Pasty Butt and Not Being Able to Sit to Sleep

[analyticalblonde]

HI All,

I received 10 chicks on Wednesday and they were fine. Thursday, no issues to speak of. Friday three of them had pasty butt but I was able to clean it off but one of the three, in particular, had it pretty bad. Friday, the same three and the one, again, had it pretty bad. I tried to be gentle with lots of warm water to break the poo down so I could remove it without harm but unfortunately, I must have pulled a piece a little too much and she spotted a little blood but by the end of the night last night, she was up and about and feeling just as good as the others.

Then this morning, again, the same three with the one, again, having a pretty bad pasty butt. Again, lots of warm water but with having to get the poo off for the past three days, she doesn't have hardly any feathers on her rear. Reading up on this site, today I put at first, olive oil and their rears because that's what I had in the house. My husband then went out to the store and picked up Vaseline. I then put the Vaseline on the one chick that is having the worst time of pasty butt. Yesterday and today, she keeps preening her rear and it is pretty constant. I'm afraid she is picking herself way too much and even though all other nine can lie down flat to sleep, little pasty butt does not or cannot

lie down to sleep. She's always standing. I think her rear is super raw and she is the one I feel so worried about.

Has anyone had this happen to them where their little one has this constant problem followed by picking at themselves because of the discomfort and not being able to nestle down to rest/sleep? Is there a chance she can fail even though I'm keeping the area clear but she clearly doesn't have the protection of her down anymore? Do you think she will be able to pull through this?

 

[Wezdin]

What temp do you have the brooder at? if it is too high that can cause pasty butt. do you have Nutri drench or sav a chick? if so I would give that too them.

 

[analyticalblonde]

What temp do you have the brooder at? if it is too high that can cause pasty butt. do you have Nutri drench or sav a chick? if so I would give that too them.

The temperature is constantly monitored but it does swing between 91-95 degrees as this is only their first week...I can't get it to remain constant. Since I received them on Wednesday, I have given all of them one drinker of prepared Sav-A-Chick probiotics and electrolytes (mixed together as the package says you can do) plus another drinker of plain, fresh water...both cleaned and changed out every day.

 

[aart]

The temperature is constantly monitored but it does swing between 91-95 degrees as this is only their first week

Can you get a pic of vent in clear white light?

But is there a cooler place in the brooder?
Please post pics of your brooder setup.

Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:
They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
-If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
-If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
-If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. If you do use a heat bulb make sure it's specifically for poultry, some heat bulbs for food have teflon coatings that can kill birds. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.

 

[analyticalblonde]

Can you get a pic of vent in clear white light?

But is there a cooler place in the brooder?
Please post pics of your brooder setup.

Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:
They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
-If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
-If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
-If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. If you do use a heat bulb make sure it's specifically for poultry, some heat bulbs for food have teflon coatings that can kill birds. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.

Hi aart!

I've attached photos of my brooder...I will post a picture of her vent soon but need the help of hubby who isn't here at the moment.

My brooder is ~55 inches long by 30 inches wide. I have 10 chicks.

The temperature fluctuates between 91 to 98 degrees and I can't seem to maintain a constant temp. It occasionally spikes but not for long and is usually around 92-93 degrees. They generally are spread out a bit under the lamp, some farther away.

They are cheeping with suttle coos and not getting vocal unless I pick them up.

I have the lamp at one end of the brooder and the feeders/waterers at the other end. I just transferred them from a smaller brooder to this larger brooder today for hygienic purposes (first days were on paper towels that I rolled up each day and threw away then new paper towels were laid down. Now in their larger brooder, they are in pine shavings and they love it!

I have them in our unfinished basement and the ambient temperature down there is ~ 59 degrees. There still is snow on the ground outside but is going to be warming up within the next few days to around 55-60 degrees outside but the basement will most likely remain around 59 degrees as all basements usually do.

All are eating and drinking well, even Miss Pasty Butt and like any newborn, they sleep a lot! But when awake are up and about.

My heat bulb from TSC is the type used for small animals including poultry, is red, 250W, and secured (not relying on the clamp at all!).

The feed I am providing is DuMor Poultry Chick Starter 24% (non-medicated). One of my waterers is filled with Sav-A-Chick Probiotics AND Electrolytes (which can be combined) and the other waterer is with fresh water. Both changed every day as well as the feed is changed.

In a few weeks, I will be changing over to DuMor Poultry Chick/Grower 20%.

In a few of the pictures, you can see that all of them are resting, lying down flat out on the bedding EXCEPT Miss Pasty Butt...she is the one standing and trying to sleep but can't lie down. She is on the temperature monitor. She is the one I am worried about...I want her to be able to rest, lying down like the others, but seems so uncomfortable because of me trying to keep her vent cleared.

Any help would be appreciated...does it look like she can get through this rough time?