Pasty Butt and Temperature Question!

[chickity-chick]

One of my chicks is still able to poop, but there is poop stuck to the feathers near the vent. Do these need to be cleaned? If I leave that crust on the feathers is that the first step to a full plug that can be dangerous? ALSO I am having a really hard time keeping my brooder temperature constant, it keeps fluctuating even though my birds are inside! I think my house just fluctuates based on the outside temp. Is that ok to have it fluctuate?

 

[boskelli1571]

First, hello
Yes, you need to clean their bums. The poop will harden and they will be unable to pass anything. Use warm water and a Q-tip. It may take a while if its really hardened on the fluff. If you have a steady hand you can try trimming the fluff, but it's tricky b/c they squirm so much. Once clean use another Q-tip to dot some oil (olive, baby, veg) on the vent to help prevent further sticking. If you clean daily it won't become so much of a chore.
How wide is the fluctuation and how old are your chicks? Are the birds showing any signs of hypothermia? Lethargy, sleeping, not eating/drinking? If they are all still rushing around the brooder I wouldn't worry too much.
FYI - sticky bum/pasty vent is usually associated with high brooder temps.

 

[NatJ]

The chicks don't really need a constant temperature so much as they need constant access to a range of temperatures (from slightly too hot, down to room temperature or even cooler.) Then they can move back and forth as needed, to stay comfortable.

Having the brooder be quite large makes this much easier, because it's hard to make both a warm space and a cool space if the entire space is small.

 

[chickity-chick]

First, hello
Yes, you need to clean their bums. The poop will harden and they will be unable to pass anything. Use warm water and a Q-tip. It may take a while if its really hardened on the fluff. If you have a steady hand you can try trimming the fluff, but it's tricky b/c they squirm so much. Once clean use another Q-tip to dot some oil (olive, baby, veg) on the vent to help prevent further sticking. If you clean daily it won't become so much of a chore.
How wide is the fluctuation and how old are your chicks? Are the birds showing any signs of hypothermia? Lethargy, sleeping, not eating/drinking? If they are all still rushing around the brooder I wouldn't worry too much.
FYI - sticky bum/pasty vent is usually associated with high brooder temps.

Hi! Thank you for the bum help! The chicks are a few days old. The temperature fluctuates anywhere from 102 degrees to 75 degrees because at night it gets really cold outside (40s) and even though they are inside, the house cools down. They seem to be acting normal and fine with no signs of distress or anything. I just worry that that much fluctuation could cause a problem. It is not a heat lamp it is a radiating heat lamp with no light so it only heats directly under it and the other half of the brooder is the normal room temp. I mostly worry that they wont get warm enough when it fluctuates to being that cold. I already have the lamp really low like 8-9 inches from the bedding and worry that if I lower it too much it will be way to close and get way to hot when I first go upstairs. But in the middle of the night it needs to be lower to be warmer. hmm..

 

[rosemarythyme]

I hope it doesn't go up to 102 too often, that is quite hot for them. Better to err a little on the lower side of temperatures than higher side.

 

[NatJ]

The chicks are a few days old....They seem to be acting normal and fine with no signs of distress or anything.

Then they are probably fine. By the time they're a few days old, they are really good at making noise if they're too much distressed.

For the night, they are able to snuggle together, on the nice warm bedding, in the warmest part of the brooder--and even if it gets a little "too cold," they'll be warm enough for a few hours (by which time it's morning and everything's warming up again.)

 

[boskelli1571]

Hi! Thank you for the bum help! The chicks are a few days old. The temperature fluctuates anywhere from 102 degrees to 75 degrees because at night it gets really cold outside (40s) and even though they are inside, the house cools down. They seem to be acting normal and fine with no signs of distress or anything. I just worry that that much fluctuation could cause a problem. It is not a heat lamp it is a radiating heat lamp with no light so it only heats directly under it and the other half of the brooder is the normal room temp. I mostly worry that they wont get warm enough when it fluctuates to being that cold. I already have the lamp really low like 8-9 inches from the bedding and worry that if I lower it too much it will be way to close and get way to hot when I first go upstairs. But in the middle of the night it needs to be lower to be warmer. hmm..

If you are not seeing any signs of distress, I would not worry too much, simply keep an eye on it.