This chick is going to die. Abdomen turning black.

[NicoLee1991]

I was curious if anyone knew what was going on here. 2 day old chick (from the worst hatch I've ever had and first time doing shipped eggs) has a squishy abdomen that is turning black under the skin. I couldn't find anything that matched when trying to search the internet-the closest was maybe infected yolk sack... but I'm not sure. It's been falling over, weak, breathing hard. If was fine until last night. It got itself soaking wet and I had to put it back in the incubator. It's very hard to get a good picture of-ill attach what I have and see if I get anything else.

This is a post for further prevention of whatever this is.

 

[Lizzy733]

Did it bleed or leak yolk after hatching, require intervention or have a poorly closed navel from the start? Get bumped around roughly or take a fall?

Chickens bruise green and it usually takes 2-3 days to appear after initial injury and will look worse before it gets better.

Could also be rot setting in from an infected navel. The skin is quite light and thin - easy to see through. Is there any bad smell to it?

 

[coach723]

Maybe omphalitis, or mushy chick disease. Caused by bacteria entering through an open umbilicus, more common in incubated chicks.
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/omphalitis/omphalitis-in-poultry
https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/preventing-omphalitis-to-reduce-first-week-mortality

 

[NicoLee1991]

Did it bleed or leak yolk after hatching, require intervention or have a poorly closed navel from the start? Get bumped around roughly or take a fall?

Chickens bruise green and it usually takes 2-3 days to appear after initial injury and will look worse before it gets better.

Could also be rot setting in from an infected navel. The skin is quite light and thin - easy to see through. Is there any bad smell to it?

Well out of 35 eggs 5 of them hatched without any intervention. It was one of these particular 2 that did hatch on their own but I can't be sure. There is no smell and the navel looks to me like a healing one, not an infected one. A little scab,none of them bled. Only one had yolk out and it also had intestines out so Def not this guy.

 

[NicoLee1991]

Maybe omphalitis, or mushy chick disease. Caused by bacteria entering through an open umbilicus, more common in incubated chicks.
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/omphalitis/omphalitis-in-poultry
https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/preventing-omphalitis-to-reduce-first-week-mortality

It seems like it's probably this or a rupture of some sort. Thank you for the links. The incubator was clean until one of the first chicks decided to snack on an egg that may have died right before the rest hatched. Ew. Well f this sucks.

 

[NicoLee1991]

That's the umbilical area and then as you maybe can see the black extends all the way around his side and such. It all happened quite suddenly and no falls because I just took them out of the incubator and there were only 4 chicks in there.

 

[RosemaryDuck]

I was curious if anyone knew what was going on here. 2 day old chick (from the worst hatch I've ever had and first time doing shipped eggs) has a squishy abdomen that is turning black under the skin. I couldn't find anything that matched when trying to search the internet-the closest was maybe infected yolk sack... but I'm not sure. It's been falling over, weak, breathing hard. If was fine until last night. It got itself soaking wet and I had to put it back in the incubator. It's very hard to get a good picture of-ill attach what I have and see if I get anything else.

This is a post for further prevention of whatever this is.

It does look like Mushy chick. Unfortunately there isn't really anything you can do. Antibiotics are sometimes given but success rates are really low. It's a pretty aggressive bacteria.

So sorry. I hope you have better hatches in the future. Don't get discouraged!

 

[NicoLee1991]

Okay so unexpected development here- there is no vent. Like no opening in it.

 

[Lizzy733]

Okay so unexpected development here- there is no vent. Like no opening in it.

That's one hell of a birth defect... Absolutely missing? Pics please?

 

[NicoLee1991]

That's one hell of a birth defect... Absolutely missing? Pics please?

Like the outter vent opening is there, but I went to inspect and tried to separate it a bit-theres like a dimple in the middle and it's just flat glossy skin. I'll grab a pic in a few minuets.

So it is like impossible to capture on my phone. It's a little red because I did poke at it a little just to make sure it wasn't just sealed or anything. Also what was the harm at this point. Before I prodded a little it was just one flat skin color. It's so strange and so sad. All that black stuff in its stomach means it's Def not connected anywhere and there's nothing I can do.