pasty butt?

[louloubean]

just got chicks in the mail.
they have what looks like a string hanging off their butts.
is this pasty butt? how will i know what to look for?

ok, i am stupid exited. baby barred rocks are here!

 

[red46]

A string???? I could be that they developed diarhea due to the stress of shipping.
Give them some sugar water, about a tablespoon to a quart, for a couple days, to help build them up.

Just watch for 'pasty butt' which is actually feces that hasn't dropped and is actually plugging the anus. This is deadly. Clean off anything you see, like that, that is leaving their little butts dirty.

It should clear up.

 

[Mrs.Puff]

Yep-- actual "pasty butt" is usually due to the chicks eating that wood-shaving litter that they put in the brooders at feed stores.

 

[3peeps]

Watch it for at least a week, and use a very warm water bath to soak it off the butt if needed. I have to do that with my polish right now. Then make sure they are dried off and warm when you put them back in the brooder. I like to hold mine in a warm rag under the heat lamp a bit and make sure the down is fluffed back up. Some people use a hair dryer.

 

[louloubean]

they are really happy little critters in their brooder right now.
i've seen poop in the litter too. (who knew there was joy at the sight of poop?)

i guess i need to know if pasty butt is obvious to see?
other than behavior changes in later stages?

thanks for your advice!

 

[chicklips]

Does it make a difference if there are no feathers on the butt and there is some dried on feces? I just recieved my chickens today and one has this problem. I cleaned off the feces but what about the feathers?

 

[farmerlor]

The thing to remember about pasty butt is it's not a one time thing, you need to clean them off a few times a day and keep checking them for several days. It usually just takes a day or two to clear up but keep doing a bottom check on everyone for a few days after just to be sure.

 

[Dawn419]

When I got my first day-old chicks (back in May 2007), I used a warm, damp wash cloth to remove the pasty pooh. Once the pooh was removed, I dried the area and then applied a bit of mineral oil (baby oil will work, too) to their rear ends and it helped to keep the pooh from sticking.

Hope this is some help!


Dawn

 

[RendonRoo]

Be careful with the sugar water. I know they need it if they have been shipped for a picker upper. More than a day or two will cause pasty butt. When i got my second order i picked them up and had them home in 2 hours. I didn't give sugar water and haven't had a problem with pasty butt at all. I had lots of it when feeding sugar. Good Luck. BTW I cleaned them with warm wet paper towels.

 

[louloubean]

ok - so what i think you all are saying i WILL NOTICE a poopy butt?

(i have experience - i have two kids in diapers - i KNOW poop butts)

and as long as i don't see it, i don't need to worry too much, right?