Pasty butt!! What am I doing wrong?

[BroodyBea]

I have five- five day old chicks that have been doing amazing. I've had them since they were a day old. One has pasty butt! She didn't a couple hours ago. What do I do?

I have a lamp in one end of their large brooder, which is at 90. They travel all over the brooder and are comfortable. They have fresh water and feed with Stress-Aid in their water. What am I doing wrong? Does it just happen? None of the others have it or have had it.

 

[PD-Riverman]

It happens, Did you clean it off good?

 

[getaclue]

It happens. Soak her bottom in warm water, when it gets dirty, to keep it clean, so it doesn't form a blockage. You may add epsom salt to the warm water, if you like, but it's not imperative to do so.

 

[AlleysChicks]

All of the chicks I got from Tsc got pasty butt. After washing off I made a trip to pick up chick grit and save a chick for the water. It helped a lot. Didn't have to wash anymore butts.

 

[jeria]

Not sure if mine had that or just poop sticking to some fluff. Did the warm towel and cleaned it off a number of times. Read a bunch on here and added a small bowl of chic grit and a tsp of organic apple cider vinegar to their water and today they had no issue when I came home from work, also 5 days old.

 

[BroodyBea]

Would sand work as grit for chicks? Or a clump of grass with roots and dirt still attached?

Also I have Heinz apple cider vinegar for my horses, would that work in their water? I already have stress aid in their water.

I cleaned up her bum with a warm wet paper towel and got her all cleaned up for now.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Would sand work as grit for chicks? Or a clump of grass with roots and dirt still attached?

Also I have Heinz apple cider vinegar for my horses, would that work in their water? I already have stress aid in their water.

I cleaned up her bum with a warm wet paper towel and got her all cleaned up for now.

Yes, sand will work, I have it brought in a big dump truck load at the time. For the chicks and other things. I never used vinegar---I have not studied it---have not felt I needed it---I have only hatched and brooded about 10,000 chicks in a little over 3 years--when should I start using it?

 

[yyz0yyz0]

Would sand work as grit for chicks? Or a clump of grass with roots and dirt still attached?

My first two years with chicks, I had some pasty butt issues. Each time after cleaning them I gave them a clump of grass with roots/dirt still attached. No more pasty butt after that.
My last two years with chicks i just give them the dirt/grass clump on day one and never got pasty butt at all.

 

[NewLibertyHmstd]

I've used ACV with great success to aid in boosting beneficial bacteria growth in chicks. Not so much pasty butt as my Wyandottes just seem to catch the tail end of their poops in their fluff the first few days. Warm soak with a washcloth and some drying off and they're back off and running.

 

[BroodyBea]

Okay I gave them a dish with sand in it and they're going nuts! Like they've been eating it for the last half hour! Should I take it away?