new chick with repeated pasting

[bawkbawk]

This is our first flock of chicks, and they arrived on Wednesday with no problems. They have been acting happy and healthy.

Yesterday, I noticed that one of our RIR pullets was looking pasted up. I cleaned her vent, which looks swollen and red compared to the others. She has been eating and active. This morning--same thing.

Her poop looks a little thinner than the others (though hard for me to tell, really--in any case, it does not seem watery). She seems happy otherwise.

Any thoughts? I am worried about cocci, so I put her in her own brooder box so I could keep an eye on her before letting her back in with the others. They are on Start and Grow medicated feed, if that makes a difference.

I'd appreciate any help or thoughts on the issue. In the meantime, I'll check out the other posts for something similar.

Many thanks!

 

[Winsor Woods]

I had an initial episode of pasting with my first batch of peeps too. I attribute it to the temperature being too high. I started them off in a glass aquarium and learned the hard way that even though the thermometer read 95° the glass reflects the light from the brooder lamp and effectively increases the heat absorbed by the chicks. The cardboard or wood brooder is really the way to go.

I'm far from expert on chickens, but I'm sure you could get some better responses from the experts here if you describe your brooder set up, how many peeps you've got, and pictures always help too. What temperature do you have your brooder, and what is your heat source, etc. That'll be a really big help to those with the knowledge.

Dan

 

[hikerchick]

On the plus side, I had a chick with stubborn, recurrent pasty butt and we bonded over the heinie dunkings. Now he follows me around and begs to be picked up.

 

[bawkbawk]

Thanks to both of you for the responses! It's good to know that the little ones can bounce back from their butt issues. Our little peep seems to be otherwise happy--I'm just a little concerned about her red/swollen vent. It doesn't look prolapsed, but it may be, a bit.

Anyhow, if it's any help in answering, we have eight peeps in a tupperware bin about 2X3 feet (just moved them today to a larger plywood brooder today--about 3X4 ft). Pine shavings for litter. Thermometer is reading about 90, but it is not directly in the brooder and the chicks are acting like they are at a comfortable temp--roaming around, etc.

I had the RIR with the pasty butt (Ariel) in a separate brooder box for a while this morning to check out her poop. It seems similar to the others'. She was just squawking about being alone and trying to leap over the side of the box, so I put her back with the others. Everyone seems a lot happier.

Would anyone try some Prep H on her sore-looking vent or just wait and see?

I'll try to post a picture if it continues, though I'm not sure if I can get the camera to focus that close up...

Thanks much--it is really helpful to hear from other chicken crazies out there!

 

[smoothmule]

I would carefully snip the baby fuzz from around the vent and put a couple drops of olive oil on the vent. Then I would add a probiotic to the feed. You can buy over the counter probiotic tabs or capsules in the vitamin/supplement section at any pharmacy and crush it and add to the crumbles. Get the kind that has several different probiotics types in it. You can't over dose so don't worry about giving an exact amount. Just add 3 or 4 crushed tabs in a quart jar and add crumbles and mix them in. You might be warding off an infection if you add some "good" bacteria to the gut before any bad stuff starts growing.
Also make sure the chick gets plenty of clean water at all times.

 

[farmin'chick]

When the pastied butt looks sore, I dab on Aloe Vera gel with a toothpick--And the great thing is, once they grow big enough to reach around to their own butt, they pick it for themselves. So you only need to help her until then!

I have heard of others using vaseline, mineral oil, olive oil, adding molasses to the water (that worked for mine), chopped dry rolled oats, (give some grit if you are giving extra feeds to the the young ones and they can't get grit on their own).

Good luck!

 

[bawkbawk]

Many thanks to all of you!

Little Ariel is doing much better. No more pasty butt, and other than some vaseline-y tail feathers, she is looking better. Even the vent is less raw-looking.

It's great to have such a wealth of info in this group!

 

[brandonandcarla]

Hello we just got some chicks for the first time... One of the chicks has a dark black spot on the bottom hole and I don't know if that is the umbilical cord or pasting up. I am showing my ignorance here but which hole is for pooping the top one or the bottom. I just want to make sure she isn't pasting up and at the same time I'm not sure whether it is umbilical cord or not.

i soaked the chicks rear in war water and it made it easier to see that under the black was pink, so i am thinking it is the cord. but i want to be sure. all the other chicks cords are thin strings and this is a black round mound
Thanks for any help.

Brandon and Carla

 

[speckledhen]

Are you giving sugar water? If so, that may be the culprit. I never do that and if you put a couple of teaspoons, up to a tablespoon, of unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar with "the mother" in it (sediment) in a quart water for a couple days, that will probably help. That's what works here on the rare occasion I deal with pasty bum in the chicks I hatch. The black mound is probably the umbilicus scabbed over- just leave that alone.

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
This has to be the umbilical- leave it entirely alone. The top hole is the vent, for pooping and laying.

The bottom one will disappear all together very soon, but if messed with, they could lose their entire abdominal contents- fatally. It will dry up and go away if left alone- assuming the other chicks don't peck at it- remove it for a couple of days if that happens.