Week Old Chick - Poop on Butt ?

[MTopPA_18707]

I don't know if this chick has a problem but I thought I'd mention it as things can develop quickly.

This little Black Australorp chick [last born] appeared to have poop stuck to his butt. I cleaned most of it off with a warm/wet paper towel.
It looks like the vent maybe a little prolapsed. I'm not sure, it might be just a little more poop.

I was surprised because I though "pasty butt" was only seen in new born chicks.

The kids swear they've not been touching the chicks when I'm not around.
I explained that if squeezed too hard this kind of thing could happen.

I've seen the other chicks peck at this chicks' vent a few times. But it isn't bleeding.
The chick is eating and drinking ok - but it is smaller and never quite as active as the others.

For now I'm keeping an eye on him/her.
In the morning, he it is doing worse I'm considering soaking its' butt on warm water - what do you guys think ?

Note: the other 12 chicks are doing fine - I've had them all since last weekend.

- Kevin

 

[FMAFarms]

Pasty butt can happen to chicks older than one day, but usually it's just poop stuck to the down around or under the vent. It dries hard and fast and if you don't bathe it carefully off, you'll end up pulling off the down and leaving a bare pink patch that's prime for pecking. Leave the poo dried on too long, and the chick will peck at itself. I just spent the last two hours giving chick butts baths in warm water, wrapping them in shammies, then buffing their tush feathers until they were dry again. These chicks are four days and one week old. Just make sure the water is warm and you have a way of warming and drying the bathed chick quickly.

 

[Borncountry419]

Stress is a common factor in pasty butts. Stress of hatching, shipping, kids playing with them too much, etc. Try to keep activity around and with them down until they're at least a few weeks old.

 

[NYRIR]

x2 Many a pasty butt from store bought chicks...

 

[MTopPA_18707]

Thanks everyone.

These chicks weren't store bought . . . I drove about 2 hours to pick them up.

We don't hold them . . . but they do run around the brooder when I'm changing the food & water dishes.
So there is some stress then,

I checked on the chic again this AM . . . . other than poop on its' rear it seems fine . . . eating drinking and moving around, etc.

I'm wondering if it's just stuck on it's fuzzy rather than a plugged vent.

Kevin

 

[FMAFarms]

Quote:
That would be my guess! No one's bothered to teach chicks how to poop neatly.

 

[MTopPA_18707]

ok - so here's what I'm thinking and what I've done for now:

Thinking - there might not be anything wrong with this chick since it's active [ eating / drinking / playing / etc ]
I don't want to handle it unnecessarily - as that might not be good for it either.
But I do want to know if it's pooping or not.

So I bought hardware cloth and made a little corral for it right in the brooder with his buddies.

I put a paper towel down for the floor so I can easily see if it poops.

Also gave it a little food / water.

--------------

Now for the million dollar chicken poop question . . . . how long should it take to poop at least once ?

-Kevin

 

[MTopPA_18707]

Yes dear friends . . . that ends another episode of "As the Chick Poops."


Within 15 minutes the chick pooped - mystery solved !

And my mind is at rest.

And the chick is much happier now that it's out of the corral . . . even though he could see his buddies, he cried the whole time.


Thank you for the support,

Kevin & Kids

 

[Katoo1]

I don't know how you did it. You made a poop-butt thread entertaining. Well done.

 

[Carrie Lynn]

x2 lol