Is this pasty butt in a chick or just a dirty butt?

[wtxgrl]

We are new to chicken care. We lost 2 chicks the first night we got them home, one was acting weak and lethargic and we did try molasses water but they died during the night. The second chick seemed slightly lethargic. The other chicks have all seemed fine and its been 2 days since then. Everyone seems fine, eating, chirping, running around the brooders. Weve been cleaning daily, fresh food and water. But i just spotted one whos hiney looks dirty. The cloaca looks ok, not red or swollen or anything and i think it looks clear, just looks like its dirty around. I read that sometimes cleaning a pasty but can cause more pasty butt, so i dont wanna clean her off if i shouldnt. Whats your thoughts?

 

[DobieLover]

We are new to chicken care. We lost 2 chicks the first night we got them home, one was acting weak and lethargic and we did try molasses water but they died during the night. The second chick seemed slightly lethargic. The other chicks have all seemed fine and its been 2 days since then. Everyone seems fine, eating, chirping, running around the brooders. Weve been cleaning daily, fresh food and water. But i just spotted one whos hiney looks dirty. The cloaca looks ok, not red or swollen or anything and i think it looks clear, just looks like its dirty around. I read that sometimes cleaning a pasty but can cause more pasty butt, so i dont wanna clean her off if i shouldnt. Whats your thoughts?

Clean her.
What is the temp in the brooder? What is your heat source? Can you post pictures of your setup?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would clean that off.
Stick the bum under warm running water and work the poop off gently.

Dry the chick well, I usually use a hair dryer on low - careful not to get too close to the delicate skin.

Never heard of cleaning a pasty can cause more pasty - do you have a link?
I could see if the chick became chilled and not dried well, that could cause some problems.

Welcome To BYC! Glad you're here! Don't forget to go to the New Members forum and introduce yourself

 

[wtxgrl]

Clean her.
What is the temp in the brooder? What is your heat source? Can you post pictures of your setup?

We had to run to town so i can post a pic in an hour or so. But the heat source is a heat lamp thats hanging about 2 1/2 feet above the brooder. I have 2 large plastic totes for brooders. They are lined with shredded paper. I have a thermometer monitoring temp and were about 90-95 ish. Ive been hovering over them since we got them so im monitoring pretty closely.

 

[wtxgrl]

I would clean that off.
Stick the bum under warm running water and work the poop off gently.

Dry the chick well, I usually use a hair dryer on low - careful not to get too close to the delicate skin.

Never heard of cleaning a pasty can cause more pasty - do you have a link?
I could see if the chick became chilled and not dried well, that could cause some problems.

Welcome To BYC! Glad you're here! Don't forget to go to the New Members forum and introduce yourself

I had googled pasty butt and was reading on purina mills. And it was in reference to them getting a chill. Ill post a pic. I guess im just a nervous chicky mama. New. Lol. Oh, and i did post a hello

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I had googled pasty butt and was reading on purina mills. And it was in reference to them getting a chill. Ill post a pic. I guess im just a nervous chicky mama. New. Lol. Oh, and i did post a hello

Gotcha!
Looks like you were already reading up and getting some good info!
LOL We all have been there...I still watch babies like crazy (and the adults too).

 

[wtxgrl]

So i have been watching closely and we are having a slight issue still. So we are using a waterer thats like an upside down bucket with a tray attached and we had it sitting in the bedsing. I know we had chicks walking in it and getting their butts wet. I think this may have encouraged pasty butt? Its now hanging slightly above the bedding and the number of chics with pasty butt has decreased - i hadnt updated but i had checked every chick and found a few with it. None really bad, but i cleaned them nontheless. But anyways.
The concern i have is i know for a fact one specific chick has had it everyday, Piplup. She is the littlest chick in the batch that we got from the feed store and developmentally shes keeping pace (amount of wing feathers that have come in, etc). But she is really small! She is very sassy, she drinks fine, shes one of the braver chicks, shes shoved the much larger easter eggers outta her way to get food. She also acts like a loner, sometimes i catch her all by her self while the others pile together. And she keeps getting pasty butt. Its not red or really swollen, ive been SO delicate to try to not hurt her or pull feathers. What gives? And what do you use to keep it from coming back?
Poor Piplup!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So i have been watching closely and we are having a slight issue still. So we are using a waterer thats like an upside down bucket with a tray attached and we had it sitting in the bedsing. I know we had chicks walking in it and getting their butts wet. I think this may have encouraged pasty butt? Its now hanging slightly above the bedding and the number of chics with pasty butt has decreased - i hadnt updated but i had checked every chick and found a few with it. None really bad, but i cleaned them nontheless. But anyways.
The concern i have is i know for a fact one specific chick has had it everyday, Piplup. She is the littlest chick in the batch that we got from the feed store and developmentally shes keeping pace (amount of wing feathers that have come in, etc). But she is really small! She is very sassy, she drinks fine, shes one of the braver chicks, shes shoved the much larger easter eggers outta her way to get food. She also acts like a loner, sometimes i catch her all by her self while the others pile together. And she keeps getting pasty butt. Its not red or really swollen, ive been SO delicate to try to not hurt her or pull feathers. What gives? And what do you use to keep it from coming back?
Poor Piplup!

Good idea raising the water station.

Hard to know why she's smaller...some chicks seem tiny, then have a growth spurt. If she's eating/drinking and active, the I would just keep watch on her. Sounds like she's doing o.k. on that front.

Is the vent pasting over or just getting dirty?
Temperature does have a bearing on pasty butt, but some chicks do seem to be a bit more messy. You could try probiotics to see if that makes a difference. Does she seem cold or hot?

 

[DayAnn]

Sometimes cheap feed can cause pasty butt, in my experience. Maybe try to add some electrolytes and digestives meds to the water. you can get packs of it at tractor supply. Cheap

 

[Kel Jo]

We are new to chicken care. We lost 2 chicks the first night we got them home, one was acting weak and lethargic and we did try molasses water but they died during the night. The second chick seemed slightly lethargic. The other chicks have all seemed fine and its been 2 days since then. Everyone seems fine, eating, chirping, running around the brooders. Weve been cleaning daily, fresh food and water. But i just spotted one whos hiney looks dirty. The cloaca looks ok, not red or swollen or anything and i think it looks clear, just looks like its dirty around. I read that sometimes cleaning a pasty but can cause more pasty butt, so i dont wanna clean her off if i shouldnt. Whats your thoughts?

I had a baby chick with a big clump of poo stuck to its butt. I took a bowl of luke warm water and paper towel and ever so gently worked the bum clean. Then I used a hair dryer on low setting and at a good distance to be careful not to get too close and dried its feathers. By that time the poor baby didn’t make a peep. Think he realized he felt much better. I took a qtip and put just a smidge of auqaphor on his butt. It worked great! I read that since mother hen isn’t there to clean them you will have to. Hope this helps!