[Eve]

My first turkey chick just hatched (all by itself) but still has nearly an inch of floppy bloody yolk hanging out of its tummy! I've had a chick hatching with a bit of yolk once but never with blood! It's leaving little blood stains on the towel though I don't think it's bleeding (just what was on the outside of the yolk). I'll purple spray it but should I watch out for anything else?


I'm trying to upload a photo.




 

[Marches Farmer]

I think this is one of those "cross your fingers and hope for the best" situations. The yolk sac should be absorbed by the end of the hatching process.  Nothing you can do about it if it wasn't. 

[Eve]

It's getting worse, it's now 2 inches!! The yolk is slipping out again- or could it be something else? I managed to get a picture on my facebook page but can't link it.


Heeeelp, has anybody had this before??

[Big Light]

Leave well alone in the incubator and hope it drys / absorbs if there is blood dripping a spot of kitchen towel / tissue ( like on a shaving cut) stops it.

[darkbrowneggs]

It's has hatched a little too early and easily.  The struggle to get out of the shellis what draws the remainder of the egg sac inside.  The yolk contains the supply for the first days of life plus antibodies, and when it has not been absorbed fully before hatch it results in weakly chicks which never develop to their full potential.  When a lot of yolk is still leaking it is often kinder not to allow it to survive or try to nurse it to health as this is almost always doomed to failure. Sorry.  I know the desire to protect and help in these cases is very strong

[Eve]

Oh no!! It did hatch really quickly. It looks now as if the yolk, which is dragged out a bit more every time it moves, is pulling its little intestines out (as that's what what is nearest its belly now looks like, a little string of inside bits). It's moving so much, I'll put it in something to stop it moving.



Aaaaggghhhh!! 

[Eve]

It's just gone limp, its intestines are out, still breathing but not reacting.

[Eve]

It died   

Thankyou all, for responding so quickly! 

[suziequeue]

Sorry to hear that Eve. 


We had a couple of chicks hatch with a little bit of yolk sac remaining but it just shrivelled up in the end like an umbilical cord does and they are fine now….. but another one - the hernia was beginning to advance and enlarge at which point I put out out of its misery.


I think its just one of those things. I am interested that an overly easy hatch might affect yolk sac absorption.

There are similar human comparisons (e.g. passage of the baby's thorax through the birth canal squeezes fluid out of the lungs which aids subsequent lung expansion on the first breath).

[Marches Farmer]

We've found that any variation on absolutely normal hatching usually results in a chick that doesn't make it through the first few days of life.  Sometimes when everything does appear normal a chick will just stop developing at around 7-10 days, although appearing entirely healthy otherwise, and will die a few days later.  Generally some sort of internal problem and, again, nothing you can do about it, however much you'd like to.

[Eve]

Thanks. I always find it so difficult not to try and help them, luckily I hadn't so at least I don't need to feel guilty about having done something wrong.