Chick Impacted/Constipated/Pasty? help!!

[cocosandy]

Hi everyone. I've got an Arcuna that hatched 6 days ago and has been doing well. 3 days ago I noticed that the vent had a red bump and the others were pecking it. I took the baby and separated it form the others into the cooler brooder that I use as an incubator and also as a hospital cage, and I warmed and washed the butt, and then squeezed some of the pasty poo out. There was so much of it and it was quite hard. The chick did Ok for a day after that and was eating/drinking so I put it back with the others (and one 3 wk old hen who has been sitting on them!)...sure enough, last night I noticed that the problem had come back, so I did the same.
The baby seems weak and its eyes seem a little squinty and sunken. But it is drinking and eating...I have been giving them all some chick grit and they are on medicated feed....I do have some wide spectrum bird antibiotic that is used for parrots and cage birds sometimes (I raise parrots too) but I am not sure if its ok to add some of this to the water.
Has anyone seen this problem?...Is this pasty butt?
I am also giving some plain yogurt...
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Melina

 

[Pine Grove]

Could be the grit, if you gave it to them at the start. I never give them grit untill they are eating really well, Or possibly maybe its not consuming enough water to aid in digestion. the sunken eyes indicate dehydration. I think a good vitamin/electrolyte would do more good than the antibiotic, GQF has a good v/e with added probiotics, which is often lacking in baby chicks..I would also feed it moist feed. maybe the problem will correct its self

 

[WindyOaksYokes]

Have you tried sulfa or electrolytes??? You can buy both in small packages at TSC... Pay attention to the directions and all you need is a x-small pinch added to their water (pint size waterer). DO NOT USE TO MUCH!!! believe me... you do not want to see the end result...

Good luck
Tes

I too do not give grit at such an early age... did not start that til they were about 4 weeks. The only thing I feed is moist feed or dry feed (starter-grower). Personally I do not give medicated... I was told not too, one reason being, my ducks... they are not supposed to have medicated feed... and I was feeding them all the same feed.

 

[lurky]

It sounds like the problem i had with mine. I think it was an intestinal prolapse thanks to all the help i got from people on here. You can put bacitracin on. A vet told me to apply a paste made from sugar with a tiny bit of water. It really did help as well as keeping it apart from the others so they dont peck at it. If you keep it clean and appy these things, it shoulf help bring down the inflammation.

 

[cocosandy]

I added grit because I thought that it would help this problem...but I will stop giving it. The others are fine so far. This one doesnt have the problem of the butt pasting closed, but rather the poop itself is too hard and wont come out. I gave yogurt and a piece of apple, and it is drinking. This evening the poop was thin-ish bit had gotten pasty on the butt feathers. so I washed it and dried it...and let me tell you, a rumpless Arcuna baby, which is a tall little guy with a funny little ball of a body, looks awfully funny with a wet butt.
I will add some of the electrolyte mix to the water tomorrow.I hope it starts to feel better tomorrow...it really misses its little friends and the 4 wk old hen who has been sitting with her wings over them to keep them warm and happy...very sweet...
Thanks so much for all of the input on this.n Any ideas are welcomed. I really appreciate it.

 

[SpottedCrow]

You could try putting a tiny drop of molasses just in that one's water. Or in it's beak.
I've only had one chick with pasty butt and I had to wash his bum in the sink. But we do it for our babies.

 

[cocosandy]

Thanks for all the info...the baby is doing OK and still in the hospital brooder. I appreciate any other cures that people might have. Its good knowledge because I am expecting 5 more babies in a week or so, and some frizzle eggs too..so my baby time is hardly over. Its a good thing that the guy building the coop ...or adding the safety precautions Ive planned, is building a winter section that Im making very secure and warm...will probably run a heat bulb out there or something when the time comes. It seems like fall is coming on (even though it was 90 degrees here today...it feel like fall.)
Anyway, the baby is eating and drinking and peeping to it's co-chicks and the teen-chick, pearl, who is so funny sitting on the other babies and trying to cover them with her skinny arms. It very much wants out and back in with it's siblings...they are so cute with the 2 little Seramas able to go in and out of the cage bars but still running back to the teen "mom" all the time and burrowing under her few feathers....they are SO tiny!
The pasty butt thing began with poop that was very thick and pasty and was stuck inside her. It made a big red bump around the vent and when I pressed it a little the poop came out like toothpaste!
It had to be expressed and there was SO much of it!...ugh...but now she is having sort of normal to thick poops and its caking up over her butt...so I have to wash her a couple of times per day.
I want that to stop before I put her back because I'm afraid that the others will peck at it. They are very interested in their own poop...eekkk...and I know its normal and bound to happen, but I want to try to keep them as clean as possible and out of eachother's butts. At least I have them water bottle trained and when the coop is done I want to look into hanging feeders off the ground, or hooking them on the sides.
Thanks again guys...I am trying most of the suggestions here...

melina

 

[CluckCluck18]

I just had the same thing happen today with an Araucana chick, 4 days old. She was totally impacted/constipated......she has 3 other chicks with her and they have had organic chick starter, grow gel and water with organic ACV. I gave her a few drops of cod liver oil and put molasses in the water. Tonight I got alot of dry poop out of her by gently squeezing and loosening with a toothpick. She seems alot more peppy after that so I'm holding my breath.....I have another one that looks like there's a small prolapse. Hoping when muscles grow and strengthen that it will resolve itself. I have had baptism by fire since I started chicken keeping about a year ago so I shouldn't be surprised.