UGH! Brooder temps and poopy butt issues, I'm going nuts!!

[MydearWatson]

I have 1 week old chicks, 2 Silkies and 3 Orps, bought from breeder so never shipped. The brooder has been about 100 in its hottest spot, 85 in its coolest. They are very happy with this it appears. They sleep under the lights yet eat and hang out all over the brooder. I've been treating one Silkie for a messy bum. I dont know if it is technically, "pasty butt" but Ive been wiping her one or two times a day. Now the other Silkie has a dirty bum. Now I just noticed that my big blue Orp has poop on her tail feathers under her bum. I know if its too hot, pasty butt can happen so I tried tweaking the heat, they all freak and huddle and chirp. They really seem to like it at 100. Obviously the breeds have very fluffy butts so I would assume poop would accumulate anyway. Are chicken butts normally somewhat poopy or should they be clean all the time? I'm driving myself seriously nuts over the temp and dirty chicken butts!

 

[Anianna]

Have you tried putting olive oil or petroleum jelly on their bottoms to keep the poo from sticking? Also, make sure the water is not under the heat lamp.

 

[MydearWatson]

Thank you for your reply! I have been putting olive oil on their vents and the feathers beneath. They dont have any water or food under the lamp. I cant tell how messy chicken butts are supposed to be.

the silkies definitley have issues but the big Orp just started. Could she just have had a messy poo? Or should they always be totally clean?

 

[Anianna]

100 seems pretty hot for 1 week-olds in general, but 85 is not too chilly outside of the lamp area. None of them sleep in the cooler parts of the bin? Do you ever see them panting at all under the lamp?

 

[N&MSchroeder]

I would lower the temperature and see how they react. I usually start mine at about 90-95 at the hottest and have plenty of room for them to move around if they need a cooler place. The poopy butt will pass and you are doing an excellent job of watching over your little ones! Hang in there! They are definitely worth it.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I wouldn't think you should still be seeing pastey butt issues with week olds, and someone correct me if im wrong but your brooder temp should be at about 90 now. If the chicks are too hot, they will drink more water. Which in turn will produce runnier poops that stick to feathers under the vent. Gradually reduce the temp to 90 and wash their booties, and the issue should be resolved. Good luck.

 

[SIMPleChick]

maybe it's the food? Or too much of something? Do you add vitamins? I had a couple with poop issues and when I added apple cider vinegar to their water 1tsp/quart of water, aple cider only, it fixed the problem, and they were on a medicated mash, generic store brand. No problems...I honestly felt the problems started at the store or from shipping...good luck!!

 

[MydearWatson]

I tried lowering it and left it for about a half an hour, they ended up all huddled together and "fighting" to get underneath the biggest one. They just were not comfy. They usually sleep under the lamp, not in the cooler areas. I cut some holes in the cardboard that lines the crate they are in, hoping it would lower the temp a little but it didnt change much. I cant seem to find anything lower that they are happy with.

It doesn't help that the New England weather goes from 75 to 50 within a day! Is it normal for them to freak a bit when the temp is lowered? Should I just wait it out? I've read so much about forget the thermometer and let the chicks tell you. The chicks are telling me they like what they have and dont want change. But their messy butts might be telling me different? UGH.

thank you for the reassurance that the poopy butt will end. I guess just be diligent and put olive oil? I am just so discouraged because every day it seems like a new one gets a messy butt!!

 

[suburbanchickymama]

I'm just a newbie but took advice from a seasoned pro and gave a sand dust-bath that they could also use for grit and offered a "treat" of ground up rolled oats to help or prevent pasty butt. We had a power outage and the cold/stress caused a couple to get it and that cleared it right up! I think I had to clean 3 of their bottoms twice and that was the end of it. None of them have any poop on their feathers at all anymore. I also watch them for temp cues instead of going by a thermometer but for me it's way cooler than typical instead of hotter.

Your thermometer could be off maybe? Good luck with everything!! I'm sure it will get all worked out!

 

[lutz123]

For what it's worth (and that's very little since I'm new), I have 21 keets and chicks in 3 different brooders ranging in age from 1 day to 5 weeks and have never seen a pasty butt. Everyone is clean. The farm I picked up my first batch from (LONG story) had 50 or so day to week old chicks and 90+% had pasty butts so it can occur young. I picked out the few that were clean.