RobertEggerz
Hatching
- Jun 25, 2025
- 2
- 1
- 6
Hey there!
I’m a first time chicken mama and caring for three 3-day old chicks. They hatched 6/23 and arrived yesterday afternoon (6/24) via mail where I picked them up from the post office. Ive got two Silked White Easter Eggers and one Black Amaraucana.
My current brooder setup consists of two 27-gallon plastic containers assembled together, pine shaving bedding, a heating plate (currently angled), water, sav-a-chick electrolyte mixture, and medicated starter feed (they were vaccinated for Mareks but not Coccidiosis). I read that I should take away electrolytes 2 days I planned to remove that tomorrow afternoon and only have regular water.
They were pretty chatty when they arrived but after getting some hydration, some food, and some rest, they seemed to quiet down and rest under the brooding plate— popping out for drinks/food and brief exploration when they want.
I checked for pasting and everyone looked pretty good, and I did some gentle wiping with a warm wet paper towel just to be safe. All seemed well.
Then, in the wee hours of the night/morning I heard the babies really pipe up. Thankfully I was too anxious to sleep so I was awake to hear them. I checked in and one chick (one of the Silked Easter Eggers) had navigated away from the plate annd the others and was peeping her little heart out. I noticed what seemed to be some pasting so I got her cleaned up, dried, and put some triple antibiotic on her to help keep things cleaner.
This morning I took a closer look and her little butt area seems kind of… bald? There is a spot above her vent, that seems to be quite hard and crusted but it’s not blocking her vent. The next morning I tried to let her soak her buns and tried running warm water over her vent and then gently rubbing the harder part above the vent spot to see if anything would come off. I didn’t get anywhere but I am also just wanting to be so, so gentle with her. So I dried her off and put her back after putting some prep h on her vent.
I would love some inputs here from others! Is this normal? Could it be dried yolk sac or something with her feather? Why does her bottom look so bare? Is there anything I can do to help her? I don’t want to keep pestering her with all this soaking and wiping if it’s not necessary.
I’ve been trying to look any other examples online but can’t find much that is similar to what I am seeing, and it’s extra hard to tell with her black bottom.
I’ve attached a few pics of her poor little bum and the brooder setup as well (I do have a lid for the front part that has hardware wire across the top— just removed to get a picture)
She does eat and drink and since I last checked her she’s popped just fine and the vent itself looks clean. She’s maybe a little sleepier than the other two but still pops out for drinks and food, just maybe not as frequently as them.
I just want to do what I can to keep her healthy— and second guessing everything. Would love some inputs from you seasoned chicken parents. Thanks in advance!!
I’m a first time chicken mama and caring for three 3-day old chicks. They hatched 6/23 and arrived yesterday afternoon (6/24) via mail where I picked them up from the post office. Ive got two Silked White Easter Eggers and one Black Amaraucana.
My current brooder setup consists of two 27-gallon plastic containers assembled together, pine shaving bedding, a heating plate (currently angled), water, sav-a-chick electrolyte mixture, and medicated starter feed (they were vaccinated for Mareks but not Coccidiosis). I read that I should take away electrolytes 2 days I planned to remove that tomorrow afternoon and only have regular water.
They were pretty chatty when they arrived but after getting some hydration, some food, and some rest, they seemed to quiet down and rest under the brooding plate— popping out for drinks/food and brief exploration when they want.
I checked for pasting and everyone looked pretty good, and I did some gentle wiping with a warm wet paper towel just to be safe. All seemed well.
Then, in the wee hours of the night/morning I heard the babies really pipe up. Thankfully I was too anxious to sleep so I was awake to hear them. I checked in and one chick (one of the Silked Easter Eggers) had navigated away from the plate annd the others and was peeping her little heart out. I noticed what seemed to be some pasting so I got her cleaned up, dried, and put some triple antibiotic on her to help keep things cleaner.
This morning I took a closer look and her little butt area seems kind of… bald? There is a spot above her vent, that seems to be quite hard and crusted but it’s not blocking her vent. The next morning I tried to let her soak her buns and tried running warm water over her vent and then gently rubbing the harder part above the vent spot to see if anything would come off. I didn’t get anywhere but I am also just wanting to be so, so gentle with her. So I dried her off and put her back after putting some prep h on her vent.
I would love some inputs here from others! Is this normal? Could it be dried yolk sac or something with her feather? Why does her bottom look so bare? Is there anything I can do to help her? I don’t want to keep pestering her with all this soaking and wiping if it’s not necessary.
I’ve been trying to look any other examples online but can’t find much that is similar to what I am seeing, and it’s extra hard to tell with her black bottom.
I’ve attached a few pics of her poor little bum and the brooder setup as well (I do have a lid for the front part that has hardware wire across the top— just removed to get a picture)
She does eat and drink and since I last checked her she’s popped just fine and the vent itself looks clean. She’s maybe a little sleepier than the other two but still pops out for drinks and food, just maybe not as frequently as them.
I just want to do what I can to keep her healthy— and second guessing everything. Would love some inputs from you seasoned chicken parents. Thanks in advance!!
