Pasty butt?? Need some advice.

[nharbison0722]

What is the temp under the lamp? It should be 90 - 95 for the first day or two, then 90, and decrease as chick behavior warrants there after. Be sure the only area being heated is a small footprint under the heat lamp.

Other ways to deal with or prevent pasty butt: put a dab of cooking oil, vaseline, or mineral oil on the vent. A bit of crumbled dry oatmeal sprinkled on top of their starter. Be sure to give them chick grit. A plug of sod from an untreated yard will provide them with grit, beneficial bacteria and fungi to jump start their guts. They will also get: grit, minerals, first seeds, insects, greens, and perhaps a few worms from the sod.

Too much heat, or even chilling can contribute to PB.

I strongly recommend using Poultry Nutri-Drench for the first 2 weeks. Initially, I use it daily, then every other day, followed by decreasing frequency.

Thank you so much for your reply! The temp right under the light is at 95. I have it pointed straight down to give less heat to the rest of the brooder area. Kind of at an angle too.
A couple of questions for you- can I give them a plug of sod that has previously had chickens living on/near it? Or is it best to take from an area that did not have chickens? Also, about how much Nutri-Drench should I give them per gallon? I have been using Sav-A-Chick electrolytes and probiotics. But I do have some Nutri-Drench from last year.
Thanks again, and God Bless!
Neil

 

[lazy gardener]

The absolute best sod is that which has had your own flock on it. Mama hen takes her brood straight from the nest to the barn yard. Their first food will be soil from the barn yard, laced with a good seasoning of chicken poop.

Wishing you the best, Neil!

IMO PND is the best nutritional supplement to start chicks off on. While the Sav-A-Chick has vitamins, I choose not to use it b/c of the electrolytes. A bit of lytes on first day is fine, but not on a regular basis. I want my chicks to have vitamins regularly for the first few weeks. And PND is reported to bypass the gut and be absorbed directly into the blood stream. So, it's perfect for the chick who's little body is stressed. Especially when chicks suffer shipping stress, their digestive systems can be shut down so they CAN'T absorb nutrients. This condition is called "starve out". Sometimes when a chick looks like a failure to thrive chick, it may simply be a case of starve out. A bit of sugar water and PND will turn such a situation around. If I want my chicks to have electrolytes, I mix up my own. Sav-A-Chick is very pricey for what you get!

As for the probiotic packets, again... a good idea, but over priced for what you get. A plug of sod and a dish of fermented feed provide all the probiotics the chicks need, and they are free! I am an incredible penny pincher, so.. have not bought either product in years.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

@lazy gardener Regarding the sod, what do you do in the winter? Can you scratch up some dirt, maybe?
I just received 32 chicks from Meyer, 2 were dead and 2 have died since. I have 2 more that I've been having to soak their eyes to get them open, one looks like she's on her way out. Any suggestion?
And dreaded pasty butt...I cleared 4 today. Temperature about one foot from center is at 95-98° and they've got about three feet in the other direction in which they can cool off. Only a couple have run over there when I'm bugging them, otherwise they are scattered about under the lamp. Not piled up anywhere, but looking quite comfortable.I bought a vitamin pack from Meyer to put in there water and they are getting medicated chick starter.
Do you think I should give the gooey eyes girls some sugar water? And do you think the vitamin pack is similar to ND? I can send a pic of ingredients if that will help.