my pet chicken reviews

[lutherpug]

I lost the weakest one tonight. hopefully the remaining 5 will pull through, but there is one other one that isn't doing wonderful yet so trying to prepare myself to lose that one too. Poor little babies.

littlerae11, how are your babies doing?

 

[littlerae11]

littlerae11, how are your babies doing?

I ended up losing 3 out of the 6. Two of them were in very poor condition when they arrived. I actually thought they were DOA, but they were barely hanging on. I was able to bring them both back to the point that they could stand and walk around, and one even started to eat and drink, but one never wanted to eat or drink on its own, despite my continuous all day efforts to nurse it back it passed that night. Then the other one took a turn for the worst the next morning and I couldn't bring it back. That one died the next afternoon, and then the one that actually seemed to be the strongest when they arrived took a strange turn overnight the first night as well and was lethargic the next day, I tried my best with that one too. Syringe feeding water with Electrolytes, and sugar water. Scrambled egg mixtures, mashed up warm chick started, but for some reason that one passed too. I had no idea why because it was absolutely fine the day before. I held it while it passed :,(
Two of my remaining three have had issues with pasty butt on and off from the start but I've been able to keep it under control. They both seemed a little lethargic this morning and I got really scared I'd lose them too, but I did more water with electrolytes, cleaned their bootys and made up some mash with their food and by the afternoon today all three were doing well. Finally acting like normal chicks. Running around, eating a ton, drinking, and taking quick snoozes before running again. Other than checking their butts quite often I've finally begun to relax. I really hope I don't have to go through losing any others!
Anymore advice on how to get them over the pasty butt? One in particular keeps having issues with it.
They are so dang cute, but I don't know if I'd ever go through the shipping process again. Too dang stressful and it just breaks my heart to lose any of them that way. I knew it was a possibility to have losses but was really hoping they'd all make it. I never knew how emotionally/physically/mentally exhausting it could be to try and nurse 6 chicks back from a stressful trip. Don't want to go through that again. Ever.
Again I'm really not trying to give MPC a bad review! Their customer service has been great through the whole process, and they're refunding me for the three chicks that passed. I just did not have a good experience with the shipping process, and because of that I will probably not order again.
So I guess my advice to everyone out their trying to decide wether or not to use MPC (or any hatchery) is this: MPC does their best to keep their chicks warm and cozy on their journey. My box had lots of hay and two heat packs. The chicks were adorable and a nice variety for an assortment of silkie bantams. I had one with a curled toe, but other than that no weird birth defects. My advice would be if you're going to go with a hatchery I think MPC is great, but do prepare yourself for possibly very stressed chicks if the delivery doesn't go well or takes longer than it should or the weather is very cold. You think you'll be the lucky one to get all perfectly rambunctious happy chicks, you never think you'll be the one to end up with all chicks stressed and barely moving, but it can happen! So be prepared to handle it and possibly having to spend all day and all night with those chickies for however long they need it! It can be an extremely tough situation to go through. I can say that I have learned a lot! But wouldn't want to do it again any time soon!

There's my long post!
I adore my three chickies and I'm glad to hopefully be past the worst of it!!

 

[DreamsInPink]

I am very sorry to hear you lost the 3. I have an order coming in June from MPC... it will be much warmer then, but that could be stressful for them as well.

 

[Blooie]

I'm sorry your experience was so bad. It's heartbreaking to lose them, I know.

And I know how worried you are about the ones you still have. I don't know if anyone has suggested this or not but if you get the pasty butt cleaned off and then dab a little olive or coconut oil - even a bit of Vaseline if you don't have the other things - can really help keep the poop from building up around their vents again. It might take a couple of times, but boy, when I had 22 chicks and I fought PB, it did make a difference. I kept trying to figure out how 22 chicks could end up with 44 butts - it felt like I was cleaning the same ones over and over.

The most common thing that folks blame pasty butt on is high temps in the brooder. Me? I tend to think that eating 24/7, getting very little sleep, and having lights on all the time has a lot to do with it. Under a broody hen, when the sun goes down the chicks scurry under Mom and go to sleep, and they sleep all night through. When the sun comes up, they come out with her, head for the food, and start their day. In a brooder, quite often they are running all over the place until they literally fall on their faces from sheer exhaustion, only to have wide awake brooder-mates tromp on them or start pecking on them and then they are awake again, heading for the food dish. Their little digestive systems are still developing - they aren't designed to eat all day and all night too.

Now, I have no scientific proof to back this up. But how many of us have ever seen pasty butt in chicks under a broody hen?

 

[csneill]

Thanks so much for you post littlerae 11. Sorry for your losses & glad your other 3 chicks are doing well. I'm expecting 6 chicks in May & hope they all get here safely. Thanks for the info on being prepared to do some nursing w the chicks when they arrive. Good stuff to know beforehand.

 

[DreamsInPink]

The most common thing that folks blame pasty butt on is high temps in the brooder. Me?  I tend to think that eating 24/7, getting very little sleep, and having lights on all the time has a lot to do with it.  Under a broody hen, when the sun goes down the chicks scurry under Mom and go to sleep, and they sleep all night through. When the sun comes up, they come out with her, head for the food, and start their day. In a brooder, quite often they are running all over the place until they literally fall on their faces from sheer exhaustion, only to have wide awake brooder-mates tromp on them or start pecking on them and then they are awake again, heading for the food dish.  Their little digestive systems are still developing - they aren't designed to eat all day and all night too.


Now, I have no scientific proof to back this up.  But how many of us have ever seen pasty butt in chicks under a broody hen?

That's a really good theory about the pasty bottom. So, is there anything that can be done? Withhold food at night? Would that be safe?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

 I'm sorry your experience was so bad.  It's heartbreaking to lose them, I know.

And I know how worried you are about the ones you still have.  I don't know if anyone has suggested this or not but if you get the pasty butt cleaned off and then dab a little olive or coconut oil - even a bit of Vaseline if you don't have the other things - can really help keep the poop from building up around their vents again. It might take a couple of times, but boy, when I had 22 chicks and I fought PB, it did make a difference.  I kept trying to figure out how 22 chicks could end up with 44 butts - it felt like I was cleaning the same ones over and over.  

The most common thing that folks blame pasty butt on is high temps in the brooder. Me?  I tend to think that eating 24/7, getting very little sleep, and having lights on all the time has a lot to do with it.  Under a broody hen, when the sun goes down the chicks scurry under Mom and go to sleep, and they sleep all night through. When the sun comes up, they come out with her, head for the food, and start their day. In a brooder, quite often they are running all over the place until they literally fall on their faces from sheer exhaustion, only to have wide awake brooder-mates tromp on them or start pecking on them and then they are awake again, heading for the food dish.  Their little digestive systems are still developing - they aren't designed to eat all day and all night too.


Now, I have no scientific proof to back this up.  But how many of us have ever seen pasty butt in chicks under a broody hen?

My thoughts is that chicks hatched and raised by the momma are usually eating on the second day and they are probably eating some of her poop like most young critters do to get a good start on developing good bugs in their digestive tract.

Shipped chicks have been riding around in a box and are probably constipated and dehydrated. I haven't had much experience with pasty butt and I use a heat lamp. I also put some brown sugar in their water and keep my brooder a bit cooler and well ventilated.

Though I certainly respect your ideas on it Blooie.

 

[DreamsInPink]

My thoughts is that chicks hatched and raised by the momma are usually eating on the second day and they are probably eating some of her poop like most young critters do to get a good start on developing good bugs in their digestive tract.

Shipped chicks have been riding around in a box and are probably constipated and dehydrated. I haven't had much experience with pasty butt and I use a heat lamp. I also put some brown sugar in their water and keep my brooder a bit cooler and well ventilated.

Though I certainly respect your ideas on it Blooie.

Hey there friend!!!

You make some very good points there as well. Especially about the dehydration part. I'm dealing with 2 with pasty bottom and even though I'm able to keep up with it, I'd really like to be able to cure them.

 

[javaferret]

I think you may be onto something about pasty butt and eating 24/7.

I just got my chicks from MPC on Tue, and for the first time having chickens I did not use a heat lamp. I bought one of those eco glow 20, and the chicks have been sleeping most of the night from the time they got here, I do have to keep a night light to keep it from being pitch black in the room cause they peeped bloody murder when I tried turning the room light off the first night (ya they are currently in a stock tank in the house....the garage has been occupied with hubby building stuff out here...).

They seemed to settle down with the faint lighting it provided, and have been quiet. I was concerned they may be cold, but its now Friday, and no pasty butts so far, and they have grown so much, no loses yet (9chicks), and I had not given them any electrolytes or other additives besides the chick puffs from MPC. I never had chicks look so healthy, whether its cause this is the first time I have gotten chicks from MPC or because of the ecoglow, I am not sure, but they have done so well, I am not convinced to never go back to the heat lamps cause not only the fear of catching fire, but I thought it was a bit odd to keep the poor things up all the time with the light.

 

[Bridebeliever]

I got my chicks from MPC (9 of them), I brooded with a heat lamp, didn't feed medicated feed but gave them vitamins in their water. They had access to their food 24/7!and I never had one get pasty butt. Next time I get chicks I do plan to use the Mamma Heating Pad method...just because it seems more natural.