- Jan 11, 2012
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This article is brought to us by our sponsor Nutrena
by Tiffany Towne, Nutrena Poultry Expert
Baby chicks go through a lot before you get them home. They’re hatched, then shipped either directly to you or your favorite feed store. At the store they encounter all the sensations of a retail environment, are selected and then transported yet again to their new home. Either way, that’s a lot of stress, and it can rattle the fragile health of young chicks, most of whom are only a few days old.
One of the biggest problems in stressed chicks is pasting (also called “pasty butt” or “poopy butt”). It happens when feces that are not the right consistency get stuck to the bird and “paste” the vent (area where feces are excreted) closed. Left untreated, a blocked vent, which on the surface just seems a little gross, can actually be fatal.
Always Water First
Water is the best defense against pasting. A chick without enough water in its system can’t digest food correctly, which leads to pasting. Here’s how it happens. Prior to “shipping out” from the hatchery, new chicks are not fed or watered, since they can live on the yolk reserves inside their bodies for the two to three days it takes for delivery to their final destination. Upon arrival, they are thirsty and hungry, and our impulse is to put them in front of feeders and waterers immediately. Don’t.
Make sure all baby birds in the brooder are drinking before they are given food. When placing chicks in the brooder, have your waterer set up with room-temperature water, but do not place the feed right away. As each bird enters the brooder, dip its beak into the waterer so it can get a small drink and locate the water source. This will prevent the birds from first filling up on feed and not getting properly hydrated. When you feel that all birds have found the water and had a good drink, it’s time to add the feed.
Correct Brooder Temperature
Very young chicks are not equipped to handle temperature fluctuations. A brooder that is too warm leads to dehydrated birds that are stressed. A brooder that’s too cool results in chilled birds that are stressed. Both scenarios can result in pasting. An ideal brooder temperature is between 90 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit for the first week. The temperature can be decreased by about five degrees per week as the chicks start to regulate their body temperature better and grow feathers.
Treatment: Water, Gloves, Patience
Identifying pasting is relatively easy for all the reasons you’d expect: chicks will have a buildup of feces around the vent area. Treating pasting can be unpleasant, but it’s not difficult or costly. (Some mother hens simply peck away the fecal matter.) The main goal is to clear the vent area so the bird can resume defecating normally. All you need is warm water, latex gloves, and patience.
First, find a warm, draft-free spot and gently swab feces from the vent area with a wet paper towel. Extreme cases may require you to loosen the hardened feces first. Hold the vent area under lukewarm (not hot) running water or sit the chick in a mug or bowl of lukewarm water, then wipe away loose matter. After you have cleaned the bird, gently dry the area with a hair dryer (optional). Finally, apply a lubricant, such as Vaseline, to the vent area to help prevent further problems.
Keep Them Healthy
By closely monitoring your chicks for the first several weeks of life, you can catch the early signs of pasting and treat it quickly. Remember to always keep waterers clean and water fresh to increase water consumption. When you’re ready to feed, choose a good quality chick starter with the protein, vitamins and minerals chicks need to thrive, like Nutrena
NatureWise
feeds. NatureWise
feeds includefeeds include prebiotics and probiotics to aid in digestion. This supports a stronger immune response and better overall chick health. Correct nutrition is especially critical for growing chicks and helps set the stage for life-long productivity.
With adequate water, the correct brooder temperature and the right nutrition, your chicks should be off to a trouble-free start.
To find a Nutrena dealer near you, visit www.NutrenaPoultryFeed.com. You can subscribe to the Nutrena poultry blog at ScoopFromTheCoop. com. Also enter to win a new coop and other great prizes during the Nutrena Farm Team Challenge Sweepstakes March 1 – April 30, 2014, at www.FarmTeamChallenge.com.
by Tiffany Towne, Nutrena Poultry Expert
Baby chicks go through a lot before you get them home. They’re hatched, then shipped either directly to you or your favorite feed store. At the store they encounter all the sensations of a retail environment, are selected and then transported yet again to their new home. Either way, that’s a lot of stress, and it can rattle the fragile health of young chicks, most of whom are only a few days old.
One of the biggest problems in stressed chicks is pasting (also called “pasty butt” or “poopy butt”). It happens when feces that are not the right consistency get stuck to the bird and “paste” the vent (area where feces are excreted) closed. Left untreated, a blocked vent, which on the surface just seems a little gross, can actually be fatal.
Always Water First
Water is the best defense against pasting. A chick without enough water in its system can’t digest food correctly, which leads to pasting. Here’s how it happens. Prior to “shipping out” from the hatchery, new chicks are not fed or watered, since they can live on the yolk reserves inside their bodies for the two to three days it takes for delivery to their final destination. Upon arrival, they are thirsty and hungry, and our impulse is to put them in front of feeders and waterers immediately. Don’t.
Make sure all baby birds in the brooder are drinking before they are given food. When placing chicks in the brooder, have your waterer set up with room-temperature water, but do not place the feed right away. As each bird enters the brooder, dip its beak into the waterer so it can get a small drink and locate the water source. This will prevent the birds from first filling up on feed and not getting properly hydrated. When you feel that all birds have found the water and had a good drink, it’s time to add the feed.
Correct Brooder Temperature
Very young chicks are not equipped to handle temperature fluctuations. A brooder that is too warm leads to dehydrated birds that are stressed. A brooder that’s too cool results in chilled birds that are stressed. Both scenarios can result in pasting. An ideal brooder temperature is between 90 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit for the first week. The temperature can be decreased by about five degrees per week as the chicks start to regulate their body temperature better and grow feathers.
Treatment: Water, Gloves, Patience
Identifying pasting is relatively easy for all the reasons you’d expect: chicks will have a buildup of feces around the vent area. Treating pasting can be unpleasant, but it’s not difficult or costly. (Some mother hens simply peck away the fecal matter.) The main goal is to clear the vent area so the bird can resume defecating normally. All you need is warm water, latex gloves, and patience.
First, find a warm, draft-free spot and gently swab feces from the vent area with a wet paper towel. Extreme cases may require you to loosen the hardened feces first. Hold the vent area under lukewarm (not hot) running water or sit the chick in a mug or bowl of lukewarm water, then wipe away loose matter. After you have cleaned the bird, gently dry the area with a hair dryer (optional). Finally, apply a lubricant, such as Vaseline, to the vent area to help prevent further problems.
Keep Them Healthy
By closely monitoring your chicks for the first several weeks of life, you can catch the early signs of pasting and treat it quickly. Remember to always keep waterers clean and water fresh to increase water consumption. When you’re ready to feed, choose a good quality chick starter with the protein, vitamins and minerals chicks need to thrive, like Nutrena
With adequate water, the correct brooder temperature and the right nutrition, your chicks should be off to a trouble-free start.
To find a Nutrena dealer near you, visit www.NutrenaPoultryFeed.com. You can subscribe to the Nutrena poultry blog at ScoopFromTheCoop. com. Also enter to win a new coop and other great prizes during the Nutrena Farm Team Challenge Sweepstakes March 1 – April 30, 2014, at www.FarmTeamChallenge.com.
