Dirty bottoms

[Chicky Sarah]

Hi Everyone,

We have 5 five day old chicks living in a box with a heat lamp (approx 80-90 degrees). They seem happy enough; eating, drinking, pecking etc and look like they are developing OK. However, 4 out of the 5 have dirty bottoms (pasty butt) I believe it's called. I've tried to clean them with a cotton bud and warm water with a dropper but it seems pretty stuck on. Also, they were getting quite distressed and I was worried I was hurting them. How resilient are they? Can they cope with being away from the heat lamp for a good ten minutes whilst I really work on them? And is it ok to take them completely away from the heat source and put their bums under running water? They don't seem to like being handled at all even though we talk to them all the time (they even have a radio!) and try and handle them a couple of times a day.
Thanks in advance...

 

[BJnMe]

Do a search for Pasty Butt, You will find tons of info and how to treat it.

 

[rungirl]

I had a little chick with pastey butt this year. I took her in the house held her bottom under the faucet with a trickle of lukewarm water and worked it loose. Dried her off and put her back under the light. She was fine.

 

[Chicky Sarah]

Thanks for the replies...we seem to have got most of the dirt off with cotton buds and warm water but now their bums are a bit red. It doesn't seem to be bothering them though. Is vaseline a good thinkg to put on them to try and sooth the skin? And do they grow out of this problem or do we keep having to clean them?