Chick hatched last night (10/1) about 8p. Last hatch of the clutch, so was by itself in the incubator (all others had been moved to a broody). As you can see from the photos, it had an unabsorbed yolk:
This is the first time I have personally had this happen to one of my chicks. From all of my research, I had decided to leave it alone, hoping it would eventually absorb. Here we are the next day:
It doesn't appear any smaller, and it starting to dry out/turn necrotic. Not sure what tact to take. I guess I should leave it be, and see if the yolk absorbs, or dries out. Obviously, at this point my main concern is infection. Like I stated, the chick is by itself, so no risk of clutch-mates or mom picking at it, stepping on it, or tearing it. I have obvious concerns the chick may do this to itself. The blood supply seems significant, so I am loathe to cut it, even if I could successfully cauterize it quickly. The chick is otherwise seemingly healthy, peeping, drying out and even preening. Any suggestions from those that have dealt with this before would be most appreciated.
This is the first time I have personally had this happen to one of my chicks. From all of my research, I had decided to leave it alone, hoping it would eventually absorb. Here we are the next day:
It doesn't appear any smaller, and it starting to dry out/turn necrotic. Not sure what tact to take. I guess I should leave it be, and see if the yolk absorbs, or dries out. Obviously, at this point my main concern is infection. Like I stated, the chick is by itself, so no risk of clutch-mates or mom picking at it, stepping on it, or tearing it. I have obvious concerns the chick may do this to itself. The blood supply seems significant, so I am loathe to cut it, even if I could successfully cauterize it quickly. The chick is otherwise seemingly healthy, peeping, drying out and even preening. Any suggestions from those that have dealt with this before would be most appreciated.
