There are two things to do to prevent pasting.
The first is to grind up some scratch in a blender until it is very finely divided and then feed it as the first feed.
I like to put the water and the scratch just outside the hot area where they prefer to sleep. I put down a couple
of layers of paper towels and then scatter the scratch all around the perimeter of the hot area, from the very edge
of it to a couple of inches out. I put their waterer within two to six inches of the warm area where they prefer to hang
out.
Feeding water and scratch first, combined with adequate heat vastly reduces pasting.
If you see pasting start *after* they were started on scratch, or after two or three days,
the first thing to do is rinse their rumps with water at about your body temperature to soften the pasting so you
can remove it - and remove the pasting (gently, do not pluck ortear the baby chick) and then switch to a different
starter. For overnight one may use the ground scratch again if you are unable to get starter immediately. I have found one brand of
starter that seemed to cause pasting.
The first is to grind up some scratch in a blender until it is very finely divided and then feed it as the first feed.
I like to put the water and the scratch just outside the hot area where they prefer to sleep. I put down a couple
of layers of paper towels and then scatter the scratch all around the perimeter of the hot area, from the very edge
of it to a couple of inches out. I put their waterer within two to six inches of the warm area where they prefer to hang
out.
Feeding water and scratch first, combined with adequate heat vastly reduces pasting.
If you see pasting start *after* they were started on scratch, or after two or three days,
the first thing to do is rinse their rumps with water at about your body temperature to soften the pasting so you
can remove it - and remove the pasting (gently, do not pluck ortear the baby chick) and then switch to a different
starter. For overnight one may use the ground scratch again if you are unable to get starter immediately. I have found one brand of
starter that seemed to cause pasting.
