To clean or not to clean a dirty bum?

[Rustic Chicken]

My chicks are now 5 days old and all are doing great. I have one though that has a little bit of a dirty bum. I made sure that when they arrived none of them had occluded bums and have checked them every day. However, this little guy has some hanging off of him (still not occluding) and I'm not sure if I should clean it or leave it alone. I have tried to use a warm, wet paper towel, but it is really stuck and I don't want to hurt the little guy. Any advice?

On another interesting note, he little bum seems a little swollen and he is much larger than the rest of the chicks. Is it possible we accidentally got a roo or is it too early to tell from just his size?

Have a wonderful day!

 

[4 luv of eggs]

I'd get it off. You don't want it to accumulate and turn into pasty butt. It does get really stuck on there. I tried the wet paper towel and a wet Q-tip but I had no luck either. What worked the best was letting warm water run over the poop until it melted away. I would hold the chick backward (butt sticking out between my thumb and first finger) and stick it under the running tap. With my free hand, I'd gently pick at the poo. It doesn't take long for it to loosen off. Make sure you dry the little heinie really well so it isn't a picking target for her hatchmates. I hope that helps.

 

[4 luv of eggs]

BTW

from Westminster, MD

 

[Rustic Chicken]

Thanks for the advice. Being a new chick mom and I really afraid of "breaking him", but I don't want any bacteria etc... to accumulate. I also get nervous about taking them away from the brooder, but I think your recommendation is the lessor of two evils.

 

[reveriereptile]

It is better to get it off now incase more gets stuck or it will take you even longer to get it off. What I've done for pasty butt is get a small plastic bowl that I can throw away and fill it with warm water. You want the water up high enough to be touching the butt. Then I'll either do it myself or have someone hold the chick for me in the water. I don't dunk the chick but want the butt in it to soak. Then I get some paper towels that I soak with warm water and be very gentle to massage the poop. It if isn't wet enough then I let it so more by holding the damp paper towel around the area. I also use Q-tips to damp and use for the smaller bit that is left. Once in a while it might be bad enough that I use a little drop of veggie oil on the Q-tip to apply to the area.

 

[4 luv of eggs]

I know. I'm new to it this year. The first pasty butt I dealt with, I needed DH there for support. I never stuck an animal's butt under water to clean it before, let alone a tiny chicken hienie. But you become an old pro pretty quick.