Heya!

 

Despite it being the middle of winter, I have eggs and chicks everywhere and some very succesful new mums coming out of the blue. Unfortunately, some of these new mums lack experience and only part of their clutch are hatching/surviving. I have found a trend with a few newborn babies that have died. Their abdomen is an orange and/or purple colour, looks much like internal bruising or something. Is that what it is Or could it be something lacking in the babies diet during the incubation process or even just something that happens after a few hours dead? If it is something I can prevent I'd appreciate any information :rofl:

 

Cheers,

 

Jacob

Hmmm i have not heard of this problem before... i've heard of yellow crop... which is when the chick hatch's to early and crop is not fully formed.... but not the purple abdomen.... someone else might know though :thankyou:

Yellow belly matt :thankyou:

Once the chicks have died it's normal for them to look "bruised" if they look bruised before they're dead then it's odd and due to something else??... but the yellow belly is a sign of hatching before their "due date" so to speak as the yolk has not been fully absorbed and they're at high risk of infection and death... they barely ever make it unless the yolk is only just visible under the skin, but if it's on the outside... then they're pretty much set to die.

Edited July 29, 200916 yr by *libby*

If it is internal bleeding, it would probably be from a vitamin K deficiency. More than likely it is yellow belly or a result of the cold. Do you colony breed?

Edited July 29, 200916 yr by Dean_NZ

Agree with others and the early hatching yellow belly thing. Also there are more losses in winter and unless you have a temperature controlled birdroom, its best to rest the breeders during winter.

Thanks guys, much appreciated. My old flock unfortunately were released by a bunch of midnight hoodlums, and these guys have only been with me for less than six months. I figured I would let them do a they please, and after their first cluth would halt breeding for a bit. To be honest, I wasn't expecting winter breeders, but there you go! They setteled in and were happy to create life! What could be done about early hatching? Is that just unfortunate or something more? It has happened with the last few chicks hatched from the same hen, but the yare hatching on 18 or 19 days from lay date, so i don't imagine they are hatching early... So many troubles and questions, haha!

 

Cheers,

 

Jacob

Thanks guys, much appreciated. My old flock unfortunately were released by a bunch of midnight hoodlums, and these guys have only been with me for less than six months. I figured I would let them do a they please, and after their first cluth would halt breeding for a bit. To be honest, I wasn't expecting winter breeders, but there you go! They setteled in and were happy to create life! What could be done about early hatching? Is that just unfortunate or something more? It has happened with the last few chicks hatched from the same hen, but the yare hatching on 18 or 19 days from lay date, so i don't imagine they are hatching early... So many troubles and questions, haha!

 

Cheers,

 

Jacob

 

 

If you had nestboxes in your aviary they will breed no matter what. New birds need time to settle in, so removing nestboxes would have helped. Sometimes constant temperature from the hen will make some babies hatch early.....sometimes two in one day hatch in the same nest. Some hens help the babies out once they hear the pipping inside that happens a day or so before hatching.

I hope things get better for you