Help please

[Kmmpittman]

We just had our first chick hatch and are new to incubating and hatching chicks, however I have read BYC articles and several books and are about a year into keeping chickens successfully. I am concerned because this baby hatched overnight or this morning and appears to be attached to his shell by his umbilical cord. He has been dragging it around with him. He’s up and walking, still resting in between toddling around. I have the humidity at 70% and the temp at 100.0. Two other eggs are pipping and one hasn’t started yet. I read some related threads but am unsure what to do. Cut the cord or give it time to resolve? I don’t want to open the incubator and disrupt the pipping chicks or interfere too much if I don’t need to. Thank you!

 

[MGG]

We just had our first chick hatch and are new to incubating and hatching chicks, however I have read BYC articles and several books and are about a year into keeping chickens successfully. I am concerned because this baby hatched overnight or this morning and appears to be attached to his shell by his umbilical cord. He has been dragging it around with him. He’s up and walking, still resting in between toddling around. I have the humidity at 70% and the temp at 100.0. Two other eggs are pipping and one hasn’t started yet. I read some related threads but am unsure what to do. Cut the cord or give it time to resolve? I don’t want to open the incubator and disrupt the pipping chicks or interfere too much if I don’t need to. Thank you!View attachment 2586508

Welcome to BYC, and congrats on your baby!!! Snip that little string off, and remove the egg shell. You can mist the eggs with warm water right before you shut the incubator to boost humidity too. They won't shrinkwrap in the short amount of time it takes to do what you need to do though.

 

[Kmmpittman]

Thank you so much for those tips! I was stuck between wanting to let nature take it’s course and being aware I’m a rookie at this and feeling perhaps a tiny bit of intervention would go a long way in helping this little one. I wasn’t sure how long he’d been struggling since we didn’t see him (or her) hatch. I will do the misting trick and quickly snap that cord with some sterile scissors. I truly appreciate the help! And thanks for the welcome. I’ve learned so much here the last year. It’s a great site!

 

[MGG]

Thank you so much for those tips! I was stuck between wanting to let nature take it’s course and being aware I’m a rookie at this and feeling perhaps a tiny bit of intervention would go a long way in helping this little one. I wasn’t sure how long he’d been struggling since we didn’t see him (or her) hatch. I will do the misting trick and quickly snap that cord with some sterile scissors. I truly appreciate the help! And thanks for the welcome. I’ve learned so much here the last year. It’s a great site!

No problem! Yeah, you don't want him tearing open his navel by dragging that heavy shell along.
Best of luck with the rest of your hatch! It is a great site, I have learned so much as well.

 

[Sally PB]

Welcome! Please post more pictures of your babies when you can. We love chick pics!

 

[Kmmpittman]

Happy to report all 4 hatched and appear healthy! What a great experience for a first try. The baby who was dragging his shell is snipped and doing great. I had to move him to the brooder this morning a little early because he was pecking at the newly hatched chick badly enough that it was being knocked upside down repeatedly. He’s doing great in the brooder and began eating his medicated crumbles within minutes. The other three are looking good and getting their land legs. Thank you all again for the help. Here are a few snaps of the cuties.