Some of my weekolds have poop stuck to them

[tmanley]

I think its what I see refered to as pasty butt however they seem alright.
There are 30 barred rock pullets one week old tomorrow. Only around 5 have it.
Tried to clean them with warm water but its hard as rock and I'm afraid of injuring them or stressing them to much.
Any advice?

 

[KatieBugg]

It can sometimes take a bit to soften the poo, I usually hold my chicks over the sink, have the warm water running and take Qtips and keep running it under the water and work to get it all softned, when I get it off I use a bit of Vegetable oil on a Qtip in the vent area to prevent the poo from sticking a bit. As long as you are gently and patient it will come off without hurting them.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Clean it. Better to give them pain than for them to die.
Good for you to check them.
I use a soft cloth soaked with vinegar but anything works.
The main thing is to get it off even if you have to pull it off dry.

 

[redsoxs]

I've simply help them firmly but gently and dipped their little bottoms in warm water. They have actually gone to sleep while doing this. Help them there long enough to soften everything so it would come off.

 

[tmanley]

Well to start off thank you all very much!
I have just finished getting more personal than I ever expected with chicks :~)
I used the cotton swap with warm water and a rag to pull it out. A few lost a bit of fuzz but seem fine.
So is this an ongoing problem or do they only have it for the first week or so?
Have to admit I enjoyed babying them.
Curious why some are completly clean and others packed solid.
Thanks again for being here.

 

[cobbcruiser]

Thanks for the tip! We just joined the chicken raising family (and BYC) today - never would have known to periodically check.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Pasty butt is the only thing that I've lost chicks to. I now check all of them for the first couple weeks. It's hard when you have 50 or more under a hover brooder.

 

[tmanley]

It was diffcult to keep up with them moving so much but I figured out how to beay them at that.
Removed the food and water then sprinkled some feed on the far side away from me.
It was like getting them to line up and present butt's
All 30 seem good and healthy today.

 

[tmanley]

Please replace beay with beat in last posting

 

[cafarmgirl]

A little ACV (apple cider vinegar) in their water works wonders for pasty butt. My last couple batches of chicks I've put a teaspoon of ACV per quart in their water. No more pasty butt's.

(use an organ, raw, acv as found in your grocery stores health food section. The label should say "with the mother". Bragg's is a common brand.)