Freaking out about pasty butt

[UrbanFarming]

With it being rock hard, do you have a recommendation for best way to clean?

I use a ramekin with warm water and just soak the lil butt in it. My chicks don't seem to mind. Every minute or so I check to see if the poop is soft and if not I pinch it a little to encourage it to break up, then back to the ramekin. Once they're clean I dry them off and put a tiny dab of olive oil on their butt to prevent more pasty butt. Good luck with your chicks and your sick kiddo!

 

[SlipsWife]

I put them next to a trickle of luke warm tap water, and being careful to only get the matted spot wet, gently roll it back and forth in between my fingers until it loosens and washes off. The key is to be gentle and patient, not to pull on it, and not to get the chick wet, but only the matted poo. After that I pat them with paper towel. Some people gently wipe at them with a wet paper towel, but that seems more abrasive than gently rolling your fingers under a stream of water to break it up. Do you still have a heat lamp on them?

I do the same. The water is usually pretty warm, if its really hard it might take a few extra minutes but it will eventually come off. If you have one that keeps getting blocked you might trim the fuzz a little. I've experienced it with so many different groups I think it just happens. From my experience the group of sexed chicks seemed to have it the worst. I've actually notice the opposite of Euarto and felt like to much heat plays a factor. I'm just glad human babies don't have fluffy butts...

 

[Euarto Gullible]

Sometimes it can also be the chick starter. Do they have chick grit?

 

[bhaugh]

I had that happen with a couple of my chicks that just hatched. I now grind the chick starter until the chicks are older.