Freaking out about pasty butt

[sahmhomesteader]

I purchased 12 chicks 2.5 days ago. 2 of them I noticed tonight have what looks like pasty butt. The one I was able to get cleaned off pretty well and the other the "paste" was rock hard yet still small and then my 1 year old started crying. He gas been vomiting for over 24 hours so I had to tend to him and couldn't clean my poor chick's butt. Will my chickies be okay until morning? My 1 year old is not letting me go

 

[red horse ranch]

I purchased 12 chicks 2.5 days ago. 2 of them I noticed tonight have what looks like pasty butt. The one I was able to get cleaned off pretty well and the other the "paste" was rock hard yet still small and then my 1 year old started crying. He gas been vomiting for over 24 hours so I had to tend to him and couldn't clean my poor chick's butt. Will my chickies be okay until morning? My 1 year old is not letting me go

If the poop isn't totally blocking the vent it would be all right til morning. If it is blocked it should be cleaned off as soon as possible.
But take care of your child first.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

If the poop isn't totally blocking the vent it would be all right til morning. If it is blocked it should be cleaned off as soon as possible.
But take care of your child first.

Thank you! I could see the vent. If my little one let's me slip away, I will definitely tend to my chick otherwise I am happy to know she should be fine until morning. Thank you so much!

 

[sahmhomesteader]

If the poop isn't totally blocking the vent it would be all right til morning. If it is blocked it should be cleaned off as soon as possible.
But take care of your child first.

With it being rock hard, do you have a recommendation for best way to clean?

 

[goodb]

Soak the paste with a wet paper towel for a bit.

 

[Euarto Gullible]

I put them next to a trickle of luke warm tap water, and being careful to only get the matted spot wet, gently roll it back and forth in between my fingers until it loosens and washes off. The key is to be gentle and patient, not to pull on it, and not to get the chick wet, but only the matted poo. After that I pat them with paper towel. Some people gently wipe at them with a wet paper towel, but that seems more abrasive than gently rolling your fingers under a stream of water to break it up. Do you still have a heat lamp on them?

 

[red horse ranch]

With it being rock hard, do you have a recommendation for best way to clean?

It's so easy for a chick to get chilled and die that I finally quit using water to clean them. Most people won't agree with what I do but it works for me. If the poop is hard I will slowly crush the poop by rolling it between my fingers. And then I will just start pulling the poop off in small pieces. Sometimes a little down is pulled off but that helps prevent the poo from sticking any more. Don't try to pull off a big glob at once or it may tear off skin too. Just take your time.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

I put them next to a trickle of luke warm tap water, and being careful to only get the matted spot wet, gently roll it back and forth in between my fingers until it loosens and washes off.  The key is to be gentle and patient, not to pull on it, and not to get the chick wet, but only the matted poo.  After that I pat them with paper towel.  Some people gently wipe at them with a wet paper towel, but that seems more abrasive than gently rolling your fingers under a stream of water to break it up.  Do you still have a heat lamp on them?

I do still have a heat lamp on them. They are only 3-4 days old.

This is all new to me. I hope I can do it right and don't hurt them!

 

[Euarto Gullible]

Heat lamp is good. Many problems with pasty bottoms are temperature related when chicks are too cold. But sometimes it just happens. If your chicks are huddling together directly under the hottest spot in your brooder the lamp is too high up. If they are as far away as possible from the lamp..it's too close. Moving the lamp away at the right pace and weaning them off heat takes a little trial and error. Usually you'll know you're moving it away too fast when you get pasty bottoms.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

Heat lamp is good. Many problems with pasty bottoms are temperature related when chicks are too cold. But sometimes it just happens. If your chicks are huddling together directly under the hottest spot in your brooder the lamp is too high up. If they are as far away as possible from the lamp..it's too close. Moving the lamp away at the right pace and weaning them off heat takes a little trial and error. Usually you'll know you're moving it away too fast when you get pasty bottoms.

I haven't moved it yet at all. It is staying between 93 and 95 degrees in there, and they are running around seeming happy. No huddling under the light or away from it so I thought that was good? But, this is my first time raising chicks so I am learning. Am I doing something wrong?