Help! One of the new chicks has it's intestines hanging out!!!

[chicken_china_mom]

I posted earlier cause my chicks hatched this morning, and before I left for work they both looked good. I did notice something hanging under the one chick, but I thought it was just it's yolk sac. Then my 9 year old called me at work and told me she could see his intestines hanging underneath him. As soon as I got home I saw that she was right, it IS the baby's intestines, and they appear to be wrapped around his one foot. It's a beautiful little baby, and I know there probably isn't much I can do, if anything, to help it, but I can hope, right? I read somewhere that people have tucked the intestines back up into the baby and then wrapped the chick in a moist papertowel. Does that really work? This baby seems to be getting stronger, though it isn't as strong, or vocal, as the first chick that hatched. A third egg, one of the pale blue ones, has a portion of shell missing, and I'm not sure if it started to hatch, or if one of the other chicks bumped into it and some of the shell broke, but I don't see that chick moving inside the shell. Any advice anyone? Or should I just wait and let nature take it's course? This is my first hatch and I am unsure what to do. Please help! Thank you everyone!

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Please don't take this as cruel, but if you are going to raise chicks and chickens, you will have to learn how to cull birds. It is heartbreaking, but think of it as doing the little guy a huge favor. Think about its quality of life now and if it lives. Will it be able to thrive and behave like a chicken? What if it gets worse?

I applaud your efforts and wish you the best.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Go ahead and put the little fellow down. If not, it will most likely die of dehydration and/or infection.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

I read in a post where they tucked them back in and put a bandaid around the chick. A few days later it was fine.

I would do what you feel is right for you.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Ok I yahoo'd it. Doesn't sound fixable... but at least we know the probable cause


•Inufficient Rotation of the Eggs. Eggs should be rotated 5 times a day. The result of incomplete or insufficient egg rotation is that chick organs stick to the sides of the shells. Chicks are born with their intestines outside their bodies.
•Low Humidity. Eggs need a certain amount of humidity - or else it will also affect chick development. Usually parents know what to do. You will see the female bathe and then continue to sit on / incubate the eggs - thus increasing humidity as needed. The chick's parents should be provided with bathing opportunities. A shallow dish at the bottom of the cage, for example.
•Interrupted Incubation.
◦chicks can become crippled or die in the shell
•For more information on proper conditions of the eggs during incubation, please refer to the incubationprocedures.html

 

[tiffanyh]

It may be the yolk sac. THey can dry up and occasionally the chicks can do okay. I would say that all you can do is keep it warm and fed and hope for the best. (Oh and be sure nothing is wrapped around the leg.)

 

[chicken_china_mom]

Oh, it's definitely NOT the yolk sac. I saw the yolk sac hanging out from under the first chick, but it is gone now, already absorbed. What's hanging from under this chick is red and my mom even said that it looks like intestines, and possibly a kidney. Oh, if only it WERE just the yolk sac! Anyone have ideas?

 

[Mahonri]

Are you certain it's coming from the vent?

Watch it carefully, you may have to put it down.

 

[chicken_china_mom]

It's coming from the very lower abdomen, but in FRONT of it's bottom (sorry to be so blunt). It DID poop out of it's butt earlier. And if it does come down to putting it to sleep, I don't have the first clue how to do that. Just the thought of it brings tears to my eyes. Does a chicken lay eggs AND poop out of the same hole? Cause if so, this is coming out of a different hole.

 

[77horses]

I'm so sorry. I don't have really any experience with that kind of emergency; but if it comes down to putting the poor baby down, you will have to cull it.

It's hard and sad to do, and I could never do it. I've heard of people using scissors.
This is hard for me to explain, as I hate to explain ways to put animals down.

Hopefully someone with more experience will help you.

Good luck and God bless; I really do hope it's just the yolk sac.