And pasty butt doesn't last forever. You may only have to clean them once or twice....
Help Please--Pasty Butts, 8 day old chicks
- Thread starter maestra
- Start date
Don`t feel bad! when I got my first chicks I had been on this and another forum and read everything I could find on getting baby chicks. One night after a couple weeks my dh and I was looking at them and they were laying on there sides and rolling around,we thought that they would all be dead in the morning,THEY WERE TAKING A DUST BATH!!We felt kinda dumb and never told anyone.I think the red sexlings are called red sexlinks.I have them and other breeds.I know you will love having chickens I started out with 10 and now I have allmost 40 and I have only been at it 2 1/2 years, it can be very addictive.Sexlinks are grat layers of big brown eggs.Welcome to the world of chickens,no question is to dumb! Ask away
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Yes, the yogurt will probably help a lot. Chicks need to be heated so they can digest their food properly. Since they didn't get enough heat, it probably slowed down their digestion, and in turn, built up bacteria that would otherwise pass through. Since they are young and their immune systems are immature, it was probably just enough to throw them off and give them pasty butt. Don't feel bad, we all have made mistakes when we were just starting out too, and pasty butt is really quite common especially when chicks are shipped. As everyone else said, you can wash off the poop with a warm water bath.
Yes, the yogurt will probably help a lot. Chicks need to be heated so they can digest their food properly. Since they didn't get enough heat, it probably slowed down their digestion, and in turn, built up bacteria that would otherwise pass through. Since they are young and their immune systems are immature, it was probably just enough to throw them off and give them pasty butt. Don't feel bad, we all have made mistakes when we were just starting out too, and pasty butt is really quite common especially when chicks are shipped. As everyone else said, you can wash off the poop with a warm water bath.
What happened to you is not uncommon as baby chicks are so different to care for then puppies and kittens. They are so darn cute but truly need specific care.
The other thing you may not be aware of yet is the dust they create. Unlike most people I researched diet, care, behavior, proper housing and predator control for chickens for a year
before I got my chicks and was quite prepared for anything--or so I thought. I kept hearing about the dust. So what, I thought? Well trust me---cover everything you don't want to clean every morning!!
You will be amazed how much dust 4 (in my case 5) chicks will produce!! Especially as they get around 2 weeks and older. I even used a big box fan with a filter and could still write my name on the counter each morning. It can wreak havoc on your allergies too.
Seems like you got good advice on this problem. I have read that giving them a little chick grit (NO calcium) or sand can sometimes help with pasty butt too. Don't let the water sit under the heat light as they don't like it when its too hot and they need to drink often.
Good luck on your chicken journey!
The other thing you may not be aware of yet is the dust they create. Unlike most people I researched diet, care, behavior, proper housing and predator control for chickens for a year
Seems like you got good advice on this problem. I have read that giving them a little chick grit (NO calcium) or sand can sometimes help with pasty butt too. Don't let the water sit under the heat light as they don't like it when its too hot and they need to drink often.
Good luck on your chicken journey!
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Katie, you're doing great and the chicks will be okay! I know how you feel about getting attached to them - there is something wondrous about taking care of tiny creatures that are only days old. I have ten 2-month old pullets (my first chickens ever) so I'm a newbie too. I started out with 12 though and it sure is sad to lose one. You've already gotten great advice about the pasty butts - it's something to keep an eye on for the next couple of weeks but it shouldn't be as bad as what you've already taken care of. About the feed, I think grinding it is a good idea. When I was awaiting my chick order to arrive, I went to Tractor Supply to buy food. I told the salesman that I was getting day-old chicks and I needed food for them. He sold me something that I think would be known as "starter/grower crumbles". I think that this was too difficult for my chicks to get down. They were eating it, but I think they were having trouble with it. My friend who is more experienced with chickens gave me what she called "starter mash" - it came from Agway and it was basically a powder. This was much easier for the chicks to eat and they ate a lot more of it.
The first chick that I lost arrived weak and someone more experienced than me may have been able to save it, but I couldn't. I was more sad about the 2nd one that I lost, and I do wonder if starting them on the powder mash might have made a difference with that one. I didn't change the food until the day that one died (5 days after they arrived).
Good luck! You and your twins are going to love them! (I have 9 year old twins by the way - such fun!!
)
Katie, you're doing great and the chicks will be okay! I know how you feel about getting attached to them - there is something wondrous about taking care of tiny creatures that are only days old. I have ten 2-month old pullets (my first chickens ever) so I'm a newbie too. I started out with 12 though and it sure is sad to lose one. You've already gotten great advice about the pasty butts - it's something to keep an eye on for the next couple of weeks but it shouldn't be as bad as what you've already taken care of. About the feed, I think grinding it is a good idea. When I was awaiting my chick order to arrive, I went to Tractor Supply to buy food. I told the salesman that I was getting day-old chicks and I needed food for them. He sold me something that I think would be known as "starter/grower crumbles". I think that this was too difficult for my chicks to get down. They were eating it, but I think they were having trouble with it. My friend who is more experienced with chickens gave me what she called "starter mash" - it came from Agway and it was basically a powder. This was much easier for the chicks to eat and they ate a lot more of it.
The first chick that I lost arrived weak and someone more experienced than me may have been able to save it, but I couldn't. I was more sad about the 2nd one that I lost, and I do wonder if starting them on the powder mash might have made a difference with that one. I didn't change the food until the day that one died (5 days after they arrived).
Good luck! You and your twins are going to love them! (I have 9 year old twins by the way - such fun!!
How are your 4 chicks doing?
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