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).
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).
