New chicks 'belly button'?

[mlmaxson]

Good morning!

I got the call from my P.O. this morning that I had a peeping box waiting for me

I picked them up, got them home and loaded them into their new home. All 7 of the 8 seemed to be doing relatively well considering the fact it's sub-artic here in Alabama. There is 1 little one that was a bit lethargic though. It didn't open it's eyes too much (although it will), and when it sits down it kinda wobbles like it's drunk. I took an eye dropper and was able to get water into it and that helped a little, but it was still wobbly. Every now and then it would get a bit excited, open it's eyes and peep with the others, but not for very long.

I had to leave and go to work

so I'm hoping that it'll be doing okay when I get home. So, first, is this normal or is it the first sign that the little guy won't be there when I get home?

Secondly, I looked at all their rears to make sure that there was no paste and there wasn't

The little wobbly guy did have a bit of poo stuck to him so I cleaned him off and found a little black dot on his skin under his vent. Is this its 'belly button' or something more sinister? All the other little butts were so fluffy I couldn't see it so I'm hoping that since his butt was wet with water, it made it possible to see through it's feather.

Thanks!

 

[gryeyes]

A zillion years ago, when I was young and in college, I sat around with others thinking great thoughts and solving world problems with the benefit of some "additives." Could have been alcohol, could have been vegetative, it was sooo long ago.... But I digress.

One of those late evenings, I had a sudden revelation and - unfortunately - spoke it aloud: CHICKENS DON'T HAVE BELLY BUTTONS! WOW!

So, your post brought me right back to that moment so long ago. I don't believe the black dot on your chick's underside is a belly button OR anything "more sinister." However, I am worried that it might not make it, if you don't have somebody able to check on it throughout the day. Encourage it to drink, give it some sugar water, that sort of thing. Make sure it stays warm, even hold it and sing or hum to it with love.

Got my fingers crossed for you and your weak chick. The one that doesn't have a belly button.

 

[mlmaxson]

Maybe I should have referred to it as the umbilical attachment point rather than the cuter 'belly button'?

 

[ilovebuffs]

I hatched out a batch of chicks and I had two that were like that. They were the last two to hatch, and both had the umbilical cord remnants. I was afraid that they weren't going to make it. And I have to disagree, they do have a belly button...Where they were attached to the egg. Anyway, I seperated the two tired ones for a couple days because the other chicks kept pecking on them. But now they are as rowdy as the other chicks at 5wks old. I hope this helps. I just kept their bottoms clean and made sure they were drinking and staying warm. They just needed a little more sleep than the others.

Good Luck!

 

[gryeyes]

I'm sorry - I don't know what part of the egg insides creates "an umbilical attachment." I thought that was the whole thing about egg-layers as opposed to mammals. Obviously there's more about egg physiology than someone newly into chicken keeping, like me, really knows.

I do hope your chick improves! I remember how hard I took it when I experienced two "failures to thrive" in my batch o' chicks.

 

[Hillsvale]

funny this should have cropped up... like the dope I am... one of my baby columbian plymouth rock had what I thought was poo on its bottom... just like one of the others... it wasn't covering the vent but it bugged me just the same. So I did what I would to remove poo and it was the covering on its belly button, kind of shocking since its 10 days old! I just put some poly on the now exposed cord and it seems fine.

 

[kannm]

http://www.chicken-yard.net/general/egg-to-chick.html

I was curious so I looked it up. I do not know if the source is good, but it seemed pretty believable to me.

 

[ilovebuffs]

Quote:
No Problem...I didn't mean to come across so "In your face". That is not my personality. So, I say all this to say no problem.

mlmaxson, keep us posted on your chick!

Good Luck!

 

[mlmaxson]

I called my husband who was still at home and had him check on everyone. He says that they're all alive. Better than dead! That's all the info I could pull from him though. I'll keep you all updated and post pictures tonight.

I was VERY impressed with MyPetChicken. I ordered 8 chicks, they all arrived healthy (except for my wobbly one) AND a week early

 

[Gypsy07]

When my chicks hatched I saw the umbilical cord that was attached from their belly to the last remnants of the yolk sac. I saw it on all of them, and most obviously on the one that I had to help out of the egg. When that one was a couple of days old I could still see the remnants of it sticking out through the fluff when I cleaned its pasty butt.

How's your wobbly one doing now? Hope he/she's okay!