Poop on Bums...

[Brillig]

Hi Y'all...

I just bought 6 baby chicks from the local feed store and in the time it took to get home (less than an hour) one of them died and one is dying...Three of the others have poop caked on their butts...Not sure that has anything to do with it as the ones that are dead/dying DON'T have poop on their butts...

How do I treat the dirty bottoms and is there anything I can do to try to revive the dying chick?

 

[azygous]

These chicks have probably been seriously mishandled from the time they were picked up at the post office by a feed store employee. How do I suspect this? Because I've seen this happen here where I live.

It's not uncommon for ignorant employees to neglect picking chick shipments up until the day after arriving at the post office. This causes severe dehydration in the babies. By the time the chicks are picked up and installed in a feed store stock tank, they may be half dead. If the employee doesn't know to get each chick to start drinking water immediately, further dehydration occurs, causing pasty butt and constipation.

The best thing to do for your chicks is to get them to drink some tepid water with a little sugar mixed in it. Keep the crust from accumulating on the butts, cleaning them with a Q-tip or cotton ball moistened in warm water or mineral oil. Take extreme care not to rub the vent as it will cause swelling and inflammation and lead to prolapse. A little coconut oil on the vent will heal and help prevent inflammation.

Some minced boiled egg is better right now than trying to get them to eat crumbles. Heating them with a heating pad set up is also better and more natural than a heat lamp which can overheat and cause pasty butt to persist.

 

[aart]

I've found it easiest to give the pasted chicks a little stitz bath to soak off the dried poops.
Little cup with chick butt height warm water, hold them in there until poop softens.
I do this under an adjustable armed utility light set low to the work table to keep them from getting chilled.

 

[drumstick diva]

after their bum is dry you can apply a bit of Vaseline to help prevent poo from sticking again.

 

[caroljones]

Do they ever out grow this or is this something that will continue to happen as they mature?

 

[chickens really]

Temperature is the cause of pasty butt in Chicks.....If they get cold they get pasty butt....
Chicks do great on cold water....temperature the first week should be at 85....then drop down 5 degrees each week.....


Cheers!

 

[aart]

Do they ever out grow this or is this something that will continue to happen as they mature?

They should out grow it very quickly, 1-2 days, once their digestive system is working well.
It can happen when they get older, tho less likely to actually close off the vent.
Loose stool can cling to feathers and if it gets too bad cause skin issues or fly strike.

Temperature is the cause of pasty butt in Chicks.....If they get cold they get pasty butt....
Chicks do great on cold water....temperature the first week should be at 85....then drop down 5 degrees each week.....


Cheers!

Too much heat in brooder is more often the cause of pasty butt.

Are you talking water temp @chickens really ? Your 'sentence' is confusing.
Heat directly under brooder lamp can start at 85-90F on day one.
Then turn down as much as chicks can bear to feather them out, and acclimate them to outdoor temps faster.
The 5 degree a week brooder temp is malarky, IMO, can keep them too warm...go by chick behavior instead of the thermometer.

 

[sanderslm]

Both my RIR had this happen to them. I had to keep cleaning their butts and put them in the run on the ground for a little bit during the day. It took a couple days but it finally cleared up.

 

[caroljones]

It cleared up after I put a little apple cider vinegar in their water.