Problem with chick...umbilical cord?

[gstreed]

Here some more photos, hopefully these help! He is so active and healthy besides this defect, I would be so sad to put him down when he's so full of life.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I'm going to say I used wet since I don't know what dry is! I used a forced air styrofoam incubator and kept temp between 99-100 but humidity was more interesting...I tried to keep it around 50% but I'm a teacher and was hatching in the classroom so over the weekend the humidity would drop extremely low. Sometimes I would come in on Monday and it was between 15-35% (even when I came in on Saturday to refill the water!). Since it was getting so low over the weekend I tried to compensate by having a higher humidity during the week (maybe closer to 60-65%). I watched the air cells like crazy (candled 3 times - days 7,14,18) and adjusted humidity based on if I was feeling they were too low or too high. I was pretty active in the whole process! Also used an automatic turner for the whole thing. Locked down at day 18, humidity around 70%, took about 36 hours for all 12 to hatch and I didn't have to assist any. Honestly I'm pretty shocked I had 100% hatch I was anticipating I would get 50% if I was lucky!

I highly believe the best thing (especially a new person) can do is check air cells and adjust according to that. I run dry at 30% for my average until lockdown, but I check the air cells regularly to know how to adjust.

Here some more photos, hopefully these help! He is so active and healthy besides this defect, I would be so sad to put him down when he's so full of life.

I would say either ambilicus or a little yolk membrane. It's hard to tell. Doing this well I would suspect it to dry up and fall off after a few days. I would makes sure that his little legs are free from it though.

 

[gstreed]

Any advice on how to free his foot? I'm scared to rupture whatever that thing is!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Any advice on how to free his foot? I'm scared to rupture whatever that thing is!

At this point it looks like it's drying nicely (looks more like cord to me). I doubt "rupturing" anything is a risk. It would have been much easier to remove when it was wet and slimey and just hatched, but I would pull it away from the leg and unwind it if that is how it's holding the leg. I would be more afraid of having a chick with leg problems due to being held in an unnatural position or unable to fully utilize the leg than I would rupturing anything at this point. Chicks legs are very easily manipulated, that's why braces and sandles work so well when there's a problem, so logically it's easy to see where having it held an the inncorrect angle or without normal movement could hinder it's normal positioning.

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

At this point it looks like it's drying nicely (looks more like cord to me). I doubt "rupturing" anything is a risk. It would have been much easier to remove when it was wet and slimey and just hatched, but I would pull it away from the leg and unwind it if that is how it's holding the leg. I would be more afraid of having a chick with leg problems due to being held in an unnatural position or unable to fully utilize the leg than I would rupturing anything at this point. Chicks legs are very easily manipulated, that's why braces and sandles work so well when there's a problem, so logically it's easy to see where having it held an the inncorrect angle or without normal movement could hinder it's normal positioning.

x2 Do it sooner rather than later.

 

[gstreed]

Okay, update: I freed the foot and it is definitely a loop, appears to be intestinal. I tried to push the loop back in (its very small) but couldn't. Currently engineering a bandage to try to wrap it up and hopefully limit his movement. He is still chirping, running around, and acting normal.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Okay, update: I freed the foot and it is definitely a loop, appears to be intestinal. I tried to push the loop back in (its very small) but couldn't. Currently engineering a bandage to try to wrap it up and hopefully limit his movement. He is still chirping, running around, and acting normal.

Good luck. If it turns out to be intestinal, it doesn't have good chances, especially since it's drying up. I hope you're wrong and he survives!! Keep us updated please.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Good luck. If it turns out to be intestinal, it doesn't have good chances, especially since it's drying up. I hope you're wrong and he survives!! Keep us updated please.

Agree, is it pooping? Eating/drinking? It's a fighter, hope it makes it!
What brand/type of incubator did you use? I'm thinking about getting one, not huge, been reading everything I can on this site. Need something simple.

 

[gstreed]

He is pooping, and just gave him food and water. We bandaged the opening with some ace bandage. He's peeping quite a bit and running around, wish he would just lie down and rest!

 

[gstreed]

Final Update: chick did not make it, he was peeping like crazy with the bandage on (long, sustained peeps) and seemed extremely uncomfortable. Upon removing the bandages I saw that the intestines had come out even more and there was some bleeding so I made the decision to cull (broke his neck so it was quick)

still feeling pretty good about coming out of this with 11 chicks out of 12 eggs!