Here's a picture, as much as I can do holding a camera in one hand and a peeping, wiggling chick in the other. I'm completely new at having chicks, picked up my firsts yesterday. I thought this chick (silverlace wyandotte) has pasty butt so I was cleaning it. There was some stuff stuff under it's vent, so I was tugging a bit, trying to get it off and it pulled out a bunch of yellow stuff!! I immedietly stopped, because I seemed like I was pulling out it's insides. Kind of like mucus, or even a bit like egg yolk. It's mostly yellow, with a bit of blood. I'm now worried that I may have given this chick a death sentence. Is there anything I can do?? ETA: After talking with a friend with chickens, we've determined it was probably the umbilical cord, so hopefully this chick will be ok.
Just dab on some iodine to the umbilical stump, and it should fall off in a few days. Pasting usually goes away after the first week of age. Make sure the chick is drinking well, and that there is a cooler spot to get to in the brooder. A drop of vegetable oil on the vent may help to prevent it.
