Help Please--Stopped up Butts

[maestra]

I am double posting this here and in the raising baby chick forum, in the hopes of getting as many responses as soon as possible... thank you

This is our first time having baby chicks, and as such have a lot to learn... I have been reading this board throughout the night, and have already found it to be so informative for our problem we are having, but do need some more advice...
Our situation is the following:
We bought and brought home four 3 day baby chicks--2 Barred Rock and 2 Red Sexlings--they are now 8 days old.
Apparently we did not have their box warm enough with the one lightbulb that was in the first 3 nights, as any time I checked on them, they were huddled together in the middle, underneath it, never once laying down to sleep (at the time I was thinking they slept standing, dumb me)sad. We feel so bad about this, and have already beat ourselves up enough, so please don't come down hard asking why or how, as quite honestly, we just didn't know. Yesterday I switched out the white basic lightbulb for a much warmer infrared one, placed our refrigerator thermometer in there, which only goes up to 80 degrees-- I would guess it to be around 90 at the bottom where they are. For the first time since we brought them home, they layed down, spread out, and slept... poor little babies have been in a high state of survival stress and I am upset and heartbroken over this---whoever knew I could fall in love with 4 little chickies. I didn't think one of the barred rocks would make it through the night, but constant monitoring and 'encouraging' of sugar water, along with the warmth and sleep, and she is up and walking around this morning!

The problem that we now face is the following... their little butts are so impacted looking with layer of layer of crusted over poop--looks like more poop won't be able to get out until I clear this outside blockage... I already tried q-tips and a warm wash cloth, but not with much luck...
What can I do to clean their bottoms and free them of this hard crusted stuck on poop? Nothing? Something?
Please help...
Thank you so much,
Katie & Family

 

[Chickengal505]

They have pastey butt... The poop snags on there fluffy bums and clogs there poopy hole (vent) and they can not expel waste and they die.

BUT you can soak there bums in a dish of WARM (not hot) *soapy water. The poopy will disolve in the water and you can wipe them with wet- wipes.



*use dawn or pet shampoo

 

[maestra]

Now what....?
So I was successfully able to remove the poop by dipping their little butts in some warm water---much to their displeasure, poor little babies---but now they are wet, frightened, and cold, in spite of the fact that I lowered the red light bulb a bit to warm them up and tried my best to towel dry them off.

What is the best way to dry them or will they take care of that themselves with the heat lamp?
Might this be a continual issue with their poop/butts? Just trying to prepare myself for what's ahead, as that was pretty traumatizing for the chickies and me and my 6 year old twins as they watched on...roll

Also, I checked on the feed that the store sold us and it is the following:

Ace Hi by Star Milling Co.
A Complete Food
Formula for all Breeds
Chick Starter Mash

They have been receiving it dry. Should I moisten it a bit for them? Is there a different/more preferred food I should be giving them?

Lordy, lordy.... little did I know what I was getting into, and I wouldn't change it... Just want my little babies to be okay...
Thank you all for any offered suggestions..... Greatly and humbly appreciated...

Katie & Family

 

[Chickengal505]

Oh did i for get you'll need to add another heat source such as a heating pad...

Curse

you

short

term

memory

loss

just keep up with the wet wipes or a warm wash cloth try to stay away from any more water baths if you wipe them regularly it might not get that bad... call your local feed stor and see if they have any meds. for dirrea in chickens put VERY little just a pinch and add more little at a time if it does not inprove oh ya it goes in the waterer

 

[Chickengal505]

LOL i did not see the end of your post... Try any light antibiotic given thu the water

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Antibiotic will make the pasty butt issue worse. You can give them a vitamin/electrolyte solution in their water to help with dehydration. If you can't find any of that at the farm store, you can add some unflavored pedialyte or gatorade solution to their water.

 

[karmical]

I had the same butt issue with one of my chickies...she is three years old now and lays her little heart out. Hang in there...sounds like you are doing all the right things. I stayed away from antibiotics or anything remotely like that with this problem...diligence was the best course of action from my experience with it. Just keep checking that butt and wiping when needed (try to avoid getting her completely wet, as someone else posted). If you can, make her feel like she's getting a treat for putting up with it...have someone hold out some wet food for her while you're doing the butt check/clean...gentle as you can. Once they get a little bigger (even just a week makes a big difference), this problem goes away. My girl who had this problem has always been a little leery of being picked up, but is by no means difficult to handle as a result. Once they're older, you eventually figure out how to make it so they think it was their idea to let you handle them. Good luck!!