- Mar 16, 2008
- 5
- 0
- 7
Hi - I'm a first-time incubater and first-time poster...We had 13 eggs, and 3 hatched healthy. The fourth pipped out apparently too early and had a bit of "umbilical cord" and has an "outy bellybutton." I had to help him out of his egg after a day of just his beak peaking out - figured why not, if he was going to die anyway....The friend who loaned me the bator and gave me the eggs says the chick will die, that it has the mushy chick disease (omphalitis). It's now a day and a half old and is very active, eating a bit of chick starter, etc. is it possible for this chick to live, or will it start to fail soon? And also if he continues to do well, can I add him to the brooder with the other three, or will he be contagious to them? I read omphalitis is often caused by E. coli, which causes the navel infection...would his poo have E. coli in it that could make them sick? TIA!!