I have 6 chicks that will be 2 weeks old on Monday. Five seem to be pasty-butt-free, but one Polish (seems to be the bottom of the pecking order, and slightly smaller than the others) still needs some de-pooping every other day or so. I'm going to try smearing a bit of olive oil around her vent when I get home to help keep her clean, but they all seem to have great appetites and look generally healthy. My question is: at what age can I stop doing butt-checks? They seem to resent it when I flip them over to look at their vents, but when I tried to just hold a chick upright and high enough to see her vent, she nearly projectile-pooped in my face. (And yes, I am impressed that that one's got such a feisty attitude at such a young age ) Many Thanks, Millie
I quit after about a week too. You should probably still check your Polish though since she seems to be having difficulty.