Spring 2017 first timers post!

[Lamaremybabies]

Agreed! 76 days and counting

49 for me!

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

36 days for me.....

Gary

 

[csharpdev]

So far to date I've lost 5 chicks; 4 NH and 1 Ameraucana.

All the dead chicks did have pasty butt so I'm assuming that's what they died of. I've also cleared pasty butt probably 20+ times over the weekend. The one downside to the MHP is not being able to see all the chicks and since my brooder and MHP are both large I can't even reach all of them. I can only check them once or twice a day during the week so hopefully this pasty butt problem clears itself up soon.

 

[Lamaremybabies]

So far to date I've lost 5 chicks; 4 NH and 1 Ameraucana.

All the dead chicks did have pasty butt so I'm assuming that's what they died of. I've also cleared pasty butt probably 20+ times over the weekend. The one downside to the MHP is not being able to see all the chicks and since my brooder and MHP are both large I can't even reach all of them. I can only check them once or twice a day during the week so hopefully this pasty butt problem clears itself up soon.

Put some apple cider vinegar in their water. Works wonders, especially when it comes to pasty butt

 

[csharpdev]

Put some apple cider vinegar in their water. Works wonders, especially when it comes to pasty butt

Been using acv since their first drink. I may try increasing the amount tomorrow.

 

[cholland]

So far to date I've lost 5 chicks; 4 NH and 1 Ameraucana.

All the dead chicks did have pasty butt so I'm assuming that's what they died of. I've also cleared pasty butt probably 20+ times over the weekend. The one downside to the MHP is not being able to see all the chicks and since my brooder and MHP are both large I can't even reach all of them. I can only check them once or twice a day during the week so hopefully this pasty butt problem clears itself up soon.

Bummer. I lost a few in the first couple days too. Get them some ACV in the water, and try some fermented feed. Took a couple of days but seemed to make the difference for me.
I'm just using ACV once or twice a week now, and went back to chick mash. They didn't seem to like the fermented feed much. I'll try it again once they are out in the coop and I have more space to work in.

 

[megdarling]

Hi everyone! I am anxiously waiting for our very first hatching egg to pip. My son brought home a left over egg from their project at school and that one should be hatching soon. I have some other eggs set that will be along soon. This is definitely the Spring of the egg at our house.

 

[Lamaremybabies]

Been using acv since their first drink. I may try increasing the amount tomorrow.

Yeah that might work.

 

[Blooie]

So far to date I've lost 5 chicks; 4 NH and 1 Ameraucana.

All the dead chicks did have pasty butt so I'm assuming that's what they died of. I've also cleared pasty butt probably 20+ times over the weekend. The one downside to the MHP is not being able to see all the chicks and since my brooder and MHP are both large I can't even reach all of them. I can only check them once or twice a day during the week so hopefully this pasty butt problem clears itself up soon.

I'm really surprised that any of your chicks have pasty butt.....you are the first person who has reported that with MHP and I'm so sorry! I haven't had any since my first batch of chicks, and they were raised under a heat lamp. I remember being so frustrated because I couldn't imagine how 22 chicks ended up with 144 hineys to clean.

You can certainly try the apple cider vinegar in their water. Do you mind if I ask a few questions in case it comes up in the MHP thread? Any information we share helps others, right?

When you clean it off, can you either slightly trim the down from around the vent?(not enough to make a target for the others to peck at and irritate, just enough to reduce the down the poop has to stick to)

Did you try dabbing a small amount of olive oil, coconut oil, or Vaseline if that's what you have on hand, on the down around the vents to make poop less likely to stick?

Are they in a lighted room all night long or do the lights go out at sunset so they aren't eating 24/7?

Did they already have pasty butt when you got them?

That "hiding chicks" is the biggest drawback to MHP, but then I can't look at them under a broody either - at least not when it's Attila the Hen out there. When she's broody I don't even to out to the coop without chain mail, a helmet, gauntlets, and a sword! But I found that if I just lift up the front of the "cave", they are all right there.

I wish you all the best of luck, and again, I'm sorry you are having such a hard time.

 

[cholland]

I also had pasty butt with the MHP. I have 4 different breeds of chicks but it was only one of the breeds, and all of those. I suspect it was something in that breed, not with the brooder set up or anything.
X2 on using olive oil.