are there preventative measures for "pasty butt" and at what age does

[newhope]

Hi,thamks for a really great and informative forum. I have some nervous new person questions. I will be receiving two BO and two BR chicks on Friday and wanted to be well prepared. After reading several posts on looking for and tending to "pasty butt",i was wondering how large scale a problem it is; whether there were preventatve measures that i could or should take; and at what age if ever it ceases to be a problem.
Anyhelp and advice very much appreciated!

 

[TipsyDog]

and

from PA!

Preventive measures for pasty butt will be you. Look at your chicks a few times a day for any poop stuck on. I had 1 chick which tended to get it. Rinse the butt under warm water till you get it all off, pat dry and put back.

I found after the first week the problem subsided, but I still check every day (they are 4 weeks old now). Just part of being a good chicken Mama!

Good luck with your little ones! Post some pictures when you get them.

 

[newhope]

Thanks so much for your helpful response! I think I can take a sigh of relief now.

 

[TipsyDog]

Well, I'm new to chicks too, that was my experience. Hopefully some of the more seasoned members will chime in with more advice for you.

Also, use the SEARCH feature (top, right of page). It has been a life saver for me and can answer 99% of your questions too, should you have any doubts to your mothering skills when the little ones come.

Good Luck!

 

[newhope]

Thanks once again for your input and thanks for the welcome, it's comforting to know that all this support and information is available. I know that as winter approaches, I'll have questions about what the chickens temperature requirements will be. I'm in a cold part of upstate NY and wonder if I need to build a coop in a sheltered location like under a tree or whether that would just help predators of which we have many.

 

[LauraSBale]

I always start my chicks on
1 cup corn meal
1 cup ground old Fashion oat meal
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup chick grit
mix together

i give them 1 tablespoon to each chick, 2 times a day for 2 weeks or so, since i have been doing this i have no problems with pasty butt

 

[Labeedoor]

It's not a problem until it's a problem. I just started with chicks myself. Out of 27 birds 2 had pasty butt twice. What can happen is the vent will be sealed with the old poop unless you clean it off. After the 1st week no more pasty butt. I was feeding the birds Dumoor chick starter along with some grit and grass clipping and radish leaves cut up small with scissors and hand fed.

The littlte gal in the back wasn't in focus butt, that is pasty butt. She/ he is a Sultan. I was guessing that she/he has finer feathers than the others and that's what allowed the poop to cling to the feathers???
No worries.
Good luck to you.

 

[TrixiePA]

I wonder if giving them chick grit doesn't somehow change the poop... I had 6 brooders going all at once with slightly different aged chicks in each and it was something that I used after the first couple batches showed pasty butt. It seemed to cut down the reoccurance.

Also I would vaseline everyones butt when they showed up before any poop issues. It kept the poop from sticking, but also made any easier to get off. Had a traumatic experience with my first batch where I tried to pick the hard dried poop off and that chick DID not like that. Think I hurt her/him.

I think by a week or two they are able to reach back there to help keep themselves clean. It doesn't last very long in their young lives.

Have fun getting used to chicken poop. And with your new babies.

T

 

[SimplyForties]

I put one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar per quart of water in their waterer, as I'd read on here that was a preventative. I also sprinkled ground oatmeal over their feed for the same reason. I had pasty butt with a couple of my chicks, which stopped after I started the acv and oatmeal. Hard to know if that's what cleared it up or just the chicks getting older but they like the oatmeal and the acv in the water certainly didn't stop them from drinking it!

 

[newhope]

Thank you all so much again! What a wealth of information! Glad I found this forum!