poopy butt and not eating.

[Haunted55]

The mustardy color gives me pause here. Is there anyway you can get pics of it and him? Are any of the other chicks showing any symptoms? Do you offer chick grit with their feed? Lol! Sorry, you're the eyes and ears here. I'd tell you to turn a little more to the left if I thought it would give me a better view. You've done great with the descriptions, by the way.

http://chat.allotment.org/index.php?topic=17568.0

Check this link and see if it will match up. This is probably nothing to worry about but it's our first sign most of the time that something could be going on with them. I also noticed I never asked how old this bird is.

 

[sarahswank]

They are strickly on chick starter, no extra grit, but also no extra treats of any kind.

Here is the chicks vent area this morning. There really was not any poop in the box this morning (NO idea how that happened... Hope they arent decieding to eat it). I have looked at the chart. It reminds me of the cecaul type, but it seems to be coming every time, not just ever few. I know pictures are somewhat hard to understand. but basicly his vent is caked over in a solid yellowish orange coating... and it sort of looks like it dribbles down his butt a bit. (This chick always settles down better if I hold him on his back, so keep that in mind when looking at the pictures... The orinataion of the chick in my hand might not be how you expected.)





"He" is the darker, smaller chick, The other one is his buddy who was the same size as him when we bought them last wendsday... I am guessing they cant be much over a week old. They didnt even appear to have feathers coming in on their wings until a day or two ago.






The other chick with him has a bit of poop dried to his bum (this morning is a first time), but it is well formed, and it just lookes like it couldnt get past his VERY fluffy butt this morning before getting caught. In general his just looks normal, and no real problem.

 

[kynewbchickie]

Some of my chicks had a really nasty case of poopie butt when I bought them (actually, to save them - almost every single one of the chicks at our TS store was caked in poo and there were a few dead with their entire behinds covered from tail poof to the backs of their legs). It infuriated me to no end, so I bought the remaining lively chicks and immediately brought them home, washed them up, rubbed some olive oil around their vents, and went to work with the 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar/ 1 gallon water, and one scoop of Probios per 1/2 gallon of feed in their feeder. It cleared up from a messy, mustardy color and consistency to a brown/olive green with a white cap and more solid consistency within 24 hours. My husband laughed at me cleaning up their tails those two days, but they're all happy, healthy, and haven't had another incident since.

Good luck hon!

 

[Haunted55]

I'm thinking cecal as well, but why? Every so often is normal, not every one unless something has messed up his system. I agree with Kynewbchickie. Some probiotics are probably a really good idea. As for the vinegar, yes, but keep it at the 1 tbls. per gallon rate. Not knowing what has caused the upset, I hesitate to say more would be better. Tractor Supply, I know, has Sav-a-Chick vitamins and also the Sav-a-Chick probiotics for not a lot of money. 3 pks. for around 2-3 dollars.

 

[Haunted55]

I'm thinking cecal as well, but why? Every so often is normal, not every one unless something has messed up his system. I agree with Kynewbchickie. Some probiotics are probably a really good idea. As for the vinegar, yes, but keep it at the 1 tbls. per gallon rate. Not knowing what has caused the upset, I hesitate to say more would be better. Tractor Supply, I know, has Sav-a-Chick vitamins and also the Sav-a-Chick probiotics for not a lot of money. 3 pks. for around 2-3 dollars.

Oh Duh! You already did that, lol. Sorry, didn't have the right hat on when I replied. I had a showgirl roo who did pretty much the same as yours. It took a week or so with the vitamins and then it just stopped on it's own. No clue why or what caused it. It just was. Maybe the addition of the ACV would help. I didn't do that. Maybe, finish out what you have with the probiotics and vitamins and then switch to the ACV in their water instead. He doesn't seem to be wasting away or anything so this, as you said, may be just one of those things. Chickens can be quite contrary when they want to be and sometimes we never can figure out why.

 

[sarahswank]

He doesn't seem to be wasting away or anything so this, as you said, may be just one of those things. Chickens can be quite contrary when they want to be and sometimes we never can figure out why.

Thanks. That was sort of the reassurance I needed... Hopefully the next time I need to post anything on this guy it will only be because I cant figure out if it is a roo or pullet! (LOL, way too early now...)

It is sad that I went from being a mostly financial backer of this chicken flock, to now end up being the primary caretaker and knowledgeable one...

 

[Haunted55]

Thanks. That was sort of the reassurance I needed... Hopefully the next time I need to post anything on this guy it will only be because I cant figure out if it is a roo or pullet! (LOL, way too early now...)

It is sad that I went from being a mostly financial backer of this chicken flock, to now end up being the primary caretaker and knowledgeable one...

Not so sad, once you get over whatever this is, the rewards are great.

 

[seminolewind]

What I've learned about chicken poop is that their poop means nothing unless it's got blood, or worms in it, or it's bright green . Other than that, I would want another symptom, not just poop. If their poop looks weird and they are acting sick, then I worry.

And always thing of this. A chick needs to catch an illness from another chicken unless they're born with it. If your chicks have had no exposure to others, then it's better to think about what it could be aside from catching it from another chicken.

 

[sarahswank]

another update... sort of, but with a new question about culling "her"

The pasty butt continued on and off still, and although less"catostrophic" she still has to get a cleaning every other day or it sticks in such a way that it risks clogging her again. (and still VERY stinky, cecal type poop almost constantly, but atleast not as runny)

I have tried all the other methods (warmer, colder, oil, plucking feathers, adding grit, and now slowly switching her to a different brand of starter) to fix this, and pretty much have come to the conclusion that it is something about HER that is wrong and causes her to be hypersensitive her enviroment.

Now, do you think this is something that could be geneticly passed on to her chicks? AKA. I dont want to start introducing genes that makes future chicks less hardy.

 

[Haunted55]

another update... sort of, but with a new question about culling "her"

The pasty butt continued on and off still, and although less"catostrophic" she still has to get a cleaning every other day or it sticks in such a way that it risks clogging her again. (and still VERY stinky, cecal type poop almost constantly, but atleast not as runny)

I have tried all the other methods (warmer, colder, oil, plucking feathers, adding grit, and now slowly switching her to a different brand of starter) to fix this, and pretty much have come to the conclusion that it is something about HER that is wrong and causes her to be hypersensitive her enviroment.

Now, do you think this is something that could be geneticly passed on to her chicks? AKA. I dont want to start introducing genes that makes future chicks less hardy.

Are these chicks getting medicated feed? How old now?