Does the yolk sac grow?

[angnic22]

One of my chicks hatched a few hours ago. At first it looked like a red ball near its bum. Now it's bigger. Is this the yolk sac? Is it normal?

At birth

3.5 hours later

Thanks in advance!

 

[angnic22]

Please help! It looks like her back side has swollen. Just doesn't look right but this is my first hatch so I have no idea if it's normal or not.

 

[mich9510]

I'm new to hatching too but my advice is to leave it alone and eventually it will dry up and fall off. Maybe someone else with more experience can chime in?

 

[angnic22]

Definitely don't want to touch it. It has grown and the backend is bulging. Looks like it's oozing now. It was a ball when she first hatched.

I feel like a new parent. Lol. Thank you for responding. At least I don't feel totally alone.

 

[n8ivetxn]

I want to say it's umbilical material, but since I'm new to hatching, I only say that because of my reading up on hatching. I don't know what it is, but if the chick is content to lay still for a while, maybe somebody who knows stuff can identify this....

Is the chick alert? Is the bag still oozing? What color is the ooze?

 

[n8ivetxn]

Be sure to keep me posted, I'll be checking this later.... I have to get away from this "box-o-eggs" and get some sleep, I'm fairly certain I won't miss anything

 

[angnic22]

I read up too and thought it was the yolk sac but thought it was supposed to dry and fall off. Not grow and leak. It looks like it's fallen off now. He's just as active as the other newborns. Reckon that was a learning experience.

 

[n8ivetxn]

I had to think about it before I responded to your post, but I remembered somebody posted last week about something hanging out the backside of a chick. That one made it too.....

Those were some gross pics! I would not take too well to seeing that in the bator

, poor little thing. I'm glad it's doing better

These little things seem so fragile at times!

 

[angnic22]

It's alarming, for sure.

Now I've got one that has a dried up looking red thing on its bum. He won't open his eye. I wiped them with a warm cloth and they open so I think that will come in time. Just worried about the dried stuff. Once he's older I can moisten it like you do pasty butt but he's too young now. I put him with the others. He's fairing well. Still looks wet but I think it's because the bator is getting kinda gross.

 

[n8ivetxn]

Interesting, all sorts of things can happen, huh?.... Sometimes my sheep get poked in the eye by grass or hay and I'll use the eye ointment, terramycin, from the drug store, to help relieve irritation. I also had a bad hatch, once, the chicks eye was bleeding, or something right near the eye (I think the broody pecked at her), and I put some on there with my finger tip. It healed up, but I think her vision was impaired - later, as an adult, she seemed not to be able to see me walk up on that side and it would startle her.

For loosening up the stuff on its backside, if water doesn't penetrate good enough, you can also use olive/vegetable oil or a dab of mayo to make it let go.... when we were kids, I'd go to sleep with gum in my mouth and wake up with it in my long hair! LOL... Mom would always rub mayo on it and it would come out....