New chicks, Need some help.

[rockhill2016]

Hello everyone. I'm new to chicks (family had adult chickens in the past) and have a few questions. I've got 12 chicks (orpingtons, barred rocks, wyandottes, Easter eggers, and delwares). Both Delwares and a couple of my Easter eggers have constant poop bum. Every time I notice it I clean it but it seems everyday I'm cleaning their bums. One of my Easter eggers got a swollen vent which I cleaned and put some cream on and the swelling has gone down. This morning I noticed both of my delwares now have bare butts. They have picked, or other have picked all the fuzz around their vents. Still though poop is collecting on the remaining fuzz. I have made sure they know where the water is and see them drinking. I have tried giving them some egg rather than crumble. My brooder has 2 heat lamps and I have placed them at different heights. Temp show around 95 on one side and around 88 on the other. One of the delawares seems to sleep a bit more than the other but in my daily chick time I spend with them all of them are running around and jumping up in my lap or hands. All seem happy and healthy. I did clean off a large amount of poop of the Delaware who is the most constant patient yesterday and immediately after she pooped a TON. Not sure what to do to try and mitigate the problem...any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[rockhill2016]

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So if this worked correctly, this is a picture of my setup. a picture of the poor bare bums of my delwares (below), and a picture of poop bum on one of my Easter eggers (that I cleaned this morning) it's hard to see but it's caked up. I did just recheck the temps in the brooder. Ones at 90 under the lamp on the left other is at 92. The temp on the far side of the brooder is around 68. The brooder is in my basement which stays real cool. Not sure if this is too cold or too much of a temp change in the brooder. Hope this helps.

 

[azygous]

Not very many chicks need a brooder 95F. And two heat lamps is not necessary and is probably creating conditions for the persistent pasty butt you're experiencing.

It's very good to have a cool ambient temp. One heat source is plenty for just twelve chicks. Raise it so the floor temp is between 85 and 90F for the first week, then raise it further the second week. The entire brooder does not need to be warm. It's better to have the rest of the brooder around thirty degrees cooler.

When you clean the butts, do not rub. The tissue is so fragile, the rubbing is inflaming the vents causing swelling. Prolapse is a danger if the swelling persists. Coconut oil is the best thing for inflamed chick vents. If any sores develop, get some Blu-kote and paint the butts. It heals and hides the sores so the chicks won't pick at them.

Feeding boiled egg is fine to get them eating sooner. Make sure it's finely minced or they won't try to eat it. To get them interested in the crumbles, sprinkle them on the floor so they can scratch at the morsels and will be more likely to eat them. Have crumbles free choice in a feeder and they will notice the food in a few days.

 

[rockhill2016]

Thank you for the information. Having a brooder so big I wasn't sure if one lamp was enough. I'll take one out and raise the other a bit to lower the temp down. I left the thermometer on the outside far edge of the brooder and it got down to about 60. I'll keep an eye on the chicks in question as well. I've been trying to be very gentle when cleaning, I was more worried about that all their butt fuzz had been pecked off. Again they seem to be perfectly happy and healthy flapping around and eating drinking like all the other chicks. Thanks again though, great help.

 

[drumstick diva]

Some folks swear by apple cider vinegar in the water. I'm afraid I don't know the dilution . They claim that can treat & prevent pasty butt. If you put Pasty Butt in the searchbox, several articles should pop up. If you use the ACV in water, it has to be in a plastic or glass bowl. If you use metal pan, it can cause corrosion.