diarrhea

[yotetrapper]

All of my chicks have runny poo and have for over a week. They have only chick starter, and grit. Any cause for concern?

 

[ticks]

well, first of all how old are they. if you just got them they could of had a hard trip and could cause diarrhea. Just give them a little peptobismol

just kidding don't do it I was just kidding.

 

[stilwellchick]

If they are only eating chick starter, they don't need grit. The chick starter is a complete food. Are they on medicated or un-medicated starter? You could take a fecal specimen into the vet to check.

 

[jimnjay]

Try mixing a bit of yogurt with the crumbles for a few days. Usually on very young chicks that will fix things right up. It seems to soon to worry about cocci.

 

[yotetrapper]

They are three weeks old, unmedicated starter. I should not give them grit?

 

[olivesmom]

We just brought our chicks home yesterday. Two years ago we bought our house and with the horses next door and the goats at the end of the street I feel like we live in the country instead of Phoenix. I have really wanted chicks so when my husband said we going to get them I couldn't wait. I knew I needed to study up first but honestly I fell in love the minute I saw them. Today I came home and spent hours on the net reading about "Olive" my chick. I noticed she had a big clump on her bumb. I read to wash it off with warm water (which went much better and was much easier than I thought). I tried to call the feed store where we purchased the chicks to find out how old they are and clarify much of what we were told during the hour it took us questioning our sales associate. The person who sold them to us said they could eat this food called "crumble" I believe. He did not say anything about starter food? Also,, he said they need to be kept at about 80 degrees? He sold us a heat lamp but said they could live outside with the lamp? Even though we live in Phoenix it is only about 55 out tonight? I have kept them in the bath. I plan to call tomorrow to find out exactly how old they are but from what I have read it seems like they are too small to be outside yet? At what age do they change food? Is the clump of poop normal for a baby? Any info would be great!

Charlotte
"Olive's Mom"

 

[yotetrapper]

I'll answer what I know. But keep in mind this is only my second batch of chicks.

"crumbles" and chick starter, is the same thing. 80 degreees seems low unless your chicks are 4 weeks old.... I believe it starts out at 95 for day olds, and drops 5 degrees a week.... so four week olds would be at 80 degrees.

Mine are three weeks old, and are going outside in a few days. Do yours have feathers yet, or just fluff? I think if your lows are 55, and you have a sheltered spot out of the wind, you could probably put them out, with your light. Set your light up so that a thermometer in the box reads between 85-90 (since you aren't sure how old your chicks are). Then let your chicks tell you how they feel about that. if they group up right under the heat lamp, they're cold. Lower the lamp. If they all go towards the corners of the box (getting away from the light) raise the lamp. Your chicks should be scattered throughout the whole box.

My best advice would be to keep an eye on them if you put them outside. Make sure they seem content with the heat during the day... i.e. not too hot, and then go out well after dark and check again. If you have HOT days and cool nights, you may need to move the light up in the day, and down at night.

As for your "pasty butt", I had the same problem with many of my chicks last time (my first time). People on here told me to whipe it off as you have, and someone also told me to put a little smear of vaseline on their butts. I had to keep whiping them off for about a week, then they were fine. So I wouldnt worry too much about that.

Hope this helped some.

 

[olivesmom]

Thanks, I can't wait for the feed store to open so that I can find out how old they are. Olive has feathers on her wings but both Rocco and Roxy have no feathers. I spent hours on the web last night and based on the photos I saw I don't think they are anywhere near 4 weeks old. I kept them in the bath abgain last night but worry about the feet spreading problem that I have read about. This morning I moved them out to the finch cage outside. It is a big on that I can walk around in. They seem happy ... though it is still cool so they are staying under the lamp.

Here is my pasty bumb question of the day. I washed Olives bumb off yesterday and it has not seemed to return. However when I washed it off yesterday I noticed her bumb looks like chicken skin but under the skin it looks like it is filled with fluid not muscle. Is that the way it should look?

Thanks again for all of your help,

Olive's Mom

 

[SoccerMomof7]

Good luck with you new chicks. If nothing else get a big cardboard box with paper towels to put them in so they don't hurt their legs. I am also very new at this so I don't have many answers either sorry.