HELP - my chicks have swollen butts

[luke835]

I have 30 Cornish X chicks and a few of them have a swollen and bare area beneath the vent. I palpated the area and it is soft so i do not think it is a bowel obstruction or compaction. The chicks seem fine by personality and are still eating normally. Any advice or insight would be awesome. I will try to put a picture on tomorrow.

Thanks

 

[J-Sanders]

What is the floor of your pen made of?

Jim

 

[booker81]

Have you raised CX before? I only ask because they definately do not grow like standard breeds, and they often have a bare red booty - they are feed conversion machines, and need somewhere to put those over sized guts. They also tend to outgrow their feathers, so often look bare and funny.

As long as the skin isn't showing signs of sores or oozing, it's probably just normal CX conformation.

 

[luke835]

This is my first shot at raising Cornish X. They seem to be acting fine with no oozing so I am not too worried. The floor is a wood floor of a barn covered with hay.

 

[booker81]

I thought I had some pictures, but the best I have is some video - you can see the red butts on them (mine were REALLY active and crazy to the end. No one ever got hurt, but they liked to spar a lot).

 

[Kildare49]

Yep, they look like typical x's from what I can see on the video.

 

[Bellurd]

Probably Ascites. HAd it happen to one of my EE's.
Here's a helpful link:
http://www.millerhatcheries.com/inf...nfo/Ascites (waterbelly)_in_Meat_Chickens.htm