***PASTY BUTT***

[SunnySideUpGUAM]

Hey BYC,

I just wanted to share some success I had with the pasty butt issue. Well I have 12 Delaware chicks in the brooder and most of them had pasty butt. I decided not to clean em off or do anything about it this time since it never really helped previously for me. For 2 1/2 weeks they had pasty butts but were developing feathering well good vigor all around and i was hopeful that they would solve their pasty problem naturally, then it dawned on me they didn't have a dust bath, so I took a round pan about 10in diameter and filled it halfway with some dirt and the other half food grade DE. I plan to add wood ash just gotta burn some wood.

Long story short they all used the dust pan bath and all of the pasty butts were gone. All chick butts have been paste free since, almost a full week. Maybe if we added dust baths to the standard brooder setup. We would all have healthy chicks w no pasty butts! I hope this is helpful!

 

[RubyNala97]

Young chicks can die from pasty butt if they are unable to eliminate. So I wouldn't recommend not cleaning pasty butt off on young chicks. As they get to be a couple weeks old sometimes the poop will stick to their fluff/feathers but not actually be inhibiting them from going to the bathroom. I have also used dust pans in the brooder. I find the very fine play sand works well and it can also act as grit if they ingest any.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hey BYC,

I just wanted to share some success I had with the pasty butt issue. Well I have 12 Delaware chicks in the brooder and most of them had pasty butt. I decided not to clean em off or do anything about it this time since it never really helped previously for me. For 2 1/2 weeks they had pasty butts but were developing feathering well good vigor all around and i was hopeful that they would solve their pasty problem naturally, then it dawned on me they didn't have a dust bath, so I took a round pan about 10in diameter and filled it halfway with some dirt and the other half food grade DE. I plan to add wood ash just gotta burn some wood.

Long story short they all used the dust pan bath and all of the pasty butts were gone. All chick butts have been paste free since, almost a full week. Maybe if we added dust baths to the standard brooder setup. We would all have healthy chicks w no pasty butts! I hope this is helpful!

I do agree that adding a dust bath to your brooder is a good idea. I introduced a pan of dirt for mine when they were about 5-6days old. They absolutely went wild. I do suggest using dirt that they will be "on or in contact with " when they are adults. I got mine from different areas of the run, garden,etc. This would expose them early on to the different strains of cocci they would encounter. Since I was intentionally doing this I gave medicated chick starter so they could gradually build immunity while in the brooder. Worked for me. (Never had any pasty butt- but can't say this is why).

Just my 2¢

 

[SunnySideUpGUAM]

After seeing them dust themselves it just seemed best. I have been through many pastybuts and all were day old chicks that came in the mail so it may be from stress from usps. Also i prefer to use nonmedicated feed since my birds are for producing healthy food for consumption.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

After seeing them dust themselves it just seemed best. I have been through many pastybuts and all were day old chicks that came in the mail so it may be from stress from usps. Also i prefer to use nonmedicated feed since my birds are for producing healthy food for consumption.

It's a great idea for sure

Each of us must make the decision whether or not to use medicated feeds. Some do, some don't.
I'm not sure what Anticoccidial medications are in the medicated chick starter available in Guam. But here in the US Amprol is the most widely used. It is not an antibiotic, it is a thiamine blocker that helps inhibit the growth of cocci, it's mild and is helpful when chickens are going to be exposed to a variety of soils. That said, in organic operations, it would be prohibited - so the alternative would be using a coccidiosis vaccination.

 

[SunnySideUpGUAM]

Yea its amprol here too. Funny thing is its a medicated feed meant to prevent cocci but chicks may still get cocci. I myself dont take meds unless im sick and absolutely have to. I never take meds to prevent illness, thats what healthy food is for, to prevemt illness. Lastly after 200 some hybrids and may 50 pure breeds in the same brooder setup(recently upgraded w a dustbath) i am not losing chicks to pastybutt or cocci. On my first run with 150 chicks in the same brooders w/o dustbath, eating med chick starter i lost way more chicks. I cant say it was pastybutt or cocci, but non medicated feed and dustbathes in the brooder have had a far greater sucess rate for me.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Yea its amprol here too. Funny thing is its a medicated feed meant to prevent cocci but chicks may still get cocci. I myself dont take meds unless im sick and absolutely have to. I never take meds to prevent illness, thats what healthy food is for, to prevemt illness. Lastly after 200 some hybrids and may 50 pure breeds in the same brooder setup(recently upgraded w a dustbath) i am not losing chicks to pastybutt or cocci. On my first run with 150 chicks in the same brooders w/o dustbath, eating med chick starter i lost way more chicks. I cant say it was pastybutt or cocci, but non medicated feed and dustbathes in the brooder have had a far greater sucess rate for me.

Sounds like you have a great plan in place!

 

[Raymond Dean White]

Hey BYC,

I just wanted to share some success I had with the pasty butt issue. Well I have 12 Delaware chicks in the brooder and most of them had pasty butt. I decided not to clean em off or do anything about it this time since it never really helped previously for me. For 2 1/2 weeks they had pasty butts but were developing feathering well good vigor all around and i was hopeful that they would solve their pasty problem naturally, then it dawned on me they didn't have a dust bath, so I took a round pan about 10in diameter and filled it halfway with some dirt and the other half food grade DE. I plan to add wood ash just gotta burn some wood.

Long story short they all used the dust pan bath and all of the pasty butts were gone. All chick butts have been paste free since, almost a full week. Maybe if we added dust baths to the standard brooder setup. We would all have healthy chicks w no pasty butts! I hope this is helpful!

The majority of my Delaware chicks have developed pasty butt within the past two days. My wife and I did clean them off but the dust pan with DE sounds like a good idea. Thank you. Other than the pasty butt the chicks are vigorous and active.

After seeing them dust themselves it just seemed best. I have been through many pastybuts and all were day old chicks that came in the mail so it may be from stress from usps. Also i prefer to use nonmedicated feed since my birds are for producing healthy food for consumption.

One thing that could help if your chicks come by mail is to let them have water only (at temperature between 90 and 100F) for an hour or so before giving them any food. They need to rehydrate after being shipped and that also helps them recover from the stress of shipping. Whether or not to use probiotics and/or electrolytes is up to you but I've heard those can help prevent pasty butt as well. My chicks did develop pasty butt even though I was giving them electrolytes and probiotics but I think that may be because I hadn't raised their Brinsea heater for a few days and they got too warm. My wife and I cleaned their behinds and I raised the heater, but I'll be adding a dust bath pan per your advice as well.

 

[Panhandle chick]

I used a little coconut oil on their bum after rinsing them in in warm water.. I think it helped a bit.. plus I think they thought it was tasty?

 

[Raymond Dean White]

I used a little coconut oil on their bum after rinsing them in in warm water.. I think it helped a bit.. plus I think they thought it was tasty?

I've been warned about using any oils on their behind as they can go rancid.

Hey BYC,

I just wanted to share some success I had with the pasty butt issue. Well I have 12 Delaware chicks in the brooder and most of them had pasty butt. I decided not to clean em off or do anything about it this time since it never really helped previously for me. For 2 1/2 weeks they had pasty butts but were developing feathering well good vigor all around and i was hopeful that they would solve their pasty problem naturally, then it dawned on me they didn't have a dust bath, so I took a round pan about 10in diameter and filled it halfway with some dirt and the other half food grade DE. I plan to add wood ash just gotta burn some wood.

Long story short they all used the dust pan bath and all of the pasty butts were gone. All chick butts have been paste free since, almost a full week. Maybe if we added dust baths to the standard brooder setup. We would all have healthy chicks w no pasty butts! I hope this is helpful!

How deep is your dust bath pan? Is it a pie plate or something deeper?