Wow. Thanks to this forum, I have known exactly what I was looking at (pasty butt) and how to care for it. Who knew I'd spend at least an hour each of the last 3 days cleaning up chicken butts? Is that why they call menial tasks chickensh!t? I finally have gotten to the point where I just dipped their little butt in a cap-ful of mineral oil; the constipated ones, too (they won't eat oatmeal or yogurt, and I couldn't figure out how to open their little beaks to give them some mineral oil). I smeared it around on their legs, too, so when they preened, they ate it (a tip I learned for constipated puppies and dogs-put the mineral oil on the top of their paws and they will lick it off), and I think all systems are go (and go, and go) on the constipated ones now. Out of 30, I have one who was REALLY constipated, with a big distended area below it's vent; I actuall got a teeny eye dropper and put 2 drops of mineral oil just inside the vent, then massaged gently. Within 5 minutes, I think the chick had pooped a pile half as big as the chick! And, oh, by the way; if you clean up a pasty butt, then treat for constipation, DON'T put the chick in your pocket to warm it up. Just trust me on that! Besides that one, I have 3 with really bad pastybutt problems (one of the black broilers might not make it; it is 1/2 the size of it's littermates), and 3 who have a small problem. I guess that's not a bad percentage. But 30 is a LOT of chicks. It's a trade off; always have chicks (and the hassle, although they are cute), and raise 5 batches of 10 a year, or do 2 batches of 25-30 a year (I anticpate eating one chicken a week).
OK, ew. Poor little thing that had a belly-ful of poop! And how funny that you put it in your pocket! LOL After reading all the stuff here about pasty-butt, I've been checking mine obsessively. No sign of any "klingons" though. When can you stop the butt patrol? Do I have to check for months and months, or just until the cute little fuzzies are gone?
ooh! oooh! I have to say, that I've had the most interesting experience with this batch of chicks: quite a few times, when Tiberius was a chick, she would get a pasty butt--but instead of using the mineral oil, I used my new contact lens solution (Clear Care) it has hydrogen peroxide in it, and it just dissolved that poopy right off! I think the condition only lasts about a week, week and a half-ish. At least for mine. Oh--and I wet my starter. Dunno why, but my chicks always seemed to like it better that way.