pasty butt

[Sandra Lee]

I am having a problem with my 13 day old RIR too. She was constipated and really struggling to poop. I couldn't get her to take any oil, even on a piece of bread, but I got her to eat a piece of a dried meal worm dipped in oil. Is that okay? She didn't want yogurt either. I also put vaseline on her vent and massaged it and I have gotten her to poop. Now she seems to be pooping fairly regularly but she won't stop picking at her butt and it is pretty bald and getting raw. Nothing is blocking her vent so I am no longer worried about her being backed up but more worried she will cause an infection. None of the other chicks have picked on her or noticed thankfully but she just won't leave it alone. I just picked her up to clean it and it is pretty caked up down there but I can't tell if its dirty (poop) that should be clean off or if its just her skin/fuzz a little hard/scabbed from her picking at it. I rubbed it a few times with a wet, warm paper towel and then put vaseline on the exposed areas and her vent. When I put her back in the brooder she left it alone for a couple minutes and then picked at it again. Do you have any other suggestions?! So far she still seems to be acting normal, running around, eating and drinking with the other chicks and like I said, they aren't picking on her at all. I just don't want to not do something I am supposed to and her get worse. Do they ever stop picking at it? I don't know how it would get back to normal from raw if she insists on playing with it all the time.

I think I will raise their light a little more today too in case that can help. The rest of the chicks seem fine, and none of them had pasty butt issues within the first week of arriving, hers didn't start until she somehow got constipated. I had canary grit in the brooder so she may have taken too much of that, I took it out a couple days ago. Should I also add a little ACV to their water? Thanks, I am so attached to her and she was doing so well, I just really don't want her to start to decline.

 

[Sandra Lee]

Well, I guess I am a little wrong...she is still struggling to poop but she's getting it out at least. She seems to have to push pretty hard still though. Also, I know other people have posted that you can put a little preparation H on their sore bums, but would that hurt them when they pecked at it and maybe ingested some? I have some Desitin here that I could put on it, or should I just stick to vaseline? Thanks

 

[Sandra Lee]

Looks like I killed this thread

Figured I would post an update anyway. I continued to clean off my RIR's bum and apply a little vaseline in the mornings. I also put a tiny bit of ACV in their water yesterday but today they are back to plain water. She seems to be doing much better and her bum looked a lot less swollen and sore this morning. I cleaned it and put vaseline on anyway but hopefully this could be the last day I need to do that. Hopefully she is in the clear

 

[PeepsAreForMe]

One of my bantams was pasty when I bought her, that's why I picked her! I was not sure how often the sales person would check her. She was a week old when I got her and I soaked her teeny butt in a little bowl of warm water every day for a week. She eventually stopped pasting. One thing I have learned being a new chick mom is you have to have patience!! Good luck!

 

[robynz]

I had to clean 3 chick bums last night - I didn't know about ACV or olive oil - I'll pick some up this afternoon - thanks!

 

[Dawneebird]

Does the ACV have to be unfiltered? Do you put it in their water?? How much?? Thanks! I am a new bee at this as well....obviously....LOL!

 

[rmasimpson]

How much AVC do you give chicks only a few days old? Do you just put a few drops in their drinking water or? Thank you. I have a few with a little poo, but just lost my runt last night. She was such a cutie. I have cuckoo marans just a few days old, five now. I have two araucanas and a barred rock a few weeks old, a barred rock about three months I think, and then two older ameraucanas.

 

[ash10383]

1 tablespoon of acv to 1 gallon of water is the ratio for any age chicken. The larger the chicken the larger amounts of water thus ACV it will drink...so sort of self dosing

And I don't think it HAS to be unfiltered but the common opinion here is that unfiltered/unpasterized apple cider vinegar is probably best or has better results...(usually Bragg's is the easiest to find but Heinz also makes a unfiltered/unpasterized)

 

[ash10383]

1 tablespoon of acv to 1 gallon of water is the ratio for any age chicken. The larger the chicken the larger amounts of water thus ACV it will drink...so sort of self dosing...


now to figure out how to delete the dual post....

 

[EsKezzy]

Right now my chicks are still getting the electrolyte water. When should I stop that?
Do you always give the chickens/chicks water with ACV or just sometimes?