# Questions.....



## chickiemom08 (May 9, 2017)

We have a newly hatched chick. It seems like it has blood around it's bottom. Is that from hatching or should I be worried?

Also this chick has a sibling that hatched 4 days and it's being mean to the new chick, like pecking it and jumping on it. Should I seperate them? How would I stop that?

Also is it normal for chicks from the same brood to hatch that far apart, even if the eggs were laid only a day apart?


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## aart (May 9, 2017)

I'd take a close look at the 'bloody butt'.....tho hatching can be pretty gunky.
Note the difference between the vent and the umbilicus for the source of blood.
Late hatchers can often have umbilicus issues.
Are these hatching in an incubator of under a broody hen?


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## chickiemom08 (May 9, 2017)

What are the vent and the umbilicus? 

They are in an incubator, but they are from the same hen.


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## aart (May 9, 2017)

The vent is where the poop comes out.
The umbilicus is like the belly button, where it was attached to the yolk in the egg.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ven...chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=vent+and+umbilicus+on+chick


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## chickiemom08 (May 9, 2017)

There was no yolk on the stomach. I checked for that as soon as I saw it had hatched. I missed the whole thing because I was gone. I looked on the vent and I didn't see anything more that looked like blood. I guess it was from hatching.


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## casportpony (May 9, 2017)

I did a picture of it


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## chickiemom08 (May 9, 2017)

That looks a little gross. Lol But I see what you mean. I hate that I missed the hatching. I was present for the last two. The first one died because it struggled for over 48 hours and never got past the pip. I assisted, but it only lived maybe 30 minutes to an hour. The second made the pip and zip, but had to be helped right at the end. It survived and is now 4 days old. This one did it entirely on it's own and I missed it.


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## aart (May 9, 2017)

casportpony said:


> I did a picture of it


..and that is an 'open abdomen'......might close up, might not.
Definitely a risk for infection and/or pecking.


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## casportpony (May 9, 2017)

aart said:


> ..and that is an 'open abdomen'......might close up, might not.
> Definitely a risk for infection and/or pecking.


That wasn't one of mine, so I don't know if it lived or not, but you're right, that is not the way they are supposed to look, though I have seen *much* worse.


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## casportpony (May 9, 2017)

This might be a better example of what a healthy one should look like:


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## chickiemom08 (May 9, 2017)

I think this one is going to be ok. It doesn't even look like it was ever bleeding.

What about my other questions?


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## casportpony (May 9, 2017)

chickiemom08 said:


> Also this chick has a sibling that hatched 4 days and it's being mean to the new chick, like pecking it and jumping on it. Should I seperate them? How would I stop that?



*I've never had them really pick on siblings... maybe @WVduckchick , @Ravyn , @Pyxis , @aart have some suggestions?*



chickiemom08 said:


> Also is it normal for chicks from the same brood to hatch that far apart, even if the eggs were laid only a day apart?



*Could be a section of your incubator runs cooler? mine usually hatch within 24 hours of each other, rarely 48, never more. *



chickiemom08 said:


> I think this one is going to be ok. It doesn't even look like it was ever bleeding.
> 
> What about my other questions?


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## chickiemom08 (May 10, 2017)

I just don't understand why the first chick is doing that to the new one. I know he's been on his own for 3 days, but still....

This is our first time hatching. We really don't know anything about incubators. We never messed with it, except to turn the eggs. The temp fluctuates I've noticed, but it never drops below 99.3 degrees.


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## aart (May 10, 2017)

chickiemom08 said:


> I just don't understand why the first chick is doing that to the new one. I know he's been on his own for 3 days, but still....


 It's not unusual for chicks to peck at each other the first few days, they are exploring and use their beaks to do it. An overly aggressive chick can be put under a little mesh cage right in the brooder for a time out...works for me.


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## aart (May 10, 2017)

casportpony said:


> That wasn't one of mine, so I don't know if it lived or not, but you're right, that is not the way they are supposed to look, though I have seen *much* worse.


Yeah, I know it wasn't yours....I too have seen much worse, most don't make it.

Have seen some pretty bloody ones hatch and be OK....always alarming to see bright blood trailing behind a newly emerged chick, but it happens, most are OK.


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## chickiemom08 (May 10, 2017)

The little one won't even try to peck back. It just sits there. But their mom is a roundhead and she will fight our other chickens that are roundheads as well.


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## chickiemom08 (May 10, 2017)

aart said:


> Yeah, I know it wasn't yours....I too have seen much worse, most don't make it.
> 
> Have seen some pretty bloody ones hatch and be OK....always alarming to see bright blood trailing behind a newly emerged chick, but it happens, most are OK.



That would scare me!


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