hard "paste" on chicks butts what do i do?

[jadie]

i just bought chicks and it seems that 2 of them have this darkish hard pasty stuff on their buts i noticed it seemed like one was trying to go to the bathroom but couldnt i dont want to scrape it of because that could lead to tearing the skin, etc. but im not sure how to get rid of it this is my first time with chicks also how do you prevent it thanks

 

[Hennyhandler]

It is called pasty butt and it happens to chicks sometimes. Checking on them so often and can stop it from getting to bad. What you can do is run warm water on the area and it should slowly come off. You can also use baby oil too which is what I use. It is a little easier and I don't think it scares them as much. You can use a cotton ball to help remove it. I hope this helps. It will take time, be patient, and it will come off.

 

[leemamahen]

Two of my chicks had this when I brought them home. Some people say to wet a paper towel and wipe it off. I actually held their little butts under my faucet and wiped gently with warm water running over it. I dried them off a bit and used a q tip with a bit of mineral oil around the vent, put them back under the heat lamp and they were fine. That was the only time I had to do it.

 

[milola]

I have read things about what is called "pasty butt" on these forums. You could probably search it under the emergency threads. I believe you have to immediately get it washed off. The one you said looked like it was trying to go probably was but it can't because of the dried on poo. Hurry and get it washed off. And then I think they tell you to add a little Raw apple cider vinegar to their water to help prevent it happening again.

 

[gimmie birdies]

the darkish hard stuff is it really on their butts or more under their bellies? it might be their crusted navel. it gets black. I should fall off after a while.but if it is poo on their butts I soak their butts with a warm wash cloth.

 

[Marg12]

I recently lost three new chickens this way. For the third one, I went to the vet and was told to bathe the butt with warm salty water and use a cotton bud to clean off the paste. If this works, good. If not, the chicken does not have a properly formed vent and will die no matter what you do. Next day it died. All the other chicks are fine.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

"Pasty Butt" once commonly known as bacillary white diarrhea (B.W. D.) has been recognized as one of the worst poultry diseases. I am unsure about the present, but once B. W. D. or salmonella Pullorum as its known today is a disease that a hatchery was required to test for and report to the USDA or their State Agriculture Department if their breeding stock tested positive. A negative test was required to ship chicks or hatching eggs in interstate commerce. If your birds do have salmonella Pullorum any chick that survives becomes a carrier for life. One carrier chick has the potential to infect every clean adult bird that it comes into contact with. Chicks however are usually infected through the egg.

http://animal-health.library4farmin...SITES-AFFECTING-poultry/Pullorum-Disease.html

Be sure to only buy chicks from hatcheries that are on the USDA list of hatcheries that have been tested by the National Poultry Improvement Program (NPIP) and found to be clean.

Ask who ever you buy chicks from whether they hatch and ship their own chicks or if they lay off your order to a hatchery nearer to you and then this second hatchery ships your chicks under the name of the hatchery that you ordered from.