Chick hatched with organs out.

[Shared Acres]

I've seen this posted a million times, but never retain the info as I haven't had this happen. I just searched the boards and can't find those threads! (I wish the search was a little better, my results are getting stuff about turkeys and feed, etc.)

Have had about 5 chicks hatch this morning and hte last little mutt chicky has a yellow and red, very round sac attached, veins visible.

I've seen the sac attached, etc and just wait to take them out until it absorbs, but this is clearly something different.

Any hope?

 

[MandyH]

Sounds like it's going to be best to go ahead and cull pretty quickly. There are a multitude of problems when one hatched like that. His guts can dry to hatcher floor, the others will peck and eat it, etc. Have you got a pic?

 

[Shared Acres]

No the camera is at the studio.

Little afraid I'm going to have to cull. About to leave to work. Guess I'll make the decision tonight. Hubby's working from home today, haven't told him, just upset him. Already had one showgirl this morning zip and didn't hatch, first time ever.

 

[MandyH]

Is your humidity running too high?

 

[Shared Acres]

I think it's at 50.

I just quickly cleaned out the incubator as it gets nasty in their pretty quick, want to make sure they aren't getting contaminated. Added fresh warm water

Hubby just came out and heard the chirping so I told him what's going on.

Someone listed an ice cream box method for culling a chick, I told him that, he offered the snake. He gets attached to the chicks more then rats (which are store bought) and he says he can do it and it'd be instant. So it knocks out two birds with one stone.

In one way I feel it's cruel, in another, it has to be done, at least the body isn't being wasted.

 

[Shared Acres]

The deed is done. Took the snake a bit to figure out what was going on.

Hubby did it and afterwards is very sad.

 

[MandyH]

Well at least it's over. After hatching thousands of chicks, I still can't do them in, I have to get my husband to do it. IF I HAVE to put one down when he isn't available I take a coffee can and put a rag in it soaked with Ether. It kills QUICK and I don't have to actually DO anything.

 

[Shared Acres]

I'm probably going to have to buy some Ether to have on hand.