to die. I think I have a hot spot in my incubator as frequently I get a couple of early chicks that tend to be
extra active.
 
Quote:
Wow - sorry to hear about that. I have not had that experience. I guess you need to take into account how bad it is.
 
Well, it was definitely the whole yolk, and that burst and fell off leaving an umbilical cord type protrusion. I isolated it for several hours and then when I checked it the cord-thing was drying up and the chick was acting normal. I cut off as much as I could and there's maybe a quarter inch of it left that's pretty dry now. I dipped her beak in water and she wasn't interested but other than that she's acting like a normal, sleepy newborn. Only real problem now is that she got her back dirty with the yolk mess and I haven't been able to get it all cleaned off so she's only fluffy from the neck up. Wiping with a warm damp cloth wouldn't get it all off and I was afraid to dip her in water since I want the cord to dry! I'll check on her periodically tonight and see how it goes.

Boy, has this been a long day.
 
don't think the mess on her back will be a problem unless
the other chicks start picking at it. Sounds like she will be
just fine.
 
Last edited:
She's doing great! She's a cute little strawberry blond. I've gotten her to eat and drink a little, and some of the others too, but they're mostly interested in climbing all over each other and sleeping. Seems like they ought to get some appetite today, I know they're fine without anything while they absorb their yolk, but I still worry a little till I see them eating and drinking lustily. I'm going to get this chip back out of the computer and go take some more pics.
 
this is happening 2 me at the moment! :( only the chick didint pip so we removed top of the egg! the whole yolk sack is outside!!!! dont know if it will make it! she is still in the egg! we named her hope but dont now what 2 do! were really taking care of her! help wud b gr8 please!
 

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