Did I do something wrong?? Lost 2 chicks

[littlejohnacres]

Good Morning,
I purchased 10 baby chicks from rural King. I noticed 4 of them had what appeared to be pasty butt last night. I soaked their bottoms in warm water and put olive oil on after I got them all cleaned up. I also have added ACV to their water. This morning 2 of them had passed. Could I have stressed them out or caused this somehow?? I feel so bad. Rural King will replace them. This is my first time having babies.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Did you get them dry?
What is your brooder setup? Where is the heat and how big is it?

 

[nchls school]

Good Morning,
I purchased 10 baby chicks from rural King. I noticed 4 of them had what appeared to be pasty butt last night. I soaked their bottoms in warm water and put olive oil on after I got them all cleaned up. I also have added ACV to their water. This morning 2 of them had passed. Could I have stressed them out or caused this somehow?? I feel so bad. Rural King will replace them. This is my first time having babies.

Most likely nothing you did caused this to happen. New chicks become ill fairly easy. A couple of months ago I had two new chicks develop pasty butt. I waited too long to put them on antibiotics (tetracycline). One chick died within hours of being put on the med and the other was acting and looking normal by the end of the day.

With new chicks, be sure they are eating and drinking. Their environment needs to be kept very clean and dry. Make sure there is no draft and they have the proper warmth.

 

[littlejohnacres]

I did try to dry them the best I could with paper towels and towels. Their bottoms were greasy from the oil, but I think they were mostly dry. Right now they are in our spare bathroom in a plastic tote. I am using a heating pad cave. Got the idea from this site (Mother heating pad). Pine shavings for bedding. I am think of switching to sand when I clean it today.

 

[nchls school]

I did try to dry them the best I could with paper towels and towels. Their bottoms were greasy from the oil, but I think they were mostly dry. Right now they are in our spare bathroom in a plastic tote. I am using a heating pad cave. Got the idea from this site (Mother heating pad). Pine shavings for bedding. I am think of switching to sand when I clean it today.

I prefer the shavings over sand with small chicks. To me, it is warmer for little chicks. I also use a large, clear, plastic tote. All of my chicks are hatched by broody hens. Mom and chicks are kept in the tote until I am sure that all the chicks are eating and drinking and then the family goes back to the coop.

 

[littlejohnacres]

I prefer the shavings over sand with small chicks. To me, it is warmer for little chicks. I also use a large, clear, plastic tote. All of my chicks are hatched by broody hens. Mom and chicks are kept in the tote until I am sure that all the chicks are eating and drinking and then the family goes back to the coop.

Oh so cute! Ok I will just change out the shavings for now. I'm starting out small for now but dream of having my own hatch on day Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

Try putting a thermometer in there with the chicks, so that you can make sure the temperature is warm enough. There are many factors in shipping that can lead to stress in chicks, including cold, becoming dehydrated in transit, and poor care at feed stores. Some of responsible, but I don't know how many times I have had to ask them to clean pine shavings out of the waterer since the chicks had no water to drink. Here is a collection of good articles from vets on shipping stress: http://www.upc-online.org/transport/71408shippingbirds.html

 

[littlejohnacres]

Try putting a thermometer in there with the chicks, so that you can make sure the temperature is warm enough. There are many factors in shipping that can lead to stress in chicks, including cold, becoming dehydrated in transit, and poor care at feed stores. Some of responsible, but I don't know how many times I have had to ask them to clean pine shavings out of the waterer since the chicks had no water to drink. Here is a collection of good articles from vets on shipping stress: http://www.upc-online.org/transport/71408shippingbirds.html

Thanks! I will do that. Going home for lunch now to check on them.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Most likely nothing you did caused this to happen. .... A couple of months ago I had two new chicks develop pasty butt. I waited too long to put them on antibiotics (tetracycline). One chick died within hours of being put on the med and the other was acting and looking normal by the end of the day.

....

Pasted vent almost never has anything to do with a bacterial infection. Perhaps the tetracycline killed the already stressed chick.

http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/treating-pasty-butt-in-baby-chicks/

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/03/pasty-butt-in-chicks-causestreatment.html

http://www.mypetchicken.com/backyard-chickens/chicken-help/Pasted-Vent-Overview-H261.aspx

http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/pasting-in-chicks-causes-prevention-treatment/

 

[nchls school]

Pasted vent almost never has anything to do with a bacterial infection. Perhaps the tetracycline killed the already stressed chick.

http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/treating-pasty-butt-in-baby-chicks/

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/03/pasty-butt-in-chicks-causestreatment.html

http://www.mypetchicken.com/backyard-chickens/chicken-help/Pasted-Vent-Overview-H261.aspx

http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/pasting-in-chicks-causes-prevention-treatment/

With my chicks the abdomen was discolored and swollen; a sign of intestinal infection. Could the tetracycline have killed the chick. I knew that it could at the time because the chicks were so bad off. I am also sure the chick would have died without the tetracycline. With the second chick all symptoms disappeared quickly and it has become a nice bird. Shown below. Quite possibly I am getting pasty butt mixed up with something else.

After reading some of the sites from your post (second one), bacterial infections are listed as being one of the causes of pasty butt.