3 1/2-week-old chick with pasty butt for over a week now...half the size of other chicks...HELP

[jenr909]

Hello. One of my chicks has had "pasty butt" for over a week now. Every time I go to check on her her butt is caked over with poop. I have been wiping it off with warm water and applying Vaseline for lubrication (as I read in another thread). I've also tried giving her a little bit of yogurt. Her energy level is normal, she has an appetite an drinks water. She has grown some.

The main concerns I have are:
1. Her butt is "pasty" everyday
2. She is half the size of the other growing chicks.

This morning when I came to check on the chicks the little one's butt had some blood on it. I have seen the other chicks peck at her "pasty butt", most likely out of curiosity or hunger. The blood could be from other chicks.

Should I isolate this chick to monitor her eating, drinking, and bowels? Should I be feeding her separately and/or adding to her diet? Will the "pasty butt" go away with time?

Thank you for the help!

 

[the1honeycomb]

If I get one that gets chronic Pasty butt I trim the feathers from around it's butt, and put any kind of lubricant on it, vaseline I guess is best usually with trimming and the vaseline, there is no problem. I add some grit to the feed and it seems to help you can get it at TSC for chicks.

Good luck!!!

 

[feathers_3]

I have a chick who is also half the size of the other 7 and has been having pasty butt. I have to clean it every day when I come home from work and I put olive oil around it. This chick had pasty butt for about two weeks and today is the first day I have noticed that it's butt looks normal. So, just give it a little time and it will get better. But if the other chicks are pecking at it the chick should be isolated. We don't want the other chicks to unknowingly hurt it. I've always heard: Once they start pecking at another chick they wont stop until they've reached his insides. Yeah, I know, that sounds horrible but I believe it to be true because I have heard several people make the same comment.

Good Luck to Ya!!!

 

[jenr909]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I'll give it some more time. The other chicks are growing everyday and making the little one look even smaller. I haven't seen them peck at her like bullying, they've only pecked at her pasty butt. At least that's all I've seen. The chicks are clumsy and like to step on each other sometimes. I just hope they don't step on her too much!

What about her body size compared to the others? Will she start putting on weight and size without my help?

 

[jenr909]

If I get one that gets chronic Pasty butt I trim the feathers from around it's butt, and put any kind of lubricant on it, vaseline I guess is best usually with trimming and the vaseline, there is no problem. I add some grit to the feed and it seems to help you can get it at TSC for chicks.

Good luck!!!

Thanks for the help. Could you substitute sand for the grit?

 

[Silkie88]

Try puttin Apple cyder vinigar in the water. (a bottle cap full per quarte) It is full of vitimins and is great at cleaning out there system. My 8 chicks have had it in their water since day 1 and have Never had pasty butt. (i have 6 silkies and 2 barred rocks)

 

[ChickaBangBang]

I have a few birds that have gotten it. Do you house the babies in Sawdust? what kid of bedding do they have. I noticed more and more of my babies got pasty butt when their bedding was reduced from large shavings to small pieces and they were eating it along with their food and getting their water really dirty.

 

[jenr909]

I have a few birds that have gotten it. Do you house the babies in Sawdust? what kid of bedding do they have. I noticed more and more of my babies got pasty butt when their bedding was reduced from large shavings to small pieces and they were eating it along with their food and getting their water really dirty.

I house the babies at night on newspaper and let them run around in the grass (as of late with the warm weather) during the day.

 

[feathers_3]

If you feel like you should separate him then maybe you should. But, my little one just has started getting his wing feathers where all of the other guys have all of theirs and are beginning to grow some on their bodies. It may take a little time for him to catch up. Are you feeding them the medicated grower feed? I've heard its great and helps to prevent pasty butt but I have never used it nor had a baby with pasty butt (until this year of course). I hope our little ones hit a growth spurt!! Good Luck to ya!!