Pasty Butt question

[jhixon]

Hello,

We just got our first round of baby chicks on Monday. One baby chick was not doing well on arrival and died last night despite sugar water and special feeding. I guess she just wasn't strong enough for shipping. The remaining 9 seem to be doing well, but all of them have some fecal matter around their butts. We've checked to make sure it's not blocking the vent and they are all pooping. Should we clean all fecal matter or just when it is pasting up? It seems to stress them out when we handle them, so I'm trying to avoid handling them too much if it's not necessary.

Sorry if this is a dumb questions. We just want to keep our babies healthy.

Thanks for the input.

 

[jhixon]

I should clarify that one chick did appear to have some pasting up issues and we cleaned it off. I'm wary of becoming obsessed with looking at their little bottoms!

 

[Robbinita]

Sorry I have no answer- but the same thing is happening to mine. The "output" is clear, but the surroundings get a little messy. Looking forward to answers.

 

[Madcap621]

Hi, I clean it off, usually by just plucking it off. Yes, this pulls out some of the down but they don't seem to build it back up as much as when I soaked/washed it off. Congrats on your babies - enjoy them! BTW check those bottoms daily the first few days. If the vent gets covered you'll have sick chickies. Good husbandry is not obsession. If you check butts hourly or more, THAT'OBSES!

Keep us posted. Pictures always welcome.

NOTE: I am familliar w/ obsession. I am obsessed w/HATCHING!

..................................

 

[Duchessk75]

Mine(24 Barred Rocks) are a week old now, and the pasty butt is kinda going away. But, I would take the ones with buildup, run their pasty little butts under warm water, and use a q-tip to gently clean them off, as the water helped disolve the poo. Be sure to dry them off well though, cause once you put them back with the other chicks, their wet, bare looking butt becomes a target for pecking. This is my first time with chicks too, so I'm learning, as I go, and with the great advice on here. I now know to keep a good supply of q-tips

BTW- There are no dumb questions, especially when you are a beginner

 

[Ridgerunner]

As long as the vent is not blocked, they will be OK, but there is nothing wrong with cleaning them off if it starts to build up. A little prevention could help. And you'll have to decide if you wash or pluck. When mine had pasty butt I tried washing first but often wound up plucking anyway.

I do not know if this helped or not. On the third day I had them, I gave them some sand as grit. None had pasty butt after that. I never had that much problem with pasty butt to start with and this may have just been coincidence. As I said, this might not have made any difference but I personally don't see a big downside getting their system working at an early age the way it would if mama were raising them outside.

 

[jhixon]

Thanks so much for the replies! I really appreciate the guidance. I think I'll go ahead and try to soak it off this afternoon and try the Q-tip idea. We were discussing giving them a little sand today anyway so I'll try that and see if it helps. They are happy as can be and seem to be doing great, but with animals this tiny, it's hard not to worry!

 

[Jess N Jeff]

I clean my poopy butt babies as a matter of good cleanliness. I like to fill the sink or basin with warm (NOT HOT) water and they seem to melt once they are partially in the water. I like to use a q-tip and wipe the bottoms till they are clean. Make sure the house is warm with no drafts and dry them off really well afterwards. Make sure you put them into a clean brooder. Hope this helps. Take care of your babies

 

[miss mo]

This is my first time with chicks, I only had 2 that were Pasty, I used the wet Q-Tip method that many others had mentioned, someone else on another thread mentioned gently and carefully trimming the fuzz from the area. I used the tiny blunt tipped scissors for baby care. This worked very well. They are 8 days old and I check bottoms quickly in the morning and a little closer in the evening, my husband just rolls his eyes! I ordered 16 and 19 came--still have 19 babies!

 

[nop169]

Young chicks often get "pasty butt" from being chilled during shipping. Usually keeping the vents clear (a drop of mineral oil around the vent works well to prevent build up) and using a little sulmet will clear them up within a few days. Of course - other issues may cause this also such as parasites - but if the chicks were ordered & shipped - it is a good bet they became chilled at some point. Most hatcheries send information about this with your order or you may call them & they will supply helpful advice.