Arizona Chickens

[mclevinson]

So little Lacey (as the kids have named the BLW) is hanging out all alone away from the other pullets, so forlorn. I tried to introduce her to the coop with the other birds last night, late. I scoop her sleeping self up (she was sleeping just outside the coop on a bale of shavings) and go to tiptoe to the coop door...my ankle twists and I land on my butt, still clutching a now fully awake and struggling Lacey. Having woken up the cooped EE's, I put her in a nesting box and walk away. No black feathers anywhere, but she's been sitting on the perch for the last hour. Hope shes going to eat and drink today. I feel guilty.

 

[nurseshelly]

Quote:
I hope she does good today!!! Sometimes it's hard with the little ones. I have one little one that was always trying to get under the bigger chicks like it was her mommy. Now I have the two 12 weekers, she is getting under their wings at night, and they are letting her. She is so happy now! I was really worried about her before. Now I'll have to worry again for a bit because the big girls just figured out how to get up the ladder and onto the perch for roosting. I'm sure she will be fine.
Michele

 

[mclevinson]

Coop cleaned, garden turned, weeds pulled (some of 'em), husband busy building a pen for the chooks. Not the pen I asked for, but at lease a pen. Grrrr. But you know, its something.

 

[5pinkarrows]

HELP!!! My husband went yesterday and got 4 more chicks, and it appears one of them is sick. I am such a rookie at this and I don't know how to help her or if it will even do any good. I know there is the emergency thread, and I will check there if nobody here has any ideas. The sick chick is a buff brahma bantam, so she is already small. But, she is significantly smaller than the one of the same breed. This morning, I noticed her bottom was crusty. But, it was time to leave for church so I didn't worry too much about it. I also noticed she was slightly less active than the others. This afternoon, my daughters worked to loosen up the dried poo, and could not believe the quantity of poo that followed. It just wouldn't stop!

When we put her down, we noticed that she stumbles a lot. I haven't been able to get her to eat or drink, either. I took a syringe with Gatorade and was able to get her to drink a few drops, but she had no interest in that, either. Any ideas?

 

[squeakyballs]

I think it is called "Pasty butt"

 

[squeakyballs]

I've read it is caused by stress and/or heat.

There are suggestions to prevent it if you do a search, lots of different ideas so it is hard to know what will help. Someone said to put olive oil on the butt to prevent it, feeding them probiotics such as yogurt, offering them fine sand or grit, adding molasses to their water, putting finely ground oats or corn in the food.

Good luck. I hope the little guy makes it.

 

[5pinkarrows]

TT! :

I've read it is caused by stress and/or heat.

There are suggestions to prevent it if you do a search, lots of different ideas so it is hard to know what will help. Someone said to put olive oil on the butt to prevent it, feeding them probiotics such as yogurt, offering them fine sand or grit, adding molasses to their water, putting finely ground oats or corn in the food.

Good luck. I hope the little guy makes it.

Thanks! I actually have some kefir and was just wondering if I should give her a little of that. I can't imagine heat would cause it since it isn't hot and the other chicks seem so healthy, but you never know. We've only had her 24 hours, so who knows what she was exposed to before.

It's not looking good, though. She just sits there with her eyes shut most of the time. If the other chicks bump into or step on her, she cheeps loudly. I will try the kefir and see what happens. I might put a little dish of it in there and see if the others will eat it.​

 

[pdx2phx]

Quote:
Aww.....poor baby!

Yes....Pasty Butt. We've had several chicks that had it, and unless there is something else going on all it probably needs is a little TLC.

I would get a little tub of lukewarm water and have it stand in it to soften the poo, then gently clean it off with a wet washcloth. Just be really gentle...and you may have to do this a couple of times a day until the chick grows enough that this doesn't happen. And make sure to dry it off and/or that it's warm enough in the brooder that it doesn't get chilled from the wet booty...
I don't think we've had to do it for more than a week-10 days, and all of the pasty-butt chicks we've had have gone on to be healthy adults (so far).

I hope she's drinking now and hopefully showing an interest in food....good luck!

 

[pdx2phx]

Quote:
5pink, one of the Japanese (the one who was hollering a lot yesterday) laid her first egg today...so cute! And who knows.....maybe we could meet halfway sometime?

The GLW is doing better, but REALLY UNHAPPY about being confined. I have her and her best buddy (a MFD) locked up in the 3-chicken coop we used as a brooder with a close-able top & doors. It's 1 low level and she can't wander much in there at all. We screened off the 2 chicken doors for ventilation, and have them both in there to keep the GLW from walking so much. They all free-range outside right now and she was just not resting her leg at all, even though it so obviously hurt her to walk. So I'm hoping if we leave them in there for a week that this might be enough time if it's a sprain or tendon issue?? If not, we'll do the x-ray route....I just didn't feel anything dislocated and/or broken, so thought we'd try this first....

 

[nurseronda]

How old do chicks have to be before they stop needing a night light? My 10-day old chicks whine really loudly whenever it gets dark. As soon as I turn on the light they peep happily and contentedly.