Pasty butt in chicks. What to do

[Godiva]

We just got done with pasty butt in our new chicks (shipped). You need to clean their butts twice a day until the butt stays clear otherwise they have a build up of faeces behind the 'plug'. I find the first time or two takes forever to soak the big hardened poops off, but the olive oil really does help a lot. I just use a fingertip and smear it on. I do find that cochins are a pain with pasty butt ... probably all the extra down to catch the sticky poops

but if you keep at it they are just fine. I dry their rear end with the lowest setting on my hairdrier for a while before putting them back in the brooder.

Drafts are a killer for baby chicks! Probably a big part of your problem... hopefully the new accomodations are going to work better for them. I found that if it is really cold eg at night, then I partially cover the brooder (being super careful of course to not create a firehazard) and that seems to help a lot with bringing the temp up a bit and stabilises it too. Good luck figuring out all the twists and turns

let us know how you go.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you are patient and use just warm water and soap, the poo just comes off if you gently rub it with your bare fingers after a minute or so. Dry with a bit of TP. I think it happens to shipped chicks and stress due to dehydration of being shipped. Mine didn't have it past the 10 day mark, but I had to inspect them each day--the same ones each day or 2 would have it.

 

[darin367]

make sure the chicks can get away from the heat....... they don't need to be at 90 deg. 24/7.... i've got week old chicks running around outside at 50 deg.. they go warm up when they want....

 

[pokemonshop]

Put some vinger in water about 1 teaspoon per gallon? I'm not sure but it works.

 

[KatieBugg]

Quote:
Its because pasty butt is due to stress (like from shipping) and they don't really get stressed when they are with a mommy.

I would be inclined to agree with you. My home hatched chicks never have pasty butt, but with a recent hatchery order, I can say I feel like a slave right now to cleaning chickie butts

I might add after I clean the butts and dry them off, I take a qtip with baby oil and wipe that on, it really does sooth their butts and help future clean up come off the down soooooooooo much easier!

 

[njfarmchick]

Thanks for all the posts on this. I have 3 chicks hatched at home in incubator but the runt is struggling. Sleeps a lot, pasties, not very active, but chirps a lot. Legs are very spindly too. Sound like anything else could be going on?