Help! Pasty Butt

[threehorses]

Quote:
The disappearance of the pasty vent doesn't necessarily mean that the bird is better. Pasty vent is an outward manifestation of an inward problem, and inward problems should always be treated (naturally if possible, chemically if absolutely necessary and the true cause is very likely known).

With pasty vent, you know there's at least a bacterial imbalance and probiotics should be given. There is no exception to that.

And I'm not sure I understand your 'ground up feed" question - it does come that way. And chick starter is formulated for the needs of a scientifically average chick. That doesn't mean that in storage the feed is kept well, or that the breeding pair gave enough to that chick, or that the individual chick (or its line) is able to absorb nutrition, or that the mill didn't mess up.

 

[raylor]

/me Thanks fore the reply threehorses.
My chick starter looks similar to rabbit pellets. A few posts said the chicks assimilate it much better if it is ground up.
I will get some probiotics from Tractor Supply.
Do you know at what age I should provide grit?

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
Well that's just weird - I think I would return the starter because it sounds like they misbagged it. Chick starter is always crumbles.

As for probiotics, you can give simply plain yogurt. If you buy a probiotic, buy the small bottle of Probios (the 8-10 dollar one) and refrigerate it - it's great stuff and you can use it even during any medication. Don't use as labeled in the water - always use it on or in a food.

I usually don't provide grit until the birds are nearly fully feathered as their crumbles have a slight amount of grit in it. I usually don't feed grasses or any solid foods other than egg, crumbles, yogurt, etc before then. That's a good age for it.

I wait til even later if I'm not feeding grains and if the birds are in a brooder. I wouldn't do it any earlier than that just personally.

 

[raylor]

Sorry to me a dunce but what do "crumbles" look like?
Why does the probiotic need to go on their food instead of the water?
Thank you so much.

 

[threehorses]

Crumbles are just a name for ground up pelleted food. It looks a bit like old fashioned cat litter.

Probiotics are given in the food because they're living creatures and they're provided in a base in which the good bacteria (which is what probiotics are) can eat and grow.

If you put Probios in water, you're putting a little dairy whey and live bacteria in the water all day. The dairy whey encourages bacterial growth, but in a waterer it's not GOOD bacterial growth that it encourages. The bacteria don't live in the water.

You give them on feed instead so you know they get in the bird while the bacteria are alive, and so you don't encourage nasty water and pretty much undo all the good you were trying to do.

 

[mema2003]

Enjoyed reading this thread as I was and still am having trouble with pastie butts also. My chick starter has a lot of powder in it. I was worried that it might be too powdery but I guess not if you need too crush it into powder. Thanks for all of your comments and ideas and not too get too work cleaning little hiney's.

:cd

 

[CorralitosSunflower]

I have a chick from McMurrey with pasty butt too!!! I have been cleaning it with a warm wet cloth and feeding chick starter and boiled, crumbled egg yolk. So the general consensus here is to give some plain yogurt with live probiotics? Does it really matter what type of probiotics you give them? We take them regularly, is it ok to give some of ours? Should I give it to all the chicks or just the one with a pasty butt? Sorry for so many questions. Thanks!

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

I just 'rescued' the last bantam from TSC, with a nasty case of pasty butt. I soaked his heiny, and have him separated from the other birds. I'm going to go get him some yogurt right now.

 

[colowyo0809]

I am glad I found this site. I am trying the egg right now and tomorrow we will add the yogurt to their feed. Thanks for the info!

 

[colowyo0809]

Well, they ate most of the boiled egg, but barely touched the yogurt mixed with the feed. however, i believe we may have put too much yogurt in. So, we will simply go with the probiotic in their feed and see how that does. On the bright side, no pasty butt this morning so Yay! for that!