Constipation Help Needed ASAP please

[Jess ChickCrazy]

Cluck is constipated. His poop is super hard. I have soaked his bottom, as he was pasty, cleaned the poop off and coated his vent with Vaseline. This morning, he strained to poop and it was super hard and his vent looked red and swollen. He acts just fine btw, running and flapping all around, just like his ladies. Eating, drinking fine etc.

Why? What could be causing this? How can I make his poop softer/easier to pass?

They are on medicated starter feed. One waterer has probiotics and electrolytes added to water. The other waterer has ACV added to it, 1tbsp per gallon of water.

They have a Brinsea brooder, to get under to stay warm. They are inside the house as we live in Alaska and it's pretty darn chilly for chicks to go outside.

Please help me help my roo! Thank you!!

 

[thecrumbler]

No obstruction of his vent? One part molasses to five parts water or one part epsom salt to five parts water (given by syringe as I'd imagine you don't want your ladies to have it...) should soften his stool for him...hopefully no bowel obstruction, maybe just stress...be careful if you use a syringe - you don't want to get it in his lungs. If you drip a tiny bit on the side of his beak, they'll usually lap it up.

 

[Jess ChickCrazy]

No vent obstruction now. Yesterday was obstructed and I soaked him, removed blockage, took qtip and vaseline to his vent and he pooped a ton while being soaked. I took manicure scissors and carefully snipped butt fuzz. He has a super fuzzy butt. Lol so then this am he bent down and you could tell he was straining and he pooped and it seemed really hard. I just checked his vent again and it is really irritated looking but not blocked. I added more vaseline to his vent. I will do the molasses. Not comfortable doing the string thing for sure. What causes this? Why would he have such hard poop? Thank you.

 

[thecrumbler]

Poor baby! I hope he feels better soon. Constipation is tricky. Could be his feed, an obstruction, stress, bacterial gut imbalance...you can try feeding natural yoghurt (plain, whole milk) for the gut bacteria...Stonyfield is a good brand.

You could temporarily separate him if possible to track his droppings and add a laxative to his water. Adding fresh greens (dark, leafy stuff like kale, spinach or even romaine - spring salad mixes usually have a nice variety, just try to stay away from iceberg lettuce) can help future problems, it'll give some roughage in his diet.

 

[Jess ChickCrazy]

I'm really trying to figure this out and appreciate the help. So, stress. They are in a room, in the brooder. No one goes in there and bothers them but me. I go in there in the am, turn the light on and do a head count. Clean the brooder, feed them and give them fresh water. Hold them a little as I have 2 who love to climb in my hand and sit down. I go in there in the afternoon, give fresh food and water. And evening same As morning. Then I turn off light at 9 ish so they can go to bed. I wouldn't think I am stressing any of them. They run out to greet me when I come into the room and start talking, so I thought that was a good sign. Sigh. Now my hen chick, Henrietta is not being very active. I wonder if somehow I have gotten a bad batch from MPC. I have followed everything to the tee, keep everything super clean and dry. Ugh. They are now 12 days old. Feels like we'll never make it to adult hood.

 

[Jess ChickCrazy]

I now have even more info. So, now Cluck has runny poop. AND they are eating the paper toweling. What the heck??? Should I worry? About the toweling I mean? I have rolls of brown kraft paper. Would that be better? Just don't want their legs to be an issue. Also, what gives with my stopped up then runny boy??

 

[thecrumbler]

Ah maybe that's why he was constipated. You can try pine shavings, they're old enough - if they start trying to eat that, a rubber mat would work (if their floor is too slippery it can cause foot and leg issues). Hopefully his runniness clears up in a few days.

 

[Jess ChickCrazy]

Dang. So, I'm gonna get a small bag of pine today just to see if it will work without them eating it. They poop so much! lol I think that I will also pick up a roll of that rubber shelf liner just in case as well. Gosh these little guys are stressful! lol Thank you so much for the help! I just want to do everything right and take care of them all, the best way possible.

 

[enola]

Plain water would probably go a long way toward getting him to drink the proper amount of water. Electrolytes and probiotics do not need to be in their water every day, maybe once a week.

 

[Jess ChickCrazy]

I can do that too. I have two waterers in there-a gravity one and a nipple one, so I'll make one of them plain. That electrolyte stuff makes a whole gallon, so I was just trying to use the whole gallon up. lol He drinks tons though, but maybe not as much as I think he does. Tricky little bird! Thank you!