Badly bloated chick!

[Violanna]

Please help! This chick just hatched 2 hours ago. It’s belly is so round it can’t get its legs under itself. It’s struggling and trying. I was worried it didn’t know how to use its bowels yet as I know this happens in other new born animals. I have some veterinary training so I treated it like a new kitten, put it in a warm towel and wiped its vent with a wet qtip. After a few wipes it pooped a lot, it’s belly did get a bit smaller after that but as you can see it is still huge! I can’t find any info on the cause of this or what I can do. Does anyone have advice??

 

[LaFleche]

The belly does look a bit bigger because it has just absorbed the yolk which will be digested soon and the belly will deflate a little. Sometimes they swallow too much albumen, but they will soon poop it out.

Also the chick is not yet fluffed up, hence the belly appears bigger.

Did you help it hatch? They need up to 24 hours to recover from a difficult/assisted hatch. Provide some terry cloth or similar as bedding to help it get a grip when it has recovered and starts to get up on its feet.

 

[Violanna]

The belly does look a bit bigger because it has just absorbed the yolk which will be digested soon and the belly will deflate a little. Sometimes they swallow too much albumen, but they will soon poop it out.

Also the chick is not yet fluffed up, hence the belly appears bigger.

Did you help it hatch? They need up to 24 hours to recover from a difficult/assisted hatch. Provide some terry cloth or similar as bedding to help it get a grip when it has recovered and starts to get up on its feet.

No I didn’t assist this one. She is tough and energetic. She is fluffy now, belly is way too bloated to be just the yolk. She is definitely a fighter though so I think she will be just fine. She is just stay in isolation brooder for now. She is doing her best to stand, but she can’t walk yet. Her tummy is in the way