Help - hard butt area on week-old chick

[LKBPhilly]

Hi everyone - we're raising chicks for the first time after losing our older flock to a fox. We picked up 7 chicks four days ago - they were all supposed to be 3-4 days old at that point. The biggest chick is a Cochin and I noticed today that her vent was protruding. I checked again tonight and the area below her vent is hard, dark (as if there's poop right under the surface), and smells more like poop than the other chicks. I've been checking for pasty but twice a day and haven't seen any evidence of that. I've seen some loose poop in their brooder but no blood in stools - not sure which is hers. They 're on medicated feed and she seems to be acting normal.

Should I be worried? Can I do anything to help her?

Thanks!

 

[Mister B]

Interesting. I thought pasty butt when I read and clicked, but you are checking for that. Is the vent area clean?

 

[LKBPhilly]

I should add that her bottom is barer than the other chicks because she was in with older Cochins at the feed store and the staff said they had picked on her

 

[LKBPhilly]

Yes, her vent is clean - no dried poop at all

 

[Mister B]

Haven't seen this. Maybe some expert will pop up in a minute. Doe this chick eat like the others? Drink?

 

[LKBPhilly]

She seems to be eating and drinking like the rest