Can't remove the pasty butt!

[rmonge00]

Hi - my chicks are 3 days old and I just noticed that a few of them had some poo stuck on their bottoms (pasty butt)... Today I grabbed the chicks that had it and tried to remove it with warm water - but no sucess. I was scrubbing a bit and had to stop because I did not want to injure the birds!! Can I just cut off the little part of fluff that has it on there or should I just leave it?

Please Help!!

Ryan

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Try the warm water and then mineral oil or olive oil on a cotton swab. It takes alittle work sometimes to get pasty butt off chicks. Usually pasty butt is from stress, eating feeds to soon or not drinking enough water.

 

[rmonge00]

How do I know if I am scrubbing too hard? This is the first time I have had chicks so I don't know how gentle I need to be....

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I use fingernail scissors and trim the tushie fuzz away. It is easier to trim it than it is the get the caked on stuff washed off. It doesn't change how their feathers grow in and seems easier on the chick. Once I trim around their heinie I wash it off really well with warm water and then "baste" their tush with a little oil. It seems to help out.

Good luck. They scream like banshees when you try to clean those little heinies.

 

[CowgirlPenny]

I had to soak for several minutes in warm water. But the water kept getting too cool so I eventually moved to the bathroom sink. 4-5 minutes later I started to see it dissolving and gently wiped. But yes, it can be stubborn and took a while to get off. Just gently wipe, like you would on a newborn baby. Pressure but not so much that its pulling the poop down with each stroke. You don't want to rip their skin!

 

[tinychicky]

you can cut the fluff off, but then they won't be fuzzy-butts anymore!

 

[Freckle Face Farm]

A lil peroxide breaks the poop up and its less stressful them holding the chick in water. Just pour a lil on the butt and let them sit for a minute and try to wipe away with tissue works great sometimes you have to do it twice..Just let the peroxide break it down.. I think this works well on silkies especially the lil fluffy butts. Hope this helps

 

[wbruder17]

Quote:
I love how you brought back the words heine and tushy. Haven't used those in a while! Buttocks is fn, but the other two are better!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I coach a swim team in the summer with kids age 4-18. You have to come up with multiple inoffensive ways to refer to that part of the anatomy. Tushie, tookus, heinie, derriere, rump, tush... I've got a million of them.

 

[AlabamaChickenLady]

I used warm water mixed 50/50 with peroxide and then I used Q-Tips to gently massage and rub the pasty stuff off of them. Took a little while, 5-10 minutes depending on how bad it is. Then I put an anticeptic on their hind-end. I have learned to have some old towels down and a garbage can close by just in case they poop unexpectedly.