Dirty butts

[Jennifer74]

I got 8 chicks newly hatched shipped Wednesday, My two polish babies get gross every time they poop - Ive plucked it off and wiped and now I think I irritated the butt on one - what should I do?

 

[junebuggena]

Pasty butt is frequently caused by some sort of stress, usually from being kept too warm.

 

[Jennifer74]

The temp under the light in the brooder box is 95 and there is plenty of room to get away from the heat. They did get shipped Monday and didnt arrive until Wed but they are eating and drinking fine now

 

[junebuggena]

The rest of the brooded needs to be at least 20 degrees cooler than the warm zone.

 

[Jennifer74]

It is. They all are choosing to stay under and near the light. I have the food and water on the opposite side which is 75, the temp inside our house

 

[junebuggena]

Do you have a temperature gauge in the cool side? In small brooders with heat lamps, it can be very difficult to provide good brooding conditions. Heat lamps tend to heat everything in small brooders, creating more of a chick oven than a brooder. If using a heat lamp, you need a very large brooder to avoid overheated chicks.

 

[Jennifer74]

Its a large wire dog crate converted into a brooder - the sides are about 16 inches high and the rest of it and top are open. I have a thermometer at both ends

 

[just13nat]

I got 8 chicks newly hatched shipped Wednesday, My two polish babies get gross every time they poop - Ive plucked it off and wiped and now I think I irritated the butt on one - what should I do?

I'm having the exact same issue. My two Polish (now 2.5 weeks) were needing butts cleaned daily, though within the last week it's decreased to about every other day. They are also in a huge wire dog crate with one Easter egger who hasn't had any pasty butt issues. We use the MHP instead of heat lamp, I'm not sure what's going on with these two Polish. Both are eating and drinking jut fine at least.

 

[Jennifer74]

Mine are also eating and drinking normally. I dont mind having to clean them - I was just worried I hurt one since she was picking at her butt constantly after I cleaned her and I posted. Seems to be doing fine now although dont think Im winning them over by grabbing them up and messing with them

 

[mich9510]

My "runt" (we named her rocket) had pasty butt for a few days after she arrived in the mail. She also had a funny looking umbilical site the first week too. I just gave her a little extra tlc washed her bum and umbilical site as gently as I could. Q-tips worked well. I gave her some unflavored pedialyte and boiled egg yolks and now I can hardly tell her apartment from the others. She's like a whole new chick!