Mass or unabsorbed yolk in 48 hr old chick

[CheriK]

Sorry if this is not the correct forum; I wasn't sure if this should go in the baby chicks section or here!

Picked up our second batch of chicks at the feed store yesterday. I just found this evening that one of the chicks has a dark, eraser-sized mass on her abdomen. Veruca is a Wyandotte, hatched on Wednesday. Active, eating, drinking, pooping normally. Has gained weight in the 24 hours we've had her (no, I'm not that nervous a new chick mommy; we homeschool our kids and they are tracking growth w/ daily weighings ;-). I thought it was a tick at first, but it's clearly attached. Tried to take a picture, but can't get close enough to see it without it being too fuzzy to see.

The others (2 days old or 9 days old, no other Wyandottes) have a small firm spot in the same area, so I'm wondering if it's the navel . . . is it called a navel in chicks? The only descriptions I've found that sound like even a possibility is unabsorbed yolk, but would it look very dark red or black? Since Veruca seems fine, should I do anything beyond keeping an eye on it?

Thanks,
Cheri

 

[Fleabuskitty]

A couple of the last chicks I hatched had a small dark "mass" like you are talking about. I think it may be something to do with the yolk, but I'm not sure. All I know is that the same chicks are thriving two months later, so I wouldn't worry about it

 

[CheriK]

Thank you. I will try to not worry about it. I would love to find some photos that look like it, though, just to know for certain what it is! I did find some of open "navels" and it's clearly not that, so maybe just some extra tissue retained from closing the connection to the yolk?

 

[CMV]

That is a hernia. Hopefully, the blackening doesn't mean it is strangulated because if it is then it doesn't look good for the chick. You can try to attach a tiny round bandaid over it to pop it back in, but I don't know if that will prove to be any help.

Sorry. Good luck with it.

 

[CheriK]

Hi CMV,

Thanks for your idea. It doesn't really look like a hernia (based on photos from here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/566513/chick-with-hernia, which look like. . . stuff that should be inside on the outside). This is dry and does not look necrotic, like I'd expect a strangulated hernia to appear. So I'm still hopeful that it's something more benign. I can't imagine if it's really herniated she could live. . .

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Could it be the umbilical? That sounds awfully big though. When I have seen it, it is black but tiny.

Oh! Eraser! I was visualizing a large hand-held eraser!!! Do you mean pencil eraser???

If so, then that is the umbilical and it will fall off by itself.

 

[Fleabuskitty]

The "masses" that mine had were black and pencil-eraser sized. I assume that's CheriK meant.
They definitely weren't hernias and the did disappear after the chicks were a few days old.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

The "masses" that mine had were black and pencil-eraser sized. I assume that's CheriK meant.
They definitely weren't herias and the did disappear after the chicks were a few days old.

Yes! That is what I have seen. That is the umbilicus, I have read on BYC. I have only seen it once or twice.

 

[CheriK]

LOL! Yes, I meant pencil eraser sized. Sorry, should have been clearer. Now I have an image of a poor tiny baby dragging around a big Pink Pearl eraser. . .

It DOES look like an umbilical stump, now that you mention it. It's not bothering her but it still hasn't fallen off. We'll keep an eye on it and I will still try to get photos. It's been so helpful to me to see photos of various chick issues as I'm searching the forums.