help please! I think one of the chicks has pasty butt!

[spiritdance]

here's a "hints from Heloise" for pasty butt (works great). Take an ouchless bandaide (regular size), soak the pad with warm vegetable oil, and place the bandaide on the chick with pad over the pasty gunk. Put the chick back in the brooder and go watch your favorite half hour show (or come on here and have a scintillating discussion with your fellow BYC geniuses). Then take the chick out of the brooder and remove bandaide (remember, it's ouchless so it won't stick too tightly to little feathers). Voila ... pasty gunk remains on bandaide pad. I tried this because I had several chicks paste up on me when a brooder heater went wonky and the brooder got too warm. No losses since I check my temps regularly, but some pasted up. After working on one chick for over half an hour and getting worried that the old standby "soak and wipe" was going to leave it sore, I thought about trying this ... as I said, works great!

 

[KlaHaYa Gardens]

Heloise keeps chickens?!

Been years since I read any of her stuff.

 

[spiritdance]

Quote:
LOL not really from Heloise, just borrowed the term. I thought of it, in all honesty, because earlier in the evening I had changed a bandaide for my DD and ... well, you know what they do to scabs ... I just thought if it did that without anything but kid sweat, it might work for pasty butt with a little "grease". I've been using this approach ever since.

 

[KlaHaYa Gardens]

Quote:
LOL not really from Heloise, just borrowed the term. I thought of it, in all honesty, because earlier in the evening I had changed a bandaide for my DD and ... well, you know what they do to scabs ... I just thought if it did that without anything but kid sweat, it might work for pasty butt with a little "grease". I've been using this approach ever since.

Ahh.

 

[onlyme8]

Quote:
Actually, if their butt pastes over it can prevent them from pooping and kill them. Sometimes it does resolve on its own, but its better to gently remove it.

x2

I didn't notice that one of my chicks had a stuck turd until it was really, really stuck & obstructing about half of her vent. It was a struggle to get it out/off and her vent was swollen for about a day. I had to soak, wipe, soak, wipe, soak, wipe about a zillion times before I got it.. but she was suuuper greatful and really well behaved the entire time.

Oh, sorry I guess I didn't realize that your chicken's pasty butt is probobly a lot worse then mine, and I've never had chick's before this, just full grown chickens.
You guys are probobly a lot more experienced too.

My chick's situation wasn't nearly as bad as you described,anyway.

 

[Anianna]

Quote:
Awesome.

 

[CupOJoe42]

Would it help (for newbies and such) to swab a little olive oil on the chicks vent area as soon as they arrive as a preventative for pasty butt?

My chicks aren't coming until August, and I am already a neurotic wreck. My DH thinks it's funny that I am mumbling about salad bars, pasty butts, vanilla air freshener fly repellent, etc. in my sleep.

Not related to pasty butts (but neurotic non the less):
I have 15+ chicks coming and 4 of them are Silkies. Should I keep the Silkies separate from the others right from the start? I am so afraid that they will get picked on. Do I bring them indoors in the colder weather, or will they be okay if the coop is insulated? I also need to know how to pre-treat the brooder and coop for lice, mites, etc. Do you worm your chickens twice a year regardless of whether they have worms, or do you just feed them pumpkin as a preventative? TIA

 

[cackydoodledoo]

I think it would be really helpful if someone has a pic that they could post of pasty butt!! That way OP might know better what they are looking for and what not to mess with! Anyone got some pasty butt pics???

 

[MydearWatson]

Quote:

 

[Anianna]

I don't have pics of my own, but beverlyl posted some here.