new chicks here. two died.. maybe pasting??

[gunny]

I have got my batch of chicks and yesterday I lost one and today one. I noticed some of them have pasting around their vent. I read you should wash this off but I'm afraid it is too cold to get the chicks wet.. Can I pick it off or should I leave them alone? Are they sick?

 

[easttxchick]

You can clean it off VERY gently with warm water and q-tips or paper towel. Don't get them soaking wet, just enough to get the pasty stuff off.
It really needs to come off because pasty butt can be fatal so maybe that is what happened to your other chicks.
Were the shipped? And what is the temp in your brooder?

 

[bantybev]

You have to wash it off...it can kill them! IMO it is hard to "pick off" without pulling out fluff and possibly hurting the chick or even causing bleeding. Warm running water over just the rear and breaking it up with your fingers works best if it is bad. You need to check them at least twice a day for pasty butts. You can pat the area dry and place back under their heat lamp. Make sure no drafts are present. You can also use a hair dryer for a couple minutes to dry them.
I don't understand what you mean by being too cold to get them wet. Aren't they under a heat lamp? They need a constant temp of 90 the first week and 5 degrees lower per week until feathered out (around 6 weeks old).

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Quote:
I agree, it does need to be removed. Good luck.

 

[gunny]

The are under a light but I'm having a hard time stabilizing the temp. The outside temp went down to 40 last night and is now in the eighties.. Anyway when I was cleaning them last night It felt cold and even though my thermometer said 90 my hands were cold so I didn't want to get them wet. I did try washing them but the stuff just gums up and is very hard to remove when wet. I picked it off of two of the chicks and they seem to be doing fine this morning. I bought another lamp today to help keep the brooder warm on cold nights.

 

[gunny]

So the washing thing didn't work. I started gently pulling it off and it seems to work great. Also put in a second light. I was supprized at how much brighter the new bulb was. I guess they are only good for one brooding. Lesson learned. Thanks for the advice.

 

[netkat]

I had two little chicks with pasting problems too and I read a suggestion from a vet to use vaseline to help get the crud off their bottoms. It worked like a charm. Prior to the vaseline, I had tried to gently pick it off and also soaking with a warm wet washcloth, but these methods weren't working very well. The vaseline was quick, easy and didn't seem to bother the chicks at all. They've both outgrown it now at 2.5 weeks.

Hope this helps someone else too!
Kat

 

[gunny]

Thanks I will try that out.

 

[speckledhen]

You're not using sugar in their water, are you? If so, stop that and try to get some organic type, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with "the mother" (sediment). In a plastic quart waterer, add about 2 teaspoons of that. Should help some.

 

[dieselgrl48]

They wont get too chilled by a wet butt if they got good heat lamp.I have 3 week old's I still check daily if it doesnt get bad you can just pull it off .Kinda like a minor wax job. I know doesnt seem too funny but if you can just zip it off before it get's too bad the butt is hair free for a bit.I have have been doing it for year's.The chicks are just fine too no bleeding or injury.If you let them go for days then you need to soak with water or try baby oil or vaseline.