Weird gunk on abdomen after hatch

[TassiBirdPerson]

I’m hatching a clutch of ducks and most that have come out haven’t had this problem but one has come out with a weird sack of gunk on its abdomen. It seems to have absorbed its yolk but there is what looks like blood in the sack so am not sure if it’s connected or not. This duckling also bled all over the incubator a few hours ago so I had to dab the sack with a cloth to try clean it up and it stopped bleeding but the sack is still connected and I’m the outside many hours later. It hatched alongside 2 others who are now fluffed up and under a brooder. Is this something I should leave and keep wet in the incubator or would the duck be ok to come out and have it dry out? The duckling itself is quite active after having a while to rest so I don’t think that is it affecting the duckling physically. Am just worried about it rupturing and bleeding.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

From the photos, it looks to me like there's an unhealed navel with some hatching gunk - possibly the remainder of the yolk sac - stuck to it. If it were my duckling, I would put antibiotic ointment without pain relief on the unhealed navel (the fleshy-looking part closest to the abdomen) and place the duckling in a cup in the incubator to encourage the navel to continue to close and minimize risk of injury to the area.

Congratulations on your ducklings and I hope this one's navel heals soon!

 

[TassiBirdPerson]

From the photos, it looks to me like there's an unhealed navel with some hatching gunk - possibly the remainder of the yolk sac - stuck to it. If it were my duckling, I would put antibiotic ointment without pain relief on the unhealed navel (the fleshy-looking part closest to the abdomen) and place the duckling in a cup in the incubator to encourage the navel to continue to close and minimize risk of injury to the area.

Congratulations on your ducklings and I hope this one's navel heals soon!

Thanks for the advice! I’ve placed the duckling in a cup with some wet paper to keep it from drying up. I actually did this when it and the 2 others hatched as they all seems a little undeveloped at the time but this one just didn’t seem to heal as fast. I haven’t got any antibiotic ointments for the naval so may have to leave it as is. Duck does not look keen on staying in the cup though as it’s the last one left in the incubator and can hear it’s siblings just outside. Hoping that it absorbs everything soon.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

YVW! If you have coconut oil, that can be used, as well. Keeping the navel moist with something that won't dry up immediately will help facilitate the healing process.

It can take a while for an open navel to heal, and sometimes it won't be completely pulled back into the abdomen - a bit of a (closed) protrusion isn't necessarily a problem, though.

Please let us know how the little one does.

 

[TassiBirdPerson]

YVW! If you have coconut oil, that can be used, as well. Keeping the navel moist with something that won't dry up immediately will help facilitate the healing process.

It can take a while for an open navel to heal, and sometimes it won't be completely pulled back into the abdomen - a bit of a (closed) protrusion isn't necessarily a problem, though.

Please let us know how the little one does.

So 12 hours later it looks like it has healed a lot more. It’s no longer gunky and looks almost dry. The duckling has had to be put back into the cup several times now as she just wants to play with the others so she is looking great and at this point it looks like the sack won’t burst. Not sure if it will go all the way in or not though.