Newly hatched chick with yolk sack hanging out..what do I do?

[juleeque]

Hello- I have a newly hatched chick with the yolk sack hanging out. I've read to just leave it alone and it will absorb back in, and I have read to cauterize it. I read a post where the sack burst. So considering the size...what would be the best route to save the chickee?
thx so much- juleeque

 

[Kiki]

I have no hands-on experience with this but I can tell you that I would leave the chick alone if I were you. I think I would put it in a coffee cup with some napkins just to confine it so it doesn't move around and see if it ends up absorbing everything.

 

[WVduckchick]

I agree with Kiki. That's a large sac yet to absorb. Rupture would be near-immediate death.
If you can confine it to a cup, be aware of the temperature. Back in the incubator would be the safest. If its in a brooder, be careful.

Did it hatch by itself that way?

 

[silkie1472]

Keeping it from moving much would be ideal. However, the yolk really needs to remain fairly moist.

It looks like the chick hatched early, and it’s uncommon for them to hatch themselves with that much yolk left to absorb.

 

[juleeque]

I put it in a mug and under a heat lamp. I'll watch it carefully. (Ol' mama hen!).So this is considered a large amount of sack to be left out? Why would a chick hatch if it wasn't totally ready? I've hatched many clutches in my incubator, (and still learning) this one hatched early (day 21 is tomorrow). It hatched on its own. It seems normal otherwise. Is it possible to get bad genes from a roo? This is a relatively new roo- about 1.5 yr old. Since using him (full RIR) I've gotten chicks with cross beak, deformed (possible splay) legs, and now this. I never had any problems with my other roo, so all this is new for me.
thx again!

 

[WVduckchick]

I put it in a mug and under a heat lamp. I'll watch it carefully. (Ol' mama hen!).So this is considered a large amount of sack to be left out? Why would a chick hatch if it wasn't totally ready? I've hatched many clutches in my incubator, (and still learning) this one hatched early (day 21 is tomorrow). It hatched on its own. It seems normal otherwise. Is it possible to get bad genes from a roo? This is a relatively new roo- about 1.5 yr old. Since using him (full RIR) I've gotten chicks with cross beak, deformed (possible splay) legs, and now this. I never had any problems with my other roo, so all this is new for me.
thx again!

Interesting. Yes, that's a very large unabsorbed yolk sack.
Did you verify the temp in your incubator? Sometimes temperatures just a bit too high can cause developmental issues, and would also cause early hatch. So maybe your temp is just a bit too high?

The genetics from the rooster "could" be the problem, since you have had other issues too, but I would verify the incubator temperature first. Or even try finding some local eggs to hatch? Might give you more indication if the rooster is the problem.

 

[Kiki]

X2 on the temp check.
Make sure you use a calibrated thermometer.

 

[juleeque]

hmmm. interesting you mention the temp... when i xfered them out of the turner, I checked them and the temp had gone up to 102. I'm not sure how long it was at 102, but I can only guess less than an hour. I adjusted it and it has been steady at 100 with 60+% humidity. I just had another one hatch, sack was ok.

My husband put in a hygrometer (?)

 

[Rose Quartz]

Hello- I have a newly hatched chick with the yolk sack hanging out. I've read to just leave it alone and it will absorb back in, and I have read to cauterize it. I read a post where the sack burst. So considering the size...what would be the best route to save the chickee?
thx so much- juleeque

The only yolk out chicks I've had survive, I left it to dry. once it was mostly dry I stuck it to their belly fluff so they couldn't claw at it, and so the other chicks wouldn't pick at it.

Try not to touch it without clean hands, and keep it dry and clean. Is my suggestion.

Things I've tried before:

Keeping it in a incubator and keeping it wet, hoping it would absorb.

cutting it off (this was the fastest chick to die)

trying to put it back in a shell, hoping it would sit still, it didn't and kicked and kicked clawing the yolk sac apart.

leaving it to do what ever it would do, on it's own, yolk sac was ripped open.



So far I've only had 2 that survived having the yolk on the outside. One died after a week, even though the yolk was dry and gone. It was smaller than the others was constantly screeching, it died the night it was transported to my sisters house, where they were supposed to go live. I'm assuming it just wasn't up to the stress of the move.

The other was from the same hatch and is a healthy adult.


It's really hard to keep them alive. Even if you do everything right they still might not make it.

I'm not saying that anything I tried and failed with is bad. I don't know. I tried them once with a bad result.

 

[Kiki]

hmmm. interesting you mention the temp... when i xfered them out of the turner, I checked them and the temp had gone up to 102. I'm not sure how long it was at 102, but I can only guess less than an hour. I adjusted it and it has been steady at 100 with 60+% humidity. I just had another one hatch, sack was ok.

My husband put in a hygrometer (?)

But has your thermometer been calibrated? Did you buy a separated thermometer besides what came with your bator?
Salt test the humidity guage?