Bloody scab with what looks like puss behind it on day old chick (warning: graphic picture)

[gwendalynn28]

I have a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte chick that was born yesterday. It appears to have a bloody scab stuck to its vent opening. I pulled at the scab a little bit because it has a little cord hanging from it. The vent area appears swollen and when I pulled the scab it looked like the vent was filled with white puss. The chick didn't like me pulling at the scab so I put it back down and left it alone for the rest of the day. The chick is walking around but seems to have trouble balancing. I was wondering if I should try to remove the scab and get some of the puss out. I have the chicks on medicated chick starter but I don't know if that will be enough. If anyone have seen this before in a new born chick, please post what happened and what can be done to help this chick out!

 

[speckledhen]

That is probably the umbilicus if it's below the vent. I'd leave it alone or you'll have its insides spilling out. What appears to be puss may be yolk. If it's really greenish, could be bacteria, but I wouldn't mess with it. You can dab on antibiotic ointment if you like or dab with a cottonball with alcohol on it.

 

[gwendalynn28]

I guess this could be its umbilicus. I didn't think about that. Its kind of in the vent area though so I assumed it was the vent. It was dragging its shell around for awhile by that cord and chirping its little head off. I don't know if this is causing it pain. I'll keep a check on the chick but right now its moving around okay. It doesn't look as healthy as the other two who hatched out though. It spends more time laying down than up and about the brooder. This has been a strange hatch though. These chicks were born on day 22 and I still have 4 eggs in the incubator that haven't even pipped. I'm wondering how long to leave them in the incubator. Can I candle those eggs without harming them?

 

[speckledhen]

I'd pull them and candle them if it's past Day 22 now. They're probably expired or at least, there is a reason they are not going to hatch. Remember, they continue to grow in the egg if they're still alive so odds are, even if they're alive now, if they haven't pipped, they probably won't. Not absolute, but I don't let eggs go past the middle of Day 22. Rare they are a success story.

 

[gwendalynn28]

I'm going to give the eggs until tomorrow morning to pip. I think 24 days is reasonable. I have another set of eggs waiting to get incubated and I did candle. Two looked like maybes and two were a no go. I did get three chicks from this hatch so I'm happy. I'm not a big time breeder or anything! I only have 4 Blue Laced Red Wyandottes and two of those are roosters! I just wanted to get more BLRW's! I have 3 other mutt chickens as well. My next incubating adventure is bantams! I have 36 eggs that are Silver Sebrights, Golden Sebrights, and Creoles! I'm hoping to give my bantam rooster a few girlfriends of his own! I know he's tired of competing with the big roos (even though he's the boss out there!). Wish me luck on the next hatch! Thanks for all the tips and advice! Hopefully the BLRW eggs I have incubating that are due on April 23rd will do much better. I have 12 eggs set in the other incubator, so hoping for 6 more chicks!

 

[speckledhen]

Well, I certainly wish you the best of luck! BLRWs are so gorgeous.

 

[gwendalynn28]

Well, still no pip this morning so I pulled the eggs, cleaned the incubator, and got another batch of eggs going. My chick that was not thriving so well the first day seems to be doing pretty well now. I think maybe I just panicked because the hatch didn't go as planned. I had hoped to get a few more chicks. My next hatch is coming next Monday so I'm hoping for better success. I have 12 eggs set too which I think increases the odds of getting more live chicks! The last set was only 7 eggs. I've got my fingers crossed that these turn out to be hens! I don't need anymore roosters! The three I already have have a crowing contest every morning starting around 4am!!!!

Its very annoying on weekends when I actually want to sleep a little later than 5am!!

The one I thought was injured is the one standing up in the middle looking at me! I think I have two splash and one blue!