First time hatching. help!

[AmyLynn2374]

Ok. I guess all I can do at this point is check it in the morning. Unfortunately I have to leave at 530am and won't be home from work until about 1. IF the yolk is all absorbed then and there is still cord dried to the navel...do i cut it at this point? or let the chick drag the shell until it detaches on its own? I hate that I can't be here to keep an eye on it.

I didn't realize it was still attatched to the shell. You can tie the cord off with floss or thread and cut it, but if you do that you want to be VERY careful not to rupture that yolk. If the yolk gets ruptured the probability of it making it decreases. At least in my experience.

 

[hthomps084]

basically what i did since it was all still attached, is I put the butt of the chick back into that half of the shell since it was barely out of it anyway, and sat it in the cup in the shell. I was afraid it would kick the shell away and tear the yolk if I left it laying like that. I didn't really know what else to do at that point. Would it be better to try and tie it off and cut it or just leave the chick how she is until morning? It's been about a half hour I guess since I put it into the cup.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

basically what i did since it was all still attached, is I put the butt of the chick back into that half of the shell since it was barely out of it anyway, and sat it in the cup in the shell. I was afraid it would kick the shell away and tear the yolk if I left it laying like that. I didn't really know what else to do at that point. Would it be better to try and tie it off and cut it or just leave the chick how she is until morning? It's been about a half hour I guess since I put it into the cup.

I'd probably just leave it if she's not too active. Doesn't sound like she was quite ready yet. Only thing is if she gets active and is confined in a cup with the shell I'd be worried about the shell catching on the yolk and rupturing. It's a tough call.

 

[hthomps084]

Ok thanks. I'll check her periodically throughout the evening, and a couple times overnight when I get up to nurse my son. If she starts moving around a lot I guess I'll have no choice but to try and tie off the cords. I'm assuming close to the egg below the yolk area? It wasn't like a giant sack filled luckily, but there was clearly more going on than with the other chicks.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Ok thanks. I'll check her periodically throughout the evening, and a couple times overnight when I get up to nurse my son. If she starts moving around a lot I guess I'll have no choice but to try and tie off the cords. I'm assuming close to the egg below the yolk area? It wasn't like a giant sack filled luckily, but there was clearly more going on than with the other chicks.

Ideally it's better to tie them and cut them off closer to the navel, but I'd be afraid to go to close with the yolk unabsorbed.

 

[hthomps084]

Ok. Ill check her in about an hour and see if anything has changed. If there's no yellow yolk left in the stringy mess of cords i guess ill try to cut it. Do you cut above or below the tie? I guess that part of the article wasnt detailed enough for me...sorry for all the questions!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Ok. Ill check her in about an hour and see if anything has changed. If there's no yellow yolk left in the stringy mess of cords i guess ill try to cut it. Do you cut above or below the tie? I guess that part of the article wasnt detailed enough for me...sorry for all the questions!

Questions are fine. You would cut on the opposite side that the navel is on. So you'd have navel, string and cut. The string would be between the navel and the cut.

 

[hthomps084]

Ok, so then the string remains (ends trimmed short of course) until that small part comes off the navel naturally. Should I put some kind of ointment on the navel at that point or wait until there are no cords of any kind attached?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Ok, so then the string remains (ends trimmed short of course) until that small part comes off the navel naturally. Should I put some kind of ointment on the navel at that point or wait until there are no cords of any kind attached?

You can use any anibiotic ointment that doesn't have a pain reliever added.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I didn't realize it was still attatched to the shell. You can tie the cord off with floss or thread and cut it, but if you do that you want to be VERY careful not to rupture that yolk. If the yolk gets ruptured the probability of it making it decreases. At least in my experience.

Chickens are not placenta animals like human infants are. That is not a true navel, it is a proto navel and should shrivel up on its own once all the egg yoke is absorbed. It is a one way conduit for vitamins, energy, & minerals.