New chick with pooper problems

petrel

Chats with Chickens
10 Years
Aug 4, 2013
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Spotsylvania, Virginia
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These are my first chickens, so please bear with me. I have a two week old chick who has been having bowel problems since she arrived.

First she presented with what I diagnosed, through extensive reading on this site, as pasty butt. We cleaned her with warm running water and moistened towels.

Although the other 9 chicks appear to be very healthy, we discontinued the electrolyte additive in the water (at about day four) and switched to 1tbs of ACV to the gallon of water. Took them off of the Dumoor starter, and put them on fine ground Countryside Organics starter/grower.

After a few more days, again everyone else seems fine. This chick is healthy and happy. She eats, drinks and chases bugs in the brooder with the rest, until she becomes plugged!

We can hear her call out when she is trying to poop. She can get about a quarter inch out, then hangs up. Sometimes she pecks it out or rubs it off, sometimes we have to help her. This makes a mess of her rear end, so the warm water washes and an occasional very gentle massaging/expressing is necessary to get her some relief. She resumes normal activity almost immediately once her obstruction has been relieved.

We began adding chick grit to the feed last week, and have offered yogurt, yogurt mixed with feed, and yogurt mixed with ground oatmeal to her/them. She is one of the few who won’t go near it.

Tuesday will mark three weeks for these chicks. She was the smallest in the bunch until we added four new chicks this week, but a considerable bully at roosting time and continues to take what appears to be reasonable amounts of feed and water. What ails this chick??!

Thanks in advance for your time and insight.
 
I would take the poor thing to the vet... But if that doesnt work I would keep it in isolation for about an hour a day with some water, it sounds like constipation...
 
Everything you are doing sounds right. Probably the only thing I would advise, would be to smear Vaseline around the butt to stop any poop attaching to the feathers, and perhaps a little oil mixed in with the starter mash.
 
They make such a fuss when we separate them. I feel like isolation causes them more stress. We just moved them all to their new coop. Maybe a little fresh air and sunshine will help.

We've been applying a little olive oil around the vent to prevent sticking. Unfortunately, it makes such a mess of her feathers that she preens incessantly.

How would you get her to eat feed mixed with oil?

Thanks to all for the assistance.
 
She is still pushing, but now succeeding without assistance. Everyone but my afflicted chick takes an interest in yogurt. The sardines are an interesting idea.

I tried to feed them some watermelon rinds today with no takers. I'm going to try the sardines on Thursday, if there is no further improvement. It should prove entertaining to see their reaction, even if they do not eat them. Thanks
 
I think we may be out of the woods. Her last wash was a week ago and now she is finally sporting a fluffy feathery butt and growing like a weed. Unfortunately, I have no scientific data as to what may have been the cause or the cure. Instead of the sardines, my flock got fresh minced raw tuna. (I had more than we could eat, can, or give away) They also got watermelon rinds, cantalope rinds, increased grit added to the feed, cider vinegar in the water, and the best organic starter I could find! Even with all of this, she may have just grown out of it!

Thanks again to all for the suggestions and the support.
 

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