Pasty Butt!!! 8 weeks!!! Plz help!!!

[chickenmamakimberly]

I have an 8 week old Polish/Silkie cross that has an issue with pasty butt. This just started this week. I have to clean her daily. She is the lowest in the pecking order and I never see her drink water. I don’t know what to do. I brought her in yesterday and cleaned her good, when I took her back to the run the other chickens attacked her, especially my little roo. He kept pecking her head. What can I do? My chickens have never had pasty butt. Also, my coop and run are big enough for 10 chickens and I only have 5. Thanks for your advice!!!

 

[coach723]

8 Weeks is a bit old for pasty butt, so I suspect you have something more going on. Can you post some pictures of the bird in question and the vent area? If she's sick that may be the reason she is being attacked. Are the droppings normal, runny, strange color/odor etc.? Can you also tell what you feed (including treats), and a little more detail about your coop set up, ages of other birds etc.? That will hopefully get you some help narrowing things down.

 

[chickenmamakimberly]

8 Weeks is a bit old for pasty butt, so I suspect you have something more going on. Can you post some pictures of the bird in question and the vent area? If she's sick that may be the reason she is being attacked. Are the droppings normal, runny, strange color/odor etc.? Can you also tell what you feed (including treats), and a little more detail about your coop set up, ages of other birds etc.? That will hopefully get you some help narrowing things down.

I will get a picture as soon as I can. Her actual vent area isn’t clogged as of yet. The poop is collecting in her feathers all around her vent. I have watched her poop and her stool looks normal. It does seem to be whiter than the other chicks. She is eating but I haven’t seen her drink much. I have a 12x5 foot run with 5 chicks. They aren’t pecking her today but she is so shy. She is timid and seems to stay away from
the others. I will get a picture so you can see.

 

[chickenmamakimberly]

They eat medicated starter grower. A few crickets and meal worms occasionally and a little oatmeal and bread. Very little treats really.

 

[chickenmamakimberly]

Don’t look if squimish.

I’m a new chicken owner so this might be nothing....

 

[coach723]

The dropping looks pretty normal. If it's been hot where you are then drinking extra water to cool off can make runnier droppings, or treats like watermelon. Some birds just have dirtier rears than others and it may not be anything to worry about. But if you think she's not getting enough water then I would add some water stations so that she can get more access, and can't be kept from them all. Same with feed if that's a problem. How large (in dimensions) are your coop and run actually? There are 'recommendations' that are usually minimums, but the make up of an individual flock can change things, there is not a 'set' correct answer to size. Having a dominant or bully hen can make more space necessary, as can having a rooster. If your roo is actually a young cockerel, I would consider separating him until his hormones calm down some, they can be terrors to your hens. Sometimes removing a nasty roo completely changes the way the flock behaves. You can also try crating her in the run so that she's protected, but still with the flock. That way you can observe her more, make sure there are no symptoms going on that you've missed, give her a rest from being picked on.

 

[chickenmamakimberly]

The dropping looks pretty normal. If it's been hot where you are then drinking extra water to cool off can make runnier droppings, or treats like watermelon. Some birds just have dirtier rears than others and it may not be anything to worry about. But if you think she's not getting enough water then I would add some water stations so that she can get more access, and can't be kept from them all. Same with feed if that's a problem. How large (in dimensions) are your coop and run actually? There are 'recommendations' that are usually minimums, but the make up of an individual flock can change things, there is not a 'set' correct answer to size. Having a dominant or bully hen can make more space necessary, as can having a rooster. If your roo is actually a young cockerel, I would consider separating him until his hormones calm down some, they can be terrors to your hens. Sometimes removing a nasty roo completely changes the way the flock behaves. You can also try crating her in the run so that she's protected, but still with the flock. That way you can observe her more, make sure there are no symptoms going on that you've missed, give her a rest from being picked on.

Thank you so much!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I trim my 5 year old polish hens butt feathers, it may be sort of a polish trait? her fethers seem to grow too long to acommodate (spelled wrong, sorry) her … you know

 

[lazy gardener]

Does she have a good dust bath site? I agree it's most likely weather related, b/c chickens must drink more water to cool down. They can't sweat.

However, I would be concerned about keeping her on medicated starter much longer. It's recommended that IF YOU DO put them on medicated starter that you get them off it by 8 weeks.

 

[lazy gardener]

Stress can make a bird more prone to disease. i suggest that you provide plenty of out of sight but not dead end areas in coop and run, multi height areas and multiple feed/water stations. A small coop/run can work well... until it doesn't. When it doesn't, you will see bullying behavior which can result in stress induced illness, or injury/blood shed.