Day Two Question - Missing feathers near the tail with a small opening

[PGsbackyardfarm]

Good Morning,

We picked up 8 chicks yesterday at TSC, three american's, three starlight olive eggers, and 2 Bantams.

We set them up in the unused bathtub downstairs, with pine shavings, a heat lamp, food, water, and a small roosting bar.

This morning the kids and I were making sure they had enough water from the night before, moving out the pine shavings from the food and water.

I noticed that one of the chicks had feathers missing from its tail area. I will attach pictures.

Can anyone help me with what is wrong, if anything is wrong? Is there anything we can/should do?

Thank you so much,
PG's Backyard Farm

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

Hard to see where that is located...is the opening on the abdomen?

Does the chick also have a Vent (where it poops)?

IF that's the abdomen, then the opening is likely the navel which has not closed or the scab fell off.
Do you see intestines/organs in the opening?
Any leakage, oozing or odors?

It may close up on its own, hard to know and be o.k. Often when a navel is that open, a chick will get infection and the outlook is not positive.

I'd keep her on clean dry bedding. Triple antibiotic ointment or bacitracin can be applied to the open area. If it needs to be cleaned, I'd swab it gently with Chlorhexidine or Povidone Betadine.

 

[PGsbackyardfarm]

Good morning,

Thank you for reaching out.

I actually feel kind of silly, it was, pasty butt, so much manure caked on that it looked like it was part of the body that had lost its feathers.

I was able to clean 90% of it off, but it keeps happening.

I only noticed because it happened to another chick, and that came off very easy.

Any remedies to keep it away?

Thank you so much,
PGs Backyard Farm

 

[Evadig]

@Callender Girl suggested instant oatmeal: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/eva’s-friends.1610119/page-4#post-27591256

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Good morning,

Thank you for reaching out.

I actually feel kind of silly, it was, pasty butt, so much manure caked on that it looked like it was part of the body that had lost its feathers.

I was able to clean 90% of it off, but it keeps happening.

I only noticed because it happened to another chick, and that came off very easy.

Any remedies to keep it away?

Thank you so much,
PGs Backyard Farm

Oh, that's good news!
I'm so glad there's no opening.

For pasty butt, see that the temps in the brooder are good - if the chick is getting under the plate. Sometimes it can be an issue of being too hot or even too cold.

See that she's drinking well and eating. Giving electrolytes for the first few days can encourage drinking. Watch to see that she's actually eating - sometimes even though crumbles are small, some chicks have a hard time managing the size and the crumbles need to be either ground up for the first week or you can offer them soaked and fed as a wet mash.

Keep the bottom cleaned. Apply a bit of coconut oil or vaseline to the vent to help poop keep from sticking. When you clean up the vent, if you wet it, dry the chick well with a hairdryer so she doesn't get chilled.