Does pasty butt kill so quickly?

[MrsBachbach]

I am confused now. I have read in a lot of places and posts that feeding boiled egg yolk doesn't require grit. It was just a crumbled boiled egg yolk a day mixed in to feed all the 18 chicks, half yolk in the morning and half in the evening for ALL chicks. It said it was OK to give egg yolk even in my hatchery instructions, and it didn't mention grit.

About the wet chick starter I asked in several posts and thought it was OK to give. I even know several people fermenting the chick starter and giving it wet. My hatchery's instructions also mentioned moistening the food, but only if the chicks arrived stressed. I was feeding it because I had a weak chick, but since all chicks were crazy for it, I gave it to all.

After reading about benefits of fermented food, I have started a batch of fermented chick starter, should I avoid giving it then? Can it cause impacted crop too? If my chick died from impacted crop wouldn't I have noticed swelling? I saw pictures of chicks with impacted crops and the swelling was pretty noticeable.Also, wouldn't all chicks have been affected? I would hate it if I caused harm to this poor chick!

In my opinion, dampening the food will not cause impacted crop. I myself have done it when the chicks get to an age and seem bored with their crumbles. It's also good way to make use of the powder that collects in the bottoms of feeders. Most of the chickens love it. I use a teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar in half gallon water and use that to mix. I have never lost a chick or a full grown bird to an impacted crop because of a wet mash, and it's been years of raising them. It is always a different reason like hay or grass or feathers, and those reasons were eliminated as I learned. Now, what may be happening, and what the poster may be warning against is sour crop. I think wet mash (especially mash that had protein like yolk) that sits out too long in warm weather can breed some harmful bacteria or yeast and maybe cause a sour crop, which is a bit different than an impacted crop, but you still can lose a bird. So, when feeding wet mashes, and the weather is warm, you want to make sure you don't leave it setting out overnight for the next day.
Honestly, I don't think it was that either because you said the chicks cleaned it up pretty quick. I just think something else killed that chick, hereditary, or disease related. Some diseases are passed through the egg and manifest in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd week of life. The other chicks may or may not be affected.
As far as pine shavings go, don't worry about them picking up a small piece and running around with it. They all do that. The scratching is quite normal and healthy and it's what chickens do. Just use the big flakes if you can find them, not the finely shredded stuff, and provide chick grit for them. I sprinkle the grit around the floor for them, that way when they are scratching and searching, they find some grit along with their "prize" they think they have. Or put a few little piles here and there in the brooder. They always seem to dive right into that grit. So I do that a few times a week for them. That grit will take care of any shavings they may consume. Even full grown chickens will eat those small pieces of shavings. I don't know why. One breeder told me don't worry about it, it's fiber for them and as long as they have grit they will be fine. And they were.

 

[mcstewartchick]

In my opinion, dampening the food will not cause impacted crop. I myself have done it when the chicks get to an age and seem bored with their crumbles. It's also good way to make use of the powder that collects in the bottoms of feeders. Most of the chickens love it. I use a teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar in half gallon water and use that to mix. I have never lost a chick or a full grown bird to an impacted crop because of a wet mash, and it's been years of raising them. It is always a different reason like hay or grass or feathers, and those reasons were eliminated as I learned. Now, what may be happening, and what the poster may be warning against is sour crop. I think wet mash (especially mash that had protein like yolk) that sits out too long in warm weather can breed some harmful bacteria or yeast and maybe cause a sour crop, which is a bit different than an impacted crop, but you still can lose a bird. So, when feeding wet mashes, and the weather is warm, you want to make sure you don't leave it setting out overnight for the next day.
Honestly, I don't think it was that either because you said the chicks cleaned it up pretty quick. I just think something else killed that chick, hereditary, or disease related. Some diseases are passed through the egg and manifest in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd week of life. The other chicks may or may not be affected.
As far as pine shavings go, don't worry about them picking up a small piece and running around with it. They all do that. The scratching is quite normal and healthy and it's what chickens do. Just use the big flakes if you can find them, not the finely shredded stuff, and provide chick grit for them. I sprinkle the grit around the floor for them, that way when they are scratching and searching, they find some grit along with their "prize" they think they have. Or put a few little piles here and there in the brooder. They always seem to dive right into that grit. So I do that a few times a week for them. That grit will take care of any shavings they may consume. Even full grown chickens will eat those small pieces of shavings. I don't know why. One breeder told me don't worry about it, it's fiber for them and as long as they have grit they will be fine. And they were.

I lost a chick today too, and wondered if it was pasty butt (her behind was dirty but the vent itself looked mostly clear...I cleaned it but ended up losing her anyway). I'm wondering now about your comment on chick grit @MrsBachbach ... I've only been feeding my chicks--got them Saturday and they were a couple of days old then, so maybe 4-5 days old now?--dry chick starter crumbles. But, I am brooding on large pine shavings. I do see them scratching around and pecking at the smaller pieces. I worried at first but then decided it was probably fine. I didn't get any chick grit because I read if you're just feeding chick starter they don't need it. Maybe I should go get some and put a little ramekin of it into the brooder?

 

[Kiki]

I lost a chick today too, and wondered if it was pasty butt (her behind was dirty but the vent itself looked mostly clear...I cleaned it but ended up losing her anyway). I'm wondering now about your comment on chick grit @MrsBachbach ... I've only been feeding my chicks--got them Saturday and they were a couple of days old then, so maybe 4-5 days old now?--dry chick starter crumbles. But, I am brooding on large pine shavings. I do see them scratching around and pecking at the smaller pieces. I worried at first but then decided it was probably fine. I didn't get any chick grit because I read if you're just feeding chick starter they don't need it. Maybe I should go get some and put a little ramekin of it into the brooder?

It would not hurt.
Sorry for your loss.

 

[mcstewartchick]

It would not hurt.
Sorry for your loss.

I'm sure you're right. I think I'll go by the feed store and grab some.
And thank you...went home to check them on my lunch hour and she was on her way out. Put her in my bra to warm her up but she didn't make it. Just before I had to be back to work, too...otherwise I would have come back to the office with a baby chicken down my shirt, LOL. 3rd day of chicken ownership and already I'm nuts.

 

[Kiki]

I'm sure you're right. I think I'll go by the feed store and grab some.
And thank you...went home to check them on my lunch hour and she was on her way out. Put her in my bra to warm her up but she didn't make it. Just before I had to be back to work, too...otherwise I would have come back to the office with a baby chicken down my shirt, LOL. 3rd day of chicken ownership and already I'm nuts.

How are the others doing?
Where they shipped chicks?
Have you added vitamins into their water?
Have you thought about fermenting their feed?

 

[mcstewartchick]

How are the others doing?
Where they shipped chicks?
Have you added vitamins into their water?
Have you thought about fermenting their feed?

Thanks for asking @KikisGirls . Here are the deets:

They weren't shipped chicks, I purchased chicks from two different local feed stores Saturday and then Sunday. Both places have a good reputation and all of the chicks looked clean and perky.

The chick I lost yesterday afternoon was from Store #1 where I bought 2 BO, 1 SLW, 1 GLW and 2 Iowa Blues on Saturday. the Iowa Blues were a breed I hadn't heard of before but looked pretty in the photos they had of adult birds. I lost one Iowa Blue yesterday afternoon.

I went by the feed store last night after work to pick up the chick grit mentioned above and I poked my head in the chick room--they still had a few BO and wyandottes but the Iowa Blues were all gone. Mentioned that I lost a chick but they didn't seem alarmed, and I know that this happens. I bought some chick boost for their water, had previously just been giving plain water. The chick boost is a mix of probiotics, vitamins and electrolytes. The chicken hand recommended it over ACV which I was going to use.

Then I lost the other Iowa Blue last night in much the same fashion. Got home from the feed store and she looked a tad droopy. But the end of dinnertime she was gone.

I then meticulously went through the brooder, changed the bedding, feed and water. Added the probiotics and a dish of grit. Revamped my MHP situation to exactly what @Blooie posted in her tutorial. (Before I had a heat mat that the chicks stood/laid on, inside a small cardboard box turned on it's side like a cave--never had seen this setup before but a friend of ours who has raised many chickens loaned it to us and said it's what shes always used with success so I went with it, but didn't feel like it was warm enough or secure enough for them so I ditched that for the MHP)

I meticulously checked over all of my remaining 9 chicks, and the SLW from the same feed store had started to look a little droopy as well. Honestly the only symptom I had noticed in the Iowa Blues was their wings just looked a little droopy. Their wing tips weren't dragging on the ground but they were definitely not holding them up against their bodies as tightly as normal, if that makes sense. The SLW had started to look a little bit the same. Her bottom was a little dirty but the vent was clear, I cleaned it all up anyway and added some coconut oil. Put her in front of the water and she had a little drink, I scooted them all under the MHP and hoped for the best. I thought about separating her but DH thought maybe hold off a bit. This morning she seems better! Which is good. And her bottom looks clean and fluffy. I'll go home at lunch and check on them again, hopefully all is well. The other two looked fine until they weren't, so I'm trying to stay positive instead of paranoid.

As an aside, the chicks I bought from Store #2 on Sunday are 2 Welsummers and 2 EE, and 1 Cuckoo Maran. All of those are well so far, no issues.

Sorry if that was more information that you were looking for, LOL! But any insight from more experienced chick mamas and daddies is always appreciated!

 

[debid]

Feed store chicks are shipped chicks. The hatchery just shipped them to a store instead of your house. The chicks you might buy from a local breeder or a local hatchery that you drive to haven't been through the stress of shipping.

I hope you're past the losses now.

 

[mcstewartchick]

Feed store chicks are shipped chicks. The hatchery just shipped them to a store instead of your house. The chicks you might buy from a local breeder or a local hatchery that you drive to haven't been through the stress of shipping.

I hope you're past the losses now.

Good point @debid ! I just meant, they weren't shipped to my house but you're right, that probably doesn't matter much. Thanks for pointing out that clarification!
And I hope so too. Thank you.

 

[Kiki]

Good point @debid ! I just meant, they weren't shipped to my house but you're right, that probably doesn't matter much. Thanks for pointing out that clarification!
And I hope so too. Thank you.

I guess I could have phrased it that way.....as far as being shipped or bought from a local breeder.

Anyways...
I'm glad they are all thriving..the vitamins should help boost their immune system and get them off to a better start.
Do you have a coop built and ready?
You do know they are about to grow like weeds!

 

[mcstewartchick]

I guess I could have phrased it that way.....as far as being shipped or bought from a local breeder.

Anyways...
I'm glad they are all thriving..the vitamins should help boost their immune system and get them off to a better start.
Do you have a coop built and ready?
You do know they are about to grow like weeds!

No worries about the phrasing, I just didn't think of that distinction at first.
They have already changed in just two days...their wing feathers are coming in so quickly. A couple have sprouted short little tail feathers. So cute! So yes, I know they are about to take off!
About to break ground on coop and run. Should have them done in a long weekend...actually more like two, whilst minding all my babies both human and avian.