Poop stuck to butt

So I've got three new hampshires, three australorps, and four wyandottes in a cage, all chicks. I know that if poop sticks to their butt, you have to use warm water to get it off. I've had three different groups of chicks that lived in the same cage under the same heat lamp, but non of them had poopy butts like this group. I don't understand why they all have dried poop on their butts! Almost five have had it and we've only had them for three days! What's happening??

Maybe some probiotics and electrolytes for a day or two would help them. Sav-a-chick or Rooster Booster are some name brands, and can be added to their water. They might just be weaker stock than you've had before. Do you have a thermometer in the brooder? You may want to double check the temperature.

An overheated brooder can really cause pasty butt fast! And in my experience, so can having a heat lamp on 24/7 so they are eating all day and all night. Under a mama hen, when night rolls around they tuck up under her and sleep all night through. So they eat during daylight hours, run around and explore all day long, eat when they seriously need to eat rather than just because it's there, and end up all the way around healthier.

So as Hholly said, check the temperature in that brooder. That old "95 the first week, 90 the second, etc," really isn't that healthy or natural for them. After all, Mom doesn't have a thermostat and they aren't stuck under her all the time. They NEED some cool off time, and just don't seem to get it with a lamp that heats up everything all the way around them all of the time.

To help with pasty butt, after you get the dried stuff cleaned off, put a dab of olive or coconut oil around the vent and/or clip off a little of the down around the vent to keep poop from building up and sticking.

Good luck! And Welcome to BYC!

Thanks so much you guys! I didn't realize before, but since you mentioned it, I realized that this is the first time I left the heat lamp on 24/7! I'll be sure to turn it off every so often from now on!

hi. do they have a area in the brooder that's "cool"? The heat lamp can stay on all the time but it's NOT supposed to heat the entire surface of your brooder! You are supposed to have a warm end with heat 24-7 and a cool end that the heat lamp does NOT reach.This way the chick can choose which area it needs to be in at a time.By having the heat lamp cover the entire surface of the brooder the chicks can't cool down if need be. on the other hand by turning the heat lamp off for awhile they can't warm up if need be. This is why you NEED a 1/2 warm area and a 1/2 cool area.The chick will CHOOSE where he needs to be. Each week the "warm area" temperature is dropped by 5 degrees. you can achieve this by moving the lamp farther away or higher in the warm area of the brooder. The heat lamp was NOT intended to cover the whole surface of the brooder. only half or less of a area. This let's the chick regulate his own temperature. if he's cold, he moves into the heat, if he's warm he moves away to the cooler side. but by turning the lamp off entirely for a "break" they won't have the option to get warm if they feel the need.so I just keep 1/2 side warm and 1/2 side cool. I also believe it's very important to have a brooder Thermometer to be able to see exactly how warm the warm side is. so with a small adjustment you should be able to make a warm side and cool side in the brooder. keep water and feed away from the warm side.Now to cure pasty butt you might want to try a good probotic in their water. I use Probios for poultry. it can be given to chicks and adults birds too! it's a wonderful probotic .I do hope this helps you out. Congratulations on your chicks!I can't wait until my chicks get here for this year!! I have to wait until April 11th!!They made me wait because my order is so small. I got only 7 barred Rock females.I'm so excited!

thank you for helping me 2 of my 3 chicks always have poop stuck to their butts.

I did some research and it said to wash their butt with warm water and use a Q-tip o get the poop off. If that fails take a paper towel and pull soft to get it off.It's so tiring but it saves your chicksYAY!

LilithA said:

I did some research and it said to wash their butt with warm water and use a Q-tip o get the poop off. If that fails take a paper towel and pull soft to get it off. It's so tiring but it saves your chicks YAY!

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I literally just hold chick butts under the faucet and let the warm running water work the poop off. No pulling or prying required. The chicks relax, close their eyes and enjoy their spa treatment instead of chirping their little heads off in distress. Then I dry them with a paper towel, put a dab of coconut oil under their vent (to help prevent sticking) and plunk them back in the brooder. Easy peasy