Baby chicken with a swollen vent and struggling to poop. What do I do?

[Harun]

When I picked up my first 4 baby chicks one of them had bad pasty butt and what looks to be a swollen vent. I clean the pasty but regularly but it's vent is very swollen and it struggles to poop. I feel so bad for it and don't know how to help it. I don't know if it's vent is prolapsed or not but I desperately need help. Here's a picture of what it looks like and I know, it's terrible but I'm new to raising chicks.

 

[azygous]

Baby chick vents get irritated, inflamed and swollen when rubbed and cleaned a bit too vigorously. This can aggravate pasty butt because it then hurts and makes it hard for the chick to poop.

It may also be clogging up inside and is getting constipated. First, immediately give the chick some oil. Measure a half teaspoon of coconut oil, divide it into pea size pieces and chill slightly. Then feed each tiny piece into the chick's beak. You can use mineral oil internally, but it's riskier than solid oil.

For the swollen vent, use mineral oil to clean it. Be gentle. Don't scrub. Use a bit of hydrocortisone cream on the vent after cleaning to reduce pain and swelling.

 

[Harun]

Baby chick vents get irritated, inflamed and swollen when rubbed and cleaned a bit too vigorously. This can aggravate pasty butt because it then hurts and makes it hard for the chick to poop.

It may also be clogging up inside and is getting constipated. First, immediately give the chick some oil. Measure a half teaspoon of coconut oil, divide it into pea size pieces and chill slightly. Then feed each tiny piece into the chick's beak. You can use mineral oil internally, but it's riskier than solid oil.

For the swollen vent, use mineral oil to clean it. Be gentle. Don't scrub. Use a bit of hydrocortisone cream on the vent after cleaning to reduce pain and swelling.

Okay, thank you so much! I'll do this ASAP and update you on my progress.

 

[Harun]

Baby chick vents get irritated, inflamed and swollen when rubbed and cleaned a bit too vigorously. This can aggravate pasty butt because it then hurts and makes it hard for the chick to poop.

It may also be clogging up inside and is getting constipated. First, immediately give the chick some oil. Measure a half teaspoon of coconut oil, divide it into pea size pieces and chill slightly. Then feed each tiny piece into the chick's beak. You can use mineral oil internally, but it's riskier than solid oil.

For the swollen vent, use mineral oil to clean it. Be gentle. Don't scrub. Use a bit of hydrocortisone cream on the vent after cleaning to reduce pain and swelling.

One thing: I don't have hyrdocortisone cream sadly. Are there any alternatives? Do I need to apply it after?

 

[azygous]

Preparation H can work, though I would limit its use as some feel it can be slightly toxic.

If you have witch hazel, wetting a cotton ball with it and held for a minute against the swollen vent can help soothe and reduce swelling.

A cotton ball soaked in Epsom salt solution can also relieve swelling.

If you don't have any of these alternative first aid items, it speaks sadly to your unpreparedness to meet chicken emergencies and you'd best make it a point to start building yourself and your chickens a first aid kit.

 

[Harun]

Preparation H can work, though I would limit its use as some feel it can be slightly toxic.

If you have witch hazel, wetting a cotton ball with it and held for a minute against the swollen vent can help soothe and reduce swelling.

A cotton ball soaked in Epsom salt solution can also relieve swelling.

If you don't have any of these alternative first aid items, it speaks sadly to your unpreparedness to meet chicken emergencies and you'd best make it a point to start building yourself and your chickens a first aid kit.

It's not eating the coconut bits. Can I feed it coconut oil in liquified form?

 

[azygous]

You need to pry open the stubborn tiny beak and shove the bits in one at a time, giving the chick time to swallow by allowing its beak to close. Baby chicks haven't learned how to be cooperative patients, and most adult chickens never learn. Prying open a beak takes practice, but it's a skill you will use for years to come. It will not hurt the chick.

Too bad learning it won't get you interviewed by the Nightly News, but you will be glad you know how to do it over the years of keeping chickens.

If you do not do this, and the chick is constipated, it can die from it.

You can syringe liquid oil into a chicken, but it's risky as oil in the airway has serious consequences.

 

[papajoesfarm]

I keep a tube of Preparation H in my Chicken Witch Doctor kit, and swear by it. It has worked for poopy, swollen, and sore chick butts over the years.

 

[Harun]

I keep a tube of Preparation H in my Chicken Witch Doctor kit, and swear by it. It has worked for poopy, swollen, and sore chick butts over the years.

Preparation H? I'll look into it.

 

[Harun]

You need to pry open the stubborn tiny beak and shove the bits in one at a time, giving the chick time to swallow by allowing its beak to close. Baby chicks haven't learned how to be cooperative patients, and most adult chickens never learn. Prying open a beak takes practice, but it's a skill you will use for years to come. It will not hurt the chick.

Too bad learning it won't get you interviewed by the Nightly News, but you will be glad you know how to do it over the years of keeping chickens.

If you do not do this, and the chick is constipated, it can die from it.

You can syringe liquid oil into a chicken, but it's risky as oil in the airway has serious consequences.

It was tough but I was able to feed it a few bits. I'm guessing I'll have to continue this procedere for a while until it gets better, right?