Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

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Some of mine are starting to snuggle on top. Most stay when I put them under though but some run out. Last night was a major struggle. The same few kept running out and I had to chase them around the brooder practically lol qnd I'd put them in and go catch the other and out that one would come again xD finally though I snatched them and went to the light as fast as I could and.shut it off before they could come out again LOL I had wondered if it was maybe the lack of the wire frame or what but the sides of MHP are just as warm if they wanted to touch it (and they do just that during the day) yet they all pile on at night or sometimes day so I do believe they are already trying to roost LOL they turn a week old Monday already. :hit
 
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Btw were going to get more shavings and hardware cloth and then I am fully cleaning out the brooder, putting new shavings in, and making and putting MHP in, which wont take long, plus replacing the water. I may make a new brooder space too, hopefully bigger, or at least enclose the pool in HC, so I can put them back in the garage and so they have more room. This will all be done either today or tomorrow. Probably in stages. Lots to do haha oh and with the HC I hope to somehow make it more ventilated. The barn is a bigger space too though so that will help.
 
I know this is the wrong place and I did make my own thread for this so I'm sorry but I'm desperate and figured I'd also ask someone who knows my chicks, though it's copied from the other post so directed to those who don't so sorry.

I just checked on the chicks (we've been gone all afternoon again) and noticed that one of chicks appears to have a very dirty bum (all the others are nice and clean) so I picked her up and it seems to be possibly pasty butt? Or maybe just diarrhea? As you can see, the actual vent appears clean but very red. I just took photos of all the chicks late last nighr and it wasn't there and it was not there this morning either so happened some time this afternoon. I accidentally touched it twice picking her up (GROSS!) and it's wet. I plan on wiping her down either way but if it something else I want to know. And I'm guessing this needs to happen tonight and not wait? Plan to anyway but just making sure. They turn a week old on Monday and I believe she is currently the smallest. One chick had a neck issue but not this one and that one appears better and growing fast like the others, this girl is now the small one. I have 9, 2 BRs, 2 BAs, 3 BOs (I think, one is the free one), and 2 EEs. Pretty sure this little girl is one of the barred rocks. They are in a small kiddy pool with fairly high cardboard sides in the bathroom and MHP method. The window is usually closed but I plan on opening it during the day. They are moving to the garage this weekend though and hopefully a bigger brooder. They are on pine shavings and I have not changed bedding yet and didn't stir or do anything the first few days (I know, bad) but I did take everything out and stir/mix and fluff up the bedding yesterday. Also replaced the water first time yesterday (it was clean and they weren't drinking much. Am now replacing daily). I plan on fully changing out the bedding tomorrow and then adding an inch a day and changing every few days. Am also switching to paper and/or aspen bedding (bought both today). On Agway medicated chick starter and grower. And it smells up there which is a large reason I'm changing the bedding but we didn't have a scoopor anymore bedding to do it until today. All seem very healthy and active though but this one seems pretty sleepy last few days and falls asleep in my hands. Bedding and food seems dusty. I think the main issue is the lack of ventilation but could she have something else? And will she pull through if I clean her bum and change the bedding?

Awful pics but she was moving and peeping. Bum is much redder than that.

Oh and they are from Meyer's and vaccinated for Marek's and, again, on medicated feed.

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That looks like Pasty Butt and you need to get your butt in gear. Yes, it's gross to touch. But it can also be fatal to chicks because they can't poop out what's backing up. So get that chick to the nearest sink, wash and gently pick that stuff off, dry her little hiney, and then get some olive oil or coconut oil dabbed on the area. You want to try to prevent more poop from sticking. You may have to do this a couple of times, and watch the other chicks for it too.

One of the things I'm noticing throughout your posts, no matter which thread you're on, is that you always seem to flipping lights off and on, grabbing chicks, chasing chicks and generally in a state of near panic.....you need to stop that. If you are going to be doing all of that you could just as well start brooding under a heat lamp. The entire purpose for using MHP is that the chicks are calmer and under far less stress. Get them into a brooder you can be happy with and get them covered so they can't escape. Then make sure they have food and water, and let them settle down. They are going to need Zanax in their water if this keeps up.
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I just rinsed her off (maybe too much? ) and she's wrapped in a towel now. She might be shivering. :( trying to let her chill while wrapped and drying. I dipped her bum a couple times (enough to get it off) then took a Q Tip. Good news is she was peeping loud and once I Q Tipped stuff started coming out with peeping. Will total dry and olive oil.

And well I leave the light on during the day but you're right that I always grab them. Especially at night when they're trying to settle. I guess I want pictures or something but maybe I will start having to come up during the day and do it the old way - befriending them!!
 
Good job. Now, take a deep breath and relax. Although raising chicks takes time and dedication, it's not rocket science. If they have warmth, food, and water, and a place to go if they get spooked, they do very well.

If she's been chilled by the process, run a hair dryer (not on hot, high) over her to dry her and warm her up, then get her under MPH and turn off the lights so she (and the others) can finally get a full night's sleep. Sometimes even a few days after getting them home, one or two go sour and just fail to thrive. It happens. And when it does you take the best care of them possible and if they don't make it you put on your big kid britches and get on with taking good care of the ones that are left.

I have said that chicks I've raised using MHP outside don't seem to get pasty butt, nor do chicks raised naturally under a broody hen. But I have also said that I have no scientific proof of this - just my own observations. I had a few chicks in the last batch that came to me with pasty butt already, but one treatment for most and a second treatment for just a couple of them resolved it with no recurrence. That means that out of 23 chicks I cleaned 4 pasty butts once, and two of those twice. With my first batch of 23 chicks last year, raised under a heat lamp, I fought pasty butt in almost all of them....18 out of the 23 had it and had it more than once. So while what I said about MHP chicks applied to MINE, I simply can't say categorically that MHP has any kind of magic other than keeping stress levels way down and temperatures more gentle and even, and that is what I believe makes the difference.

Good luck!
 

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