Pasty Butt

[starri33]

Do chicks out grow pasty butt? or is there something else besides washing their little butts that I need to do ? my chicks are from Tractor Supply, I've been washing bums since the first night, I've done it 2x more, todays wasn't any where near as bad as it was the first time. Everyone is back in their brooder.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I wouldn't say that chicks "grow out" of pasty butt - it's an indicator that something's not right (too hot, too cold, shipping stress, etc.). I find that ensuring their brooder is at the right temperature (I use MHP so they choose if they need heat or not), they constantly have clean water, and adding probiotics - I opt for fermented feed but you can buy probiotics, like Sav-A-Chick - generally clears up any pasting. It can take a several days for it to resolve, so be patient and keep gently washing those bums.

 

[starri33]

I wouldn't say that chicks "grow out" of pasty butt - it's an indicator that something's not right (too hot, too cold, shipping stress, etc.). I find that ensuring their brooder is at the right temperature (I use MHP so they choose if they need heat or not), they constantly have clean water, and adding probiotics - I opt for fermented feed but you can buy probiotics, like Sav-A-Chick - generally clears up any pasting. It can take a several days for it to resolve, so be patient and keep gently washing those bums.

Thank you, the chicks have been here for a week now, so I'd hope that the shipping stress would have settled out, it's getting time to adjust the temp but they do have a cooler area and then their warm area. I'm not sure what the MHP is, I am currently using a heat lamp in the house. They have electrolytes and vitamins in their water since I had two chicks who passed, I do have probiotics, so I can switch from the electrolytes to those.. In the morning and in the evening little butts are being checked.. I think they know I am trying to help them as when I put their bottoms in the warm water they quit chirping so loud..lol.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Thank you, the chicks have been here for a week now, so I'd hope that the shipping stress would have settled out, it's getting time to adjust the temp but they do have a cooler area and then their warm area. I'm not sure what the MHP is, I am currently using a heat lamp in the house. They have electrolytes and vitamins in their water since I had two chicks who passed, I do have probiotics, so I can switch from the electrolytes to those.. In the morning and in the evening little butts are being checked.. I think they know I am trying to help them as when I put their bottoms in the warm water they quit chirping so loud..lol.

Hmm...how are they reacting to the heat lamp in the brooder? Are they under it, trying to get away from it, or just milling around? Shipping stress can certainly be traumatic, but I'd just ensure the brooder's not too hot or cold, too.

The text in blue above is links, BTW. MHP = Mama Heating Pad. Check it out - it's an economical alternative to a brooder plate and is arguably safer than a heat lamp.

Hope the probiotics help!

 

[Eggcessive]

I had some pasty butt in chicks that were shipped. It is fairly common. When one had it, they usually had it the next day or two. Mine never lasted more than 7-10 days. Make sure that your temperature under the warmest part of the brooder is 85-90 with a thermometer, and go down 5 degrees weekly. Alsways have enough room for a cooler spot to get away feom the heat. Chicks raised with a broody hen do not require a lot of heat. Too much heat can lead to constipation.

 

[starri33]

I had some pasty butt in chicks that were shipped. It is fairly common. When one had it, they usually had it the next day or two. Mine never lasted more than 7-10 days. Make sure that your temperature under the warmest part of the brooder is 85-90 with a thermometer, and go down 5 degrees weekly. Alsways have enough room for a cooler spot to get away feom the heat. Chicks raised with a broody hen do not require a lot of heat. Too much heat can lead to constipation.

Thank you, I'll double check the brooder, I have a tote that is about as big as what Tractor supply has their chicks in..I'd love to have a broody hen.. But my girls don't even look back after they've laid a egg.

 

[starri33]

Hmm...how are they reacting to the heat lamp in the brooder? Are they under it, trying to get away from it, or just milling around? Shipping stress can certainly be traumatic, but I'd just ensure the brooder's not too hot or cold, too.

The text in blue above is links, BTW. MHP = Mama Heating Pad. Check it out - it's an economical alternative to a brooder plate and is arguably safer than a heat lamp.

Hope the probiotics help!

Thank you, They pretty much roam from one end of the tote to the other.. so I have to guess it's from hot to cold.. I'll double check the temps and see. right at the moment the "warm" end has been sitting at 95.

 

[Eggcessive]

Raise your heat lamp because if they are over a week old 90 would be the maximum temp, and I would try to get it down to 85. There can be fluctuations in the temperature with daylight and nighttime as well, if there is sunlight in the room.

 

[starri33]

Raise your heat lamp because if they are over a week old 90 would be the maximum temp, and I would try to get it down to 85. There can be fluctuations in the temperature with daylight and nighttime as well, if there is sunlight in the room.

Thank you, I've had to move my incubator out of there cause at one point it was making the temp to high, so the incubator is back in the kitchen.

 

[rebrascora]

The problem with using totes for brooders is that they trap the heat because of the solid walls and in a house that is already heated, the chance of them overheating is high because the cooler end of the brooder will still be too warm so the water becomes warm too and the chicks dehydrate, In normal circumstances with a broody hen the chicks would be running around outside during the day, so the temperature and the water they drink would be cool and they would just go to the broody hen to warm up when they needed to. Your brooder should try to replicate that, so having a cage which allows air flow rather than a tote as a brooder in an unheated garage with a heat lamp or better still a MHP at one end and the food and water at the other is healthier for them.