What Causes Poop To Stick To 4 Day Old Chicks?

[1234duck]

I hatched four baby chicks that are now 4 Days Old and two of them had poop stuck to their butts. I used a paper towel with warm water and gently wiped but it was stuck to the fluffy butts. So i let the warm water stay there till it was able to be cleaned off without hurting. I had this happen twice to 1 of the chicks. I thought maybe they weren't drinking water, but they are. I haven't had this happen with my others in the past. ~ Is there any thing to be concerned about? I thought they might be constipated at first since the poop was so hard. Thanks, ~Julie~

 

[Magic Birdie]

You did the right thing by washing it off.

Just keep doing that and eventually the pasty butt will go away

 

[Fred's Hens]

Hold them, butt first, under a stream of tepid water. Let the stream of warm water do most of the work. Gently crumble and wash off the dried poop. Do not pull or you take a lot of feathers, leaving a bald rear end. Pat dry and apply some vasoline or Olive Oil to keep it moist.

Lots of things are suspect in poop butt. Too hot, de-hydration (related to too hot) and even the sugary additives a lot of folks put into the drinking water.

 

[aoxa]

Fred's Hens :

Hold them, butt first, under a stream of tepid water. Let the stream of warm water do most of the work. Gently crumble and wash off the dried poop. Do not pull or you take a lot of feathers, leaving a bald rear end. Pat dry and apply some vasoline or Olive Oil to keep it moist.

Lots of things are suspect in poop butt. Too hot, de-hydration (related to too hot) and even the sugary additives a lot of folks put into the drinking water.

Fred's Hens - What causes this to happen to adult hens? I have a BR that sometimes has dried poop on her butt fluff. She's had it happening since I got her. She is otherwise VERY healthy. I have bathed her numerous times, they all have ACV in their water. They eat grower crumble and layer pellets - because I have a mixed flock even the laying hens end up eating the grower crumbles.

Sorry to hijack!​

 

[1234duck]

I have a question.. (probably should be a new post) but, do all hens know that they can get off of their nest/eggs to get some food and water? My 2 hens are sitting in the coop on eggs for their 1st time and i was noticing that neither of them had been coming out at all. I started looking inside to see if they were breathing or okay. So i took some food and put it inside the coop next to them, after they seen what it was they got up started eating like they hadn't eaten for days then ran out of the coop to the water did the same thing. Then they ate some veggies then more feed,then water then back to their nest. The next day i made sure to leave food and water in the coop for them but they didnt get up to eat that time. Still i left the feed and water inside by them. I thought it was kinda strange b/c i made sure to try and watch for them off the nest but never seen them. Also one hen is in a nesting box and the other is in the middle of the floor by the back door of the coop. lots of hay but she made a nest and left No hay under the eggs just the wood floor. i didnt want to disturb her and her eggs so i left them there. Thanks, ~Julie

 

[1234duck]

I have a question.. (probably should be a new post) but, do all hens know that they can get off of their nest/eggs to get some food and water? My 2 hens are sitting in the coop on eggs for their 1st time and i was noticing that neither of them had been coming out at all. I started looking inside to see if they were breathing or okay. So i took some food and put it inside the coop next to them, after they seen what it was they got up started eating like they hadn't eaten for days then ran out of the coop to the water did the same thing. Then they ate some veggies then more feed,then water then back to their nest. The next day i made sure to leave food and water in the coop for them but they didnt get up to eat that time. Still i left the feed and water inside by them. I thought it was kinda strange b/c i made sure to try and watch for them off the nest but never seen them. Also one hen is in a nesting box and the other is in the middle of the floor by the back door of the coop. lots of hay but she made a nest and left No hay under the eggs just the wood floor. i didnt want to disturb her and her eggs so i left them there. Thanks, ~Julie }}} SORRY THIS POSTED 2X's.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
Fred's Hens - What causes this to happen to adult hens? I have a BR that sometimes has dried poop on her butt fluff. She's had it happening since I got her. She is otherwise VERY healthy. I have bathed her numerous times, they all have ACV in their water. They eat grower crumble and layer pellets - because I have a mixed flock even the laying hens end up eating the grower crumbles.

Sorry to hijack!

Some hens are prone to the runs. They may eat the same food as the rest of the flock, drink the same water, and yet, there's one who's digestive, execratory system is just a bit off. Not much you can do, really. It's a unique-to-her situation.

 

[jessicayarno]

Quote:
They will get off when they get hungry enough, but I would recommend that you move them to their own area away from the rest of your flock.. I tried leaving my broody in the coop and it was a disaster.. When she would get off the nest others would lay their eggs in there and break some of the eggs. At one point I decided to throw out the "extra" eggs to my dog, that weren't marked and one had an almost fully developed baby in it

.. It was then that I decided she had to be moved if any of the babies were going to survive. I have learned my lesson the hard way and will always move my broodies to a seperate area..

 

[Grog]

When my littles get pasty butt I give them a butt trim they look a bit wierd but I dont have to keep cleaning them up. So far only my hatchery chicks have had the pasty butt.

 

[1234duck]

jessicayarno... I don't mark any of their eggs. I just let them be, same with my ducks. The only time I bother the eggs is if I Hi-jack them to stick them in the incubator to hatch. Yes I have had the other hens also lay some eggs in the nest while the broodie hen was off her nest, but that just made there be a longer hatch by usually just a few days or so. Even the hen doing the sitting will continue to lay some eggs even though she thought she had a full clutch. (those eggs were the ones that hatched some days later) }}}I Don't understand why you took the extra eggs/unmarked eggs out of the nest and "Then threw them to your dog"? I would never feed them to my dogs in fear that they might try getting more eggs or even the chicken or duck. ~Julie~