HELP!!!! Few hour old chick with swollen belly and a red scab thing ***Pics**.

[donnaboydjones]

I just had a chick hatch on day 23 all by its self and after got all fluffy I took it out of the incubator to put in the broody box when I noticed that one foot was curled in. Got on line to figure out how to fix that, went to splint both feet and flipped it over and thats when I noticed that its belly was swollen some and it had a red wound that almost looks like it was burned, but it hasn't. Is the end for the chick or has this happened to someone else with a good out come? I've never culled before and don't want to if it has a chance, but I don't want it in pain either. Please someone help me!!!
Ps...its chirping and protesting me trying to confine it in any way.

 

[sourland]

It's difficult to tell from the pictures, but it may be a partially unabsorbed yolk sack. It does not look all that significant, and the chick may survive. If it is eating, drinking and 'trying' to survive, I would give it a chance.

 

[Overoberyl]

I don't see anything abnormal. Sometimes the umbilicus can look red or pink for a few hours. If it's newly hatched it also may not be completely closed/sealed. I wouldn't worry unless it is actively bleeding, or if after several hours it seems infected or oozing. Usually it will dry up and turn into a scab.

 

[donnaboydjones]

I don't see anything abnormal. Sometimes the umbilicus can look red or pink for a few hours. If it's newly hatched it also may not be completely closed/sealed. I wouldn't worry unless it is actively bleeding, or if after several hours it seems infected or oozing. Usually it will dry up and turn into a scab.

It's difficult to tell from the pictures, but it may be a partially unabsorbed yolk sack. It does not look all that significant, and the chick may survive. If it is eating, drinking and 'trying' to survive, I would give it a chance.

Yes, Sally Sunshine told me it was a unhealed naval. I wish that was the only thing, but I just found out that not only does one foot have curled in toes, but that it's legs wont stay straight. They are ...well I'm attaching a picture. It's almost like a webble wobble, but then it does fall flat on its back. It's legs want to go up towards its sides. And it falls backward and cant get up when it tries to walk.

 

[Overoberyl]

Yes, Sally Sunshine told me it was a unhealed naval. I wish that was the only thing, but I just found out that not only does one foot have curled in toes, but that it's legs wont stay straight. They are ...well I'm attaching a picture. It's almost like a webble wobble, but then it does fall flat on its back. It's legs want to go up towards its sides. And it falls backward and cant get up when it tries to walk.

It looks like the chick may need a spraddle leg hobble (can be made with a band-aid) and also booties to flatten the feet/straighten the toes (I think you've already made these?). I had one like this recently, I actually took a half-used roll of packing tape as a sort of "chair", along with the band-aid hobble and booties. Sitting in the middle of the roll of tape braced the chick and forced it to be upright and the hobble helped keep the legs together and underneath its body. You can also use a cup if you have one that is the right size/shape. Many people would cull, so don't feel bad if that is what you choose to do, you can try to rehabilitate but it may or may not work. Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

[Michael Apple]

Very sorry this is happening. Their bones are very soft when they are that young. You could try this in regard to curled toes. Take a look at this site for an idea of correcting curled toes:
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKRaisingChicks.html
If you are already using Vitamins in the water, keep doing it and make sure the chick is drinking. You could squeeze a drop of vitamin E in the chicks mouth. Keep the chick on a soft surface ( I use paper towels or cheese cloth) and warm of course (95 degrees). I know birds fed a diet of spoiled feed or deficient in Vitamin E develop enlarged hocks and bowed legs.

 

[donnaboydjones]

It looks like the chick may need a spraddle leg hobble (can be made with a band-aid) and also booties to flatten the feet/straighten the toes (I think you've already made these?). I had one like this recently, I actually took a half-used roll of packing tape as a sort of "chair", along with the band-aid hobble and booties. Sitting in the middle of the roll of tape braced the chick and forced it to be upright and the hobble helped keep the legs together and underneath it's body. You can also use a cup if you have one that is the right size/shape. Many people would cull, so don't feel bad if that is what you choose to do, you can try to rehabilitate but it may or may not work. Good luck, and keep us posted.

I tried the shoes and it ended up kicking one of them off. Maybe I didn't do very well making them. My chicks started hatching 3 days ago and this little one which is day 23 hatched just as I was getting ready to do clean up. The were all Americana eggs so I couldn't see when I candled. I was a midwife for one yesterday and after constant care, it's now fine, but it wasn't in any shape like this one. I want to do all the things I read, but I also read there is no guarantee. One of the hocks wont bend and the other is just loose. This is just horrible. I have hens that are broody and should have just left it that way instead of trying to incubate. I don't think I ever want to do it again.

 

[donnaboydjones]

Very sorry this is happening. Their bones are very soft when they are that young. You could try this in regard to curled toes. Take a look at this site for an idea of correcting curled toes:
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKRaisingChicks.html
If you are already using Vitamins in the water, keep doing it and make sure the chick is drinking. You could squeeze a drop of vitamin E in the chicks mouth. Keep the chick on a soft surface ( I use paper towels or cheese cloth) and warm of course (95 degrees). I know birds fed a diet of spoiled feed or deficient in Vitamin E develop enlarged hocks and bowed legs.

My flock is free range on a 10 acre farm and no one else has what this little guy has. I'm also one of those freaks that my chickens only get organic feed, fruits and veggies and they get black sunflower seeds every day. I don't know if I caused this because I incubated these and usually my hens go broody and do all the work. I have a beautiful silver Americana hen and every one of her last 2 hatches have resulted in a chick looking just like her. Unfortunately, its light color has been the first to be picked up by hawks. I thought I would incubate her eggs this time and keep them until they were large enough that they wouldn't couldn't caught so easily.
This whole experience was great the first day when five hatched perfectly, but then yesterday one was stuck in the shell and I had to assist in its hatching and it couldn't raise it's head. I had to spend all day and night working on massaging it's neck and holding it with support under it's head. Today its great and head is up. I was going to clean out the incubator when I heard chirping and then this wee one came out all on its on and I was so excited .....but now all I want to do is cry!!! My best friend is a vet and she told me she would Euthanize it for me because I cant cull it.

 

[Overoberyl]

I use clear plastic medical tape for the booties, one piece on bottom and one on top, so the toes are completely surrounded by sticky surface. It doesn't hurt them and usually they stay on for just the right amount of time, when they fall off naturally the toes are usually good to go. Now if one of the legs simply won't bend in the right direction, there really isn't anything you can do to fix that, and I would recommend culling. I got a chick like that in a shipment once, its leg was bent out sideways and just wouldn't bend in the right direction. It did ok on one leg and grew for awhile, but eventually got to the size where it just became too difficult to get around on one leg so I ended up having to cull anyway.

Try not to beat yourself up, none of this is your fault! Unfortunately these types of things are not uncommon with hatching chicks, and it is unlikely to be because of anything you did. You can feed your birds a great diet, do everything by the book during incubation and that's all you can do. Still even under the best of circumstances defects and deficiencies happen. Just remember all the little lives that are healthy and thriving because of you! Don't kick yourself for the one or two that didn't work out. It is unavoidable. You did a great job getting all those chickies to hatch and you should be proud!

 

[donnaboydjones]

I use clear plastic medical tape for the booties, one piece on bottom and one on top, so the toes are completely surrounded by sticky surface. It doesn't hurt them and usually they stay on for just the right amount of time, when they fall off naturally the toes are usually good to go. Now if one of the legs simply won't bend in the right direction, there really isn't anything you can do to fix that, and I would recommend culling. I got a chick like that in a shipment once, its leg was bent out sideways and just wouldn't bend in the right direction. It did ok on one leg and grew for awhile, but eventually got to the size where it just became too difficult to get around on one leg so I ended up having to cull anyway.

Try not to beat yourself up, none of this is your fault! Unfortunately these types of things are not uncommon with hatching chicks, and it is unlikely to be because of anything you did. You can feed your birds a great diet, do everything by the book during incubation and that's all you can do. Still even under the best of circumstances defects and deficiencies happen. Just remember all the little lives that are healthy and thriving because of you! Don't kick yourself for the one or two that didn't work out. It is unavoidable. You did a great job getting all those chickies to hatch and you should be proud!

Thank you for your kind words. Your kindess and care filled my eyes with tears. It's hard not to blame oneself and I appreciate you taking the time giving me advice and being so sweet to me in a time thats pretty aweful. I'm headed to my BFF now so she can help with my wee one. I'm going to want a big glass of wine when I get home.(tears)