Yolk Sack Still Attached After Hatch

[hatchichickens]

I'm so happy to hear Chance made it through the night. My first hatch was traumatic, also. I think maybe the temp wasn't right since I just let one of my hens brood her. It was super scary and the chick needed a lot of help to live. I am happy to report that now she is 14lbs and not quite a year old. You would never be able to tell she had a single thing wrong with her. She has even worked her way up the pecking order and is now second from the top! I am wishing the best for your little chicken! Sounds like you did a great job!!!

 

[FourShuesFarm]

14 lbs, wow what kinda chicken is that?

 

[hatchichickens]

She is a Freedom Ranger/Barred Rock cross. She is quite large, but then I went to my local poultry show this last weekend and saw some Brahmas and Cochins there that were gigantic, I didn't realize that chickens got so big!

How is Chance doing today?

 

[leasha90]

How it going now i have just hatched this corrination sussex and it has me very worried

 

[FourShuesFarm]

The chick is doing well from a health standpoint. As far as a member of the flock, I didn't do this bird any favors. Its the runt and is constantly badgered by the bigger birds. Also from a breeding standpoint, this bird will most likely never catch up and will most likely end up a cull. If I had to do it again, I would not intervene. Nature has a way of selecting the best birds for survival of the line, if we step in and change fate odd things happen. Emotion got the better of me. My little girls saw this hopeless tiny chick struggling to live so I did some homework and intervened. If our plan was to keep Chickens as pets, I would still rethink stepping in. Seeing how its siblings treat any weaker/runty birds its kinda sad, and as humans we tent to fight for the little guy.

Well just some of my thoughts. I hope your little guy makes it. Tom

 

[Eps32]

I've hatched 1000s of chicks and I've come to the conclusion let nature take its place if it's meant to be the other chicks will peck at it and it will fall off

 

[Eps32]

The chick is doing well from a health standpoint. As far as a member of the flock, I didn't do this bird any favors. Its the runt and is constantly badgered by the bigger birds. Also from a breeding standpoint, this bird will most likely never catch up and will most likely end up a cull. If I had to do it again, I would not intervene. Nature has a way of selecting the best birds for survival of the line, if we step in and change fate odd things happen. Emotion got the better of me. My little girls saw this hopeless tiny chick struggling to live so I did some homework and intervened. If our plan was to keep Chickens as pets, I would still rethink stepping in. Seeing how its siblings treat any weaker/runty birds its kinda sad, and as humans we tent to fight for the little guy. 

Well just some of my thoughts. I hope your little guy makes it. Tom

X2 it's hard to do this at times but in the long run it always seems to be better Mother Nature knows I've had chicks pip out and never get out of there shell I could of helped them hatch but I just don't anymore

 

[BobDBirdDog]

I dont have much to add to this topic except my thoughts and that is not much.... but I have encountered this once and simply did away with the chick.

I can only speculate that such is either some freak of occurrence, perhaps some genetic flaw, or maybe just a premature hatching....I just don't know.

Still it reminds me of the situation with dogs where,,,,,, if one is born with a hernia the dog is not to be used for breeding as it is believed to have some genetic issue that will be passed along when it is old enough to breed. In saying that, we all (most of us here) know that the yolk is the energy sack that is suppose to be absorbed before birth, in this case not! Then after its absorbed the belly closes off. That says to me that it is some type of umbilical cord or digestive like issue. I never really inspected the area after hatching, but have always noted that this area appears to have what is known as the belly ring "belly button" so it brings me back to the thoughts of the Dog scenario.

In saying that, even the dog can live with the hernia and in most cases is fine, but according to researches, may need surgeries as to improve its quality of life and pain free activities. I am not saying the chick would need surgery or whatever, just saying for the dog! However, If the yolk sack is simply like the umbilical cord that dries OFF, I don't see much worries, but if the sack is drawn into the stomach and then the ring closes in around the area, then to me it would suggest that it is part of and plays a role in the intestine digestive track somehow. Eventually, if the chick lives and its been said that it will, I would think that the issue becomes the physical and genetic concerns, or perhaps the latter.... a digestive track issue if the sack is withdrawn internally.
Like I said I have never really paid it that much attention, but now it has me wondering which of the two events occur with the sack.

But, as last thought of my unknowns, I notice that in the images I have seen, the area of the belly where the sack was, seems quite large as if to suggest that the belly ring did not close or restrict. Such would suggest the potential for a umbilical hernias if it were a dog.

 

[Beekissed]

How it going now i have just hatched this corrination sussex and it has me very worried

Place it in a shallow bowl or teacup within the hatcher/incubator and give it time to absorb the yolk where it can't be damaged by the other chicks or itself. Give it time...many folks have chicks born that way and put them in a container to let them absorb the yolk.

 

[HBB]

So I was up most of the night working with this chick. It seems it kept pushing out more yolk from inside. I am not talking about leaking from where I cut, but behind the suture. A new little yolk sac emerged from the slit. I keep changing the paper towels, but I fell asleep about 4:30am. When I woke up at 7:30am the yolk had enveloped this poor chick. Its wing and leg were all matted down to the paper towel which was now attached to the little bowl I had the it quarantined to, It was basically glued to a bowl via a paper towel. No blood, just yolk. OH NO... right?

Well looking at this poor thing (still alive and fighting to live), I had to make a call. Would I put it down or help it even more. You know exactly what I did. I took it into the bathroom and helped it. I got a soft paint brush from my kids art set, and started some warm water. I gently brushed warm water on the stuck areas and freed it from the bowl. Then I put it under a gentle stream of warm water and loosed up its wing from its leg. Then I started to paint away all of the dried yolk with that soft brush. It's poor little #2 hole was dried shut, and once I freed it, it actually pooped. A bright green inside a clear liquid. Is that chickie meconium? Anyways, I noticed that the suture was still in tact, and the additional yolk sac had withdrawn. (finally some good news).

Next with a hair dryer on low, I put this chick to sleep painting its feathers fluffy. I was like a beautician with a hairbrush. I dried the whole chick and was able to even dry out the suture area (fantastic IMO). I fed this little bird again the D5NS solution, and also a slurry of crushed starter with same solution. She ate a little, and seems to be walking fine. I put her in the brooder with the rest of the gang. I'll keep a close eye in it to make sure no one picks on it for now. I decided to call this bird, "Chance" because it a 50/50 chance to live. It either lives, or it doesn't.

Long story short, so far so good.

Did Chance make it???