Is this sticky butt or do I have to keep on top of this?

[09northernchick]

I notice that sometimes my 3 day old chicks have some poop stuck to their bottoms. I have been wiping it off

I went to tidy up one little girl tonight and I just can't get it off. It has dried there. It isn't runny or sticky. It just looks like normal poop that dried there.

Should I just let nature do it's thing, try washing it off again with a wet cloth, or is it pasty butt?

 

[Zahboo]

I would clean it like pasty butt. If it isn't it could quickly form into pasty.

 

[Biddieacres]

Run the bottom under luke warm water to get it to soften and come off. If it stays on too long it could really hurt the chick.

 

[JewellFarm]

Yes definately clean it off and dab olive oil or vaseline on the area. Usually it gets really red and irritated just like a baby would. It you see it continuing you may want to feed medicated feed and also add ground up instant oatmeal to their feed, works wonders for it.

 

[m2wandc]

If you dont' keep pasty butt under control it can be fatal...so keep on cleaning!

 

[Tala]

Quote:
plain cornmeal requires less work than grinding up your oatmeal, and it seems to work

 

[claud]

Pasty butt. I use a warm, wet paper towel and hold it on their butt for a bit to soften the poo, then wipe/pick it off. If it's really hard I put their little butts under warm running water until it comes off(watch the temp!).

You do have to get it off. I had a newly hatched chick with a glob stuck to her butt and when I got it off she took a giant poo.

 

[NJbirdlover]

my little 4 day old BO had "mild" pasty butt , ever since I tried the olive oil-no problem at all

 

[aidenbaby]

I think that addition to cleaning the poo off the next most important thing is to lubricate the area around the vent. That is what helps to prevent is from resticking. You can use ky jelly, vaseline, veggie oil or olive oil. I do give my chicks oatmeal as well as a treat along with worms and grit (if they aren't going outside to play).