Help with my "Funky butt" chick

[foreverdavis]

My chick with the butt problem is just getting worse and she peeps very loudly--assume she is in pain (or lonely since I have her quarantined). Her bottom and now abdomen is now bare and icky. I've googled and searched and have no idea what is wrong with her. She is still lively--I don't think she is eating that much, but is drinking water. I'm feeding medicated chick starter. She seems to like to stay right under the heat--more so than the others. Anyone have any ideas at all?
Angie

 

[colebarnhart]

What do you mean "icky", is it what people call pasty butt? Is it plugged up with fecal matter and have you tried to clean it off? A lot of BYC people recommend plain yogurt and/or organic apple cider vinegar with the "mother" still in it and if you do use the ACV, don't use a metal water dish

 

[mtngrl812]

 

[jaimepowell]

I dealt with that for almost 2 weeks with one of my little bantam chicks. Poor little thing seemed fine but was pasted up day and night. He got to the point he would not even try to wiggle when I was cleaning him under the faucet. He also spent the majority of his time under the heat lamp. He finally got better and has no problems now I didn't do anything special besides making sure to clean him off atleast twice a day...just took some time and some tlc. Good luck!

 

[Anianna]

If it's pasty butt, she'll have poo caked up at the vent area. That needs to be cleaned immediately and it comes off better if you run her bottom under gently running warm (not hot) water or use a damp rag. The fluff sometimes comes off with the poo and is nothing to worry about. After she is clean and dry, use a Q-tip to gently apply some olive oil to the area to help future poos stick less. You may have to repeat this several times a day for a few days, but it should clear up in a matter of days. Above all else, do not leave the vent blocked. A blocked vent can be fatal.

 

[colebarnhart]

Quote:
Yeah, she is probably lonely, is it for sure a she? Probably doesn't need to be quarantined, just butt cleaned.... It's not sounding like a real good story so far and probably not have a good ending, hope you see some improvement.

 

[foreverdavis]

What do I mean by icky? Hmmm....bare skin for one. I didn't knock the fuzz off--she has had pasty butt, but the fuzz was off the first 24 hrs after arrival without any intervention by me. After one cleaning, her abdomen fuzz came off. When I get her to clean her off, there is usually soft poo on her--not dried up at all--so "icky" is the word. I have been using rose salve like vaseline, because my grandfather used it on his chickens--this may be part of the icky actually. There is also a strange bump to the side--so not the vent or belly button? No more has come off since the abdomen went bare. She isn't eating or drinking today. Should I put her with the rest? She has been with them, so if it were contagious, I would think that it would have spread already. I'm just afraid that they will start pecking.

PS I call her "she" because I want them all to be "she"--lol. I'm willing it to happen.

Angie

 

[Anianna]

I would not recommend putting her back with the others at this point. Can you take pictures so we can have a better idea of what you mean? It might help us help you.

 

[ladyride]

other than keeping clean try the plain yogurt & acv in nonmetallic container don't place back other chicks stuffed animal or feather duster maybe

 

[rhs7111]

The chick probably has constipation and pasty butt. You need to give her molasses water. Put one large drop if food grade molasses in to one tablespoon of WARM water. Make the chick drink 7-12 sips being very careful not to submerge the nostrils (aspiration is fatal). Make the molasses water fresh so it won't ferment. Doing this for 3-4 days usually regulates the chick. Make sure all non-molasses water fordrinlibg is tepid, not cool, for all chicks. Also you must clean the feces off the chick's bottom, as the previous posters described. Pasty butt is not contagious, nor is constipation; both are usually caused by stress ( shipping, chills, etc.)