can I expect them all to die? :( (cuckoo maran chicks)

[Ducklove334]

last saturday(the 7th) we went to a poultry auction, and got 6 cuckoo maran chicks, about a day old. they all had bad pasty butt, i cleaned them all up and made sure thier butts were clear so they could poop, now they're butts are all pasty again, and 1 was dying this morning

, it died in my hand. I took the 5 other little ones inside and cleaned them up as best I could, It's chilly today so i didn't want to soak them in water, and put them back in the brooder room with the others.

they've got dirt to scratch and peck in for grit, and plenty of water, and food, thier poos when they do poo are real runny and STINK, yuck.

all the other chicks are fine, we've been looking for marans for forever, but is thier any hope for these little guys or are they all gonna die?

 

[Jenski]

What's your brooder temp? What are you feeding? Do they have access to fresh water? Are they out of drafts?

 

[Ducklove334]

the brooder is a ROOM, in thethe chicken coop, thats beside the feed room, the temp is fairly warm, i do not have a thermometer. they are out of drafts, they have to heat lamps to get under.

they are fed chick starter/grower from the co-op, they just got fresh water this morning, they get fresh water in thier waterers every morning, and evening.

 

[SoJoChickens]

Sorry for your loss... Make sure the temperature is right and try mixing starter ration with an equal part of cornmeal or crushed, uncooked oatmeal (you can also feed them scratch that is specifically designed for chicks if you can find it). That should help regulate them a bit. Also make sure to keep things clean (plenty of litter) so they don't pick at their droppings.

 

[raindrop]

Are they huddled under the lamp? Spread out comfortably? Are they cheeping loudly? Good luck. You want the temperature at 95 degrees under the lamp.

 

[TexasVet]

Are they on medicated feed? If not, you need to get them on it right away.

Kathy in Texas

 

[Bullwinkle]

Quote:
If its a large room it might have a draft that is not apparent. I'd also get a thermometer to check temps. Is there a draft under the door?
Quote:
Do you know if the chick starter from the co-op is medicated? With the pasty butt it sounds like they were stressed before you got them. At a poultry auction they may have also been exposed to other chicken diseases. If they are having issues with their poo, you want to make sure they are eating medicated feed. Chicks that young are easily chilled so check temps....

 

[lisahaschickens]

pasty butt can be a response to the stress of being moved around so much (like being sold at an auction and moving to a new home, or being shipped from a hatchery to a home or whatever) at such a young age. It is very normal and can be expected... I've read it's supposed to be done in 5-6 days. Mine took a little over a week to get over it. I checked them many times per day (my hatchery shipment was Cuckoo Marans, Buff Orps, and EEs, and they all pasted up a bunch) and just kept cleaning butts over and over. Eventually it went away and now they're fine. Also keep in mind that the loss of one chick is not uncommon at all - they not all slated to make it to adulthood. Lastly, I would advise confining them to a smaller space near and under the brooder lamp. Apparently when they're really little, they can "get lost" and stay away from the lamp too long and get chilled. They suggest 1/2 square foot per chick for the first week or two.

 

[silkiechicken]

Medicated starter isn't going to do anything for them right away. It is medicated with a cocciodistant which is for a long term immunity thing to cocci. It prevents cocci from reproducing in the gut so they have time to build up their defenses.

If they are evenly spread out under lights, eating, drinking and pooing, they are likely fine, and what is doing them in is the chill and possible rough first day or two at the auction or before it. Because you don't know if these chicks were exposed to, do keep them in quarantine against any of the rest of the flock. They could have come from unknown backgrounds. If they already had pasty butt, I'd gather they were likely at least 3 days old when you got them.

Boiled egg yolk may be a good boost for them.

 

[Jenski]

You may also want to gently wash their bottoms in warm water with a rag to clean them off - - but don't pick the crusty poo off, as you can damage the chicks. Dry them thoroughly with an old towel and put them under the heat lamp. Pasting up can cause internal damage if they cannot poo freely.

Good luck! Please keep us posted.