Poopie Butt

[kaylaC6500]

Today I am a proud mama of four baby chicks! Very happy and excited. I brought them home only a few hours ago and they seem very content. They are drinking and eatting. Only..one chick has a poopie butt. I didn't notice it at the farm store, but now I see something is amiss. I took some warm water and gently rubbed and it seemed as though some came out. Now, though it looks as though the poops is not dropping, just hanging there. I thought maybe it is because they have had a lot of excitement and maybe once hey settle down she will become regular again. Not sure? What are your thoughts? Please don't ask me to take her back, if there is a problem with her they will not be able to sell her and will just end up killing her. I would rather address the issue myself where she will get the proper TLC. Thanks.

 

[roostersandhens]

This is what I am doing to get rid of my chickens poopy but. You can either give them PLAIN SUGAR FREE yogurt (as adults plane is not necessary) or sprinkle probiotics in their food!

 

[oregonkat]

Hi, I brought my 12 babies home about a week ago and had several cases of poopie butt to deal with. This is a potentially lethal thing but it is easy to take care of if you do it quickly. You must clean away the poop because it will block the vent and back the poop up inside the chick. Your baby is going to protest loudly so be prepared. The way I deal with it is as follows:
Get a dish of very warm water and some paper towels and some q tips. Collect said chick and hold her so that her butt is facing you. Soak a section of the paper towel in the warm water and hold it against the poop for a little while until it starts to soften. Crack it with your fingers if possible but dont pull at it as that will pull out the baby's feathers. Continue this until all the poop is gone and the vent is clear and visible. Dry the baby gently, some folks blow dry their bums but I just gently dabbed a soft towel to get most of the water off and put her back under her heat lamp. They dry quickly. I also add chick grit to their food which seems to ease the situation and my babies have had clean butts since. Keep an eye out for a recurrence and repeat the above if necessary. Good luck.

 

[kaylaC6500]

I did what you suggested with the warm water. As I was holding her, sure enough she pooped. This is actually the second time that I have taken a warm cloth to her bum and both times she had no problem poop'n. I think it might have something to do with her diet as well....

 

[miquwid]

I just got my babies yesturday and with your suggestions I was able to clean one my girls poopie butts. They are 3 days old and I just held her there and soaked her butt with warm water and the crusty junk eventually came off at first she wasn't happy but after a minute she just kept falling asleep in my hands and eventually pooped and after 7 minutes of work we got it all cleaned. Then there was the job of wiping her dry. I love my baby girls I'm always checking on them. I got 6 Amber links to start out, poopie butt is no longer poopie butt, but our smallest girl is Valentina she's the calmest and most easily handled and has funny wings. More names to come as they develop. I just can't believe how their personalities are starting to form already.



This is poopie butt before I got her dry.

 

[jessicaroo]

Poop butt isn't fun, sounds like you all are doing everything right! I also give my chicks the yolk of a hard boiled egg once a day for a few days. They were hesitant to eat it at first, but once they did they loved it! now when I put it in, it's gone within minutes! Helps with poopy butt and gives them some extra protein good luck with your new babies!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

This is my thought on the matter:
This very well could be pullorum disease but I hope not. This is a very serious disease of domestic poultry especially in young chicks. I am unsure now but until recently anyone with pullorum in their flock who were in the NPIP were required to kill every chicken on the premise that tested positive for pullorum. There is a simple blood test that you can do at home for pullorum. If a chick has it and survives it will become a pullorum carrier for life. See NPIP or the National Poultry Improvement Program in your state.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/common-chicken-illnesses-and-treatments.html

Symptoms: Chicks are inactive, may have white diarrhea with pasted rear ends, breathing difficulty, or die without symptoms. Older birds — coughing, sneezing, poor laying.
How contracted: Viral disease; contracted through carrier birds and contaminated surfaces, clothing, and shoes.
Treatment: Destroy all infected birds — birds that recover are carriers. Most chicks infected will die.
Vaccine available: No vaccine, but there is a blood test to find carriers. While the U.S. is trying to eradicate this disease, buy chickens from Pullorum-negative flocks

 

[MainePoultry]

Im awaiting my chicks as we speak and will probably have to deal with this in the very near future! LOL, Anyway I think I saw in several threads you can also apply vaseline to the chicks rear to help aid with pasty butt.

 

[kelliepulido]

I take popcorn kernels grind them in a coffee grinder and feed them that along with chick grit it helps with pasty butts,and the chicks love it

 

[miquwid]

I take popcorn kernels grind them in a coffee grinder and feed them that along with chick grit it helps pasty butts,and the love it

thank you so much for that tip I will definitely try it they seem to be very healthy just a couple of times they had poopy but otherwise ok they are extremely active, they are eating well and drinking.