Pasty butt question

[tuskajones]

Hi--I received my (first ever) batch of 27 cornish x birds last Tuesday. All seem to be doing well so far however 3 or 4 of them have pasty butts. I have scanned through the many threads on this topic but still have some concerns/questions.

I have checked each of them to see if the actual "poop hole" (please what is the correct term?) is covered up and it isn't. The rock hard poo gets stuck below. It does not seem to be building up. I have tried cleaning them using some of the methods suggested but I wind up making more of a mess (wet rears, bare spots) and of course stressing the chick out. If I keep an eye on them and make sure they can still poo and the poo does not build up, would they be okay? They are not getting picked on by the other chicks.

Will the pasty butt resolve itself as they get older?

I am not trying to be lax in my care of the chicks but don't want to stress them out.

Thanks!

 

[gritsar]

It's called the vent.

I do the same thing, although I'm sure many may disagree with me. I check several times a day and if the vent isn't blocked, I leave them alone. I haven't figured out if the globs are falling off, or if their brothers and sisters are helping them by picking it off (gross, I know).

 

[MissPrissy]

You can trim off the fluff feathering that is holding the poop. You don't want that stuff to hang around and make the chicks sick. Just trim off the fluffy stuff and rub some vaseline around the vent and the close fluff so nothing will stick to it.

 

[HorseFeathers]

A pasty butt can kill a chick if you're not careful.
The best thing to do is nab the poo while it's still soft (check often) and wipe it of with a warm, slightly wet cloth or paper towel. The other chicks might peck at the wet fluff and pull it out; we just seperate them by putting the wet chick in a clear plastic container until it dries. Make sure you put in food and water.
Hope this helps!

 

[tuskajones]

you can trim off the fluff feathering that is holding the poop. You don't want that stuff to hang around and make the chicks sick. Just trim off the fluffy stuff and rub some vaseline around the vent and the close fluff so nothing will stick to it.

Thank you for the prompt replies.


Okay I will give the trimming/vaseline a try then wait and see

MissyPrissy btw, I tried your yogurt recipe--fabulous! I am making organic yogurt for 1/2 the price!! I used my electric oven with just the light on as my warm spot instead of the cooler and it worked great!​

 

[MissPrissy]

I am glad you liked it! We will never do commercial yogurt again.

 

[cakkleberrylane]

I noticed one of our chicks seemed lethargic and kept trying to get under his mother. When I picked him up I saw that he had a big ball of rock hard poop hanging from his butt. It looked as if the weight of the ball was pulling him inside out. (His butt was protruding, not like the other chicks) I don't know if this is the same thing as in this thread or not. I held him under the tap until it softened and eventually it started to come apart and drop off.
Any other suggestions??