This morning I found another chick hatched, but it was attached to the shell by a weird gloopy lump. I thought it would get better if I left it, but when I got home it was dead!It had a red lump on it's bum and there was more red stuff on the straw. Any idea what happened? It was hatched by a broody hen. I just want to know if there's anything I can do in the future!
You'll have to read through this list. http://www.natureform.com/kb/index.php?article=1011&o=save This is for artificial incubation but most of the info can be for natural incubation.
Sorry about your little chick. I've had that happen before, and I have an idea as to why it happens, but its only my personal thoughts no actual facts to back it up. I think sometimes either a chick is too big and is really cramped, or either gets freaked out and hatches early after hearing its nest mates peeping and hatching around it. I think they think the others are all hatched and the mother will leave the nest before they are out so they hatch too fast. They haven't absorbed all the yolk and their blood veins outside of them are still pumping. And the chick just pushes and hatches too soon, then they seem to still be attached to a piece of the shell which it catches on something and damages the chick or the sharp edges actually cut the chick or stuff attaching it to the shell and it bleeds to death or something. If I see this happen in the incubator, its one of the few times I'll open it during lock down. I remove the chick and break the shell so it not jagged and smaller, don't rip any veins with blood in them though. Then I put the wet chick in another incubator or close to a heat bulb on padded flooring of some sort. Sometimes it works and the chick absorbs whats outside/or stuff dries up and falls off and the chick can rejoin its siblings. Sometimes they are horribly weak for a few days, and are fine after, and sometimes they don't make it. The only thing you can try with a natural hatch to prevent that would be to make sure none of the eggs were laid into the nest after the hen starts sitting, and that they are rotated right by the hen. You want them all developing at the same rate. Just my personal thoughts and maybe we aren't talking about the same thing even, but it sounded similar to me. There really wasn't anything you could have done to prevent it from turning out that way, sometimes they just don't all make it.
Thats what happened with ours today. Exactly what you described. She didnt make it either. Sorry for your loss
Sad to say that is what happened to our today too. Very sad it was only the second chicken that we have ever hatched. Hugs to everyone that lost a baby chick today.
Thanks everyone Sylverfly that does sound exactly like what happened. I think your right. Sorry for all the little chickies that died.
chicks born with their belly buttons out can survive. they do need to be extra warm, I have heating pads or hand warmers near by. if they are connected to the shell, I try and keep the chick and the shell together as long as possible. I sometimes put a chick in a bootie sock till they are all absorbed.
