Chicks with poop on their butts

[atief1253]

We have 8 five day old chicks. Some of them have gotten poop around their butt. I have been able to clean it off and have seen that there is nothing blocking the opening. They eat and drink fine. There are two that I cannot clean the stuff off. Will they be okay like that and will the fur grow out? Such a dumb way to put it but it's an important question. The two with messy butts eat and drink and play fine.

 

[gimmie birdies]

warm damp wash cloth take the time to soak those butts, it may not be blocking now but it might if you don't get it off.

 

[atief1253]

thanks. my two worries were that they would get a chill from being a bit damp and that they would stress too much. They get so stressed out when I try to clean them that I hesitate. I'll try it again now. Thanks.

 

[atief1253]

please help. I took some very hard poop off two chicks butts. Now there is a bare spot where fur used to be. Will they get infected? It is not bleeding. What should I do?

 

[hotrodflash]

The chick is fine, cutting off the fuzz will not hurt the babies. As long as there is no blood or open wound the other chicks will not even notice. Just use warm water and a paper towel or a q-tip to remove the dry poop at least once daily. It should clear in a few days.

 

[atief1253]

thanks so much. We dried her with the blow drier on low and far away and the fur around the bare spot covered the spot. No bleeding, she is now quiet, dry and happy to be away from us. I feel like I stress them so much because they go crazy peeping and struggling. I don't want to kill them! One had just a small bit of poop but this one had alot and would have caused a problem. So relieved.

 

[Bellatrixed]

I know people always say to soak the chick and use a wash cloth, but I have had good success just plucking the buildup off. A bit of their fuzz comes with it, but it seems to help it not accumulate so much next time, and I think it would be less traumatic for the chick to have it quickly tugged off than to be soaked for a while. As a disclaimer, I am talking about the very beginning stages of buildup--if there was a lot, just yanking it off would be much riskier I imagine. The bare spots will be fine, just make sure the other chicks don't peck at it.

 

[hotrodflash]

I'm glad everything has quietened down. I am currently brooding a third group of chicks and what I have found is that handling them will make calm, easy going adults. My oldest group are now starting to lay and they run to me and follow me like puppies. I had three roosters that were in the first group and they have never tried to jump me or even misbehave towards me. I am convinced it is because I handled them alot as babies.

If you place the chick in your palm and cover them with your other hand, cupping them, they will immediately calm down and sometimes go to sleep. I know they scatter and act like they are terrified but handle them so that you become more than the scary hand that reaches into the brooder a couple of times a day. Enjoy your babies, I know I enjoy mine.

 

[atief1253]

thanks everyone. Now that the hair is dry, it covers the bald spot. Feel bad she was so stressed but I HAD to get that piece off. She would have been blocked if I didn't. All is well thankfully for the moment.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Here is two of my adopted chicks I just got: Nelly the Naked neck and Casper.