4 New Chicks - 1 swollen anus...HELP!

[michaelstigers]

Ok guys (and gals)

Here's the next day update and pictures.

Gobbles is clearing straining to go to the bathroom. To see her face is humorous - but sad.

She has a hard time pushing things out.

I put her under warm/hot running water for about 7 minutes to try to loosen things up - got her warmed up and dried.

I then put her on a towel - where the pictures are; and let her rest.

She had a movement - decent size - with a jelly consistency - also hard; but you can see in the pictures.

Her anus is very swollen - and she doesn't have feathers like the other birds (you can see in the posts up top pictures of the other chicks)

I've been putting vaseline on and making sure she's lubed up.

Am I supposed to just wait? Is it a waiting game to see what's going to happen?

She's not comfortable; and her breathing seems much faster - like a person in pain.

Please advise guys!!! THANKS!

(she's my favorite - the only one ive been messing with)

 

[MelissaR]

Her (his?) poo looks normal to me. Is she eating and drinking normally? What type of food are they eating?

Her vent does look larger than average but it doesn't look inflamed (that's good). I've had chicks that look like they're really straining everytime they go. Picture the chick doing the chicken dance. they've grown up to be normal, healthy chickens. It's really just a wait and see situation right now. You're doing the right thing with the vaseline and keeping the area clean.

Good luck!

 

[elmo]

Thanks for the update. I was thinking about this little sweetie and wondering how she's doing. We had one with pasty butt this year; scared the dickens out of me.

You could try supplementing her feed with hardboiled egg. Let it cool, peel it, and then mush it up with a fork really well. For only 4 chicks, you could offer half an egg per day.

I've been giving this treat to all of our chicks (including Ozma, the one who had pasty butt) every day. They all go wild for it. It's got good protein and all the other nutrients a developing chick needs. I don't know if it will help your poor little one with her particular problem, but it couldn't hurt.

I know I must have become one of those crazy chicken ladies because now I'm buying eggs at the grocery store to feed to our chickens (heh).

 

[jenn-E]

Now my chick appears to have the more typical appearance of pasty butt. I have been washing it off & applying Vaseline. I tried to feed her some egg this evening, but she didn't want to try it. The other chicks were pretty excited by it though. I did see her eat a few bites of feed & she is still moving around in the crate, so I remain hopeful she may recover. She was the smallest chick (but towards the top of the pecking order) to begin with, and that size difference has become more dramatic with her illness.

 

[operator16]

Michael,

I'm very new to chickens too and ours are all very young too. But, interestingly enough one of our chicks had the same problem. She's the sweetest thing. She was missing feathers around her vent area and was constantly grooming herself. She is much smaller than her siblings too. I was very distressed for her and did hours/days worth of reading and found some great info. here and elsewhere on the web.

Question for you - Have you noticed any of the other chicks picking at her backside? If they can see her skin, they'll be drawn to it and will pick at it. Also, her own preoccupation with her bum makes the others wonder what's up and they come to check it out and of course then see the skin and will pick. This is what I found was happening to our girl and it was really causing her to have a swollen, red, tender rump.

Here's what I did. Now, I cannot guarantee that it will fix your problems as I am so inexperienced and new to chickens.... But, I gave all the chicks some plain, whole milk, active culture yogurt daily. There is such wonderful, helpful bacteria in there that does everyone's gut well. I figured if there was some type of tummy problem that bacteria could only help. The pooping got back to normal within 24 hours

The second thing I did was this... I got some blue food coloring and with a q-tip painted it on full strength all around her bare flesh. It took a few coats to really soak in and color the skin. But, under the red light, somehow that blue makes the bright pink flesh not as noticeable. The chicks left her alone and the missing downy feathers began growing in almost immediately.

On top of that, I had a little cat carrier lid with holes all over it. I put her under it right in the brooder so she could have peace for that day. She had her own little water bowl and food. She got some good rest. It was very sweet though. All the other chicks just lined up against the carrier wall and slept next to her.

I hope your little gal gets better soon. I also just love the littlest one so much. It's so darling that even 3 weeks later and her big girl feathers are coming in, her little fuzzy butt is still a very sweet shade of blue. She's still smaller but all is well.

Best wishes!

Jennifer



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[aussieheelr]

Stool looks fairly normal to me. I bet it's vent is swollen from the pasty butt. I had one that when I removed the pasty he lost a lot of down off his rump and it didn't come in untill he was 7 weeks old or so, poor bare bum chicky. It's only been a day... it takes baby people longer to get over a sore bum from diaper rash... I think it just needs some time, rest and very little handling.

 

[i luv chicks 10]

thank u. You saved my baby chick. I can be very sensitive if one dies because im only an 11 year old boy.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

can you update the situation?

I have a little chick who is also in the same boat. I'm worried! I want to know what happened to yours or what helps/ helped! Thanks!

 

[Sharon Bee]

Why thank you JP!

It's nice to hear something positive and thanks for the advice....the vet wanted me to give her Gobbles for snake food; and I like that little chick! :-D

OMG!! Nice vet!!

 

[KrazyChicks]

I have a similar situation. Smallest chick had pasty butt at 5 days old....soaked her butt for a couple minutes and the poo came right off to reveal a puffy vent. She is now 2 weeks old and her vent is still just as puffy, but no more pasty butt since the 5th day. She is smaller than the others, feathers not as developed, but is eating and got ALL of the worms we gave them yesterday....seems top of the pecking order. I worry, even though she seems fine otherwise, but recall the lady at the feed store we got the chicks from talking about pasty butt and she said giving them grit helps it. She said 1 of her chics had it for a week.....lots of soaks, but cleared up after getting grit. The baby grit I had said to give at 2 weeks, which I started yesterday. We shall see if the pouty vent clears up.