Checking for pasty butt…

[Sparrow Farm]

Hi! I have 30 Buckeye chicks that are a week old. I have been trying to check them for pasty butt without having to pick them up, because it just seems to stress them out too much. They are in an 8’x4’ brooder (plywood box), and run from one side to the other when I try to pick them up, which I feel adds to their stress. I am a week into this, and just wonder if anyone else has experience checking party butt in large groups of chicks, and how you do it.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I kinda just watch them move around

 

[BastyPutt]

I think to make sure you get them all, you need to physically pick them up.

We usually put 2 boxes in the brooder and sort by pasty or no pasty. Since feeding fermented food, I rarely even check anymore. Out of a batch of 30, we may get one or two occurrences of PB in the first few days, and that is all.

I feel like a chick has a very short memory in terms of stress in situations like this. It seems like 30 seconds after the fact, they are going about their business with no recollection of the stressor. Take the time to hold them for a few seconds and pet their heads. May turn it into a positive interaction.

 

[Sparrow Farm]

Thank you for your responses!