What does severe pasty butt look like?

[rainnotebook]

I swear I'm never going to do chicks again. I just found one of my chicks with a severely huge... something by his butt.

After discovering two of my chicks yesterday with pasty butt (or atleast just dried poop on them) I checked all my birds and wiped them all down with olive oil. This morning before I went to work I checked everyone and they looked good. Well then I get home after being gone 10 hours (but my bf was here taking care of them) I look at a couple of them then find one of my sex links with a severely enlarged something. So enlarged that I can wash it off or push it back.

It looks like a huge tumor under his skin by his butt hole. Is this server pasty butt? Could it be something else? I tried washing it off but it wasn't something that could be washed off. I set him down in the sink while I got a little paper towel and its pink under like he was cut and it was diluted blood. He was still alive and cheerpy because I was touching him... he was very very sleepy.

Since he was still alive with this thing I tried to find the most humane thing I could do and put him in a towel in the freezer. To me this is far from humane but I didn't want to break his neck and I don't know of any other way to put him down.

Before I did this I looked all over BYC for picture of severe pasty butt and I couldn't find anything. Is this what I just saw? My MIL doesn't do a darn thing for her chicks and they survive just fine, I get my first set of chicks and almost half of them are dead. I should just stick with adults. I'm not good with half the chicks I order dying in 3 days.

 

[canada-goose]

Um, he didn't die. You killed him.

Pictures really would have helped.

 

[babsbag]

I am sorry that you are having a rough time with your babies. But I have to ask...how did you know that this chick was going to die from whatever this was? Did you really put it in the freezer or did I miss something in your post? What a horrid way to die. Sorry, I can't understand why you did this if you didn't know what was wrong with it. Maybe I am just not getting it.

 

[rainnotebook]

I feel awful already for putting him in there. I regret it and pulled him out but he already died. Yes I did it... but I was thinking it was humane. I looked awful and I couldn't see him surviving it and couldn't stand seeing him in pain.

I regret it.

 

[canada-goose]

We all make mistakes sometimes.

As I recall, my chicks had a lump under their vents. I got totally stressed out about it but they all grew up fine.

 

[babsbag]

I wasn't trying to beat you up. I am sure your heart was breaking. I know it is hard to see them suffer. That is why I could never be a vet, I can't stand to see an animal in pain.

I hope the rest of your babies are ok.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Oh my, i suppose you did what you thought was right, but don't always assume an animal is in pain and you need to put them out of it immediately. i think if you asked most animals, they would say they want to try to live. Severe pasty butt would look like hardened poo on the outside of the vent. That can be easily cleaned off with warm wet paper towels *gently* applied to the bottom. Hold the chick gently, bottom angled downward, paper towel or kleenex soaked in warm water. Apply that to the bottom and then gently work the poo off.

A chick can also get constipated. In that case the vent and entire bottom would look pushed out and swollen. Soak its bottom in warm water, 10 minutes at a time, several times, if necessary. Remove chick from water. Have a heat lamp on, to keep the chick from getting chilled (always keep your hand between the heat lamp and the chick to ensure it won't get burned). The chick should try to defecate, watch to see if it is straining. If the poo doesn't come out, do the process again - soak for 10 minutes, out and dry with heat lamp to stay warm, let him relax and try to poo again. Administering a little bit of water with olive oil in it orally can help, too.

It isn't easy caring for chicks. If everything goes okay, then you're golden. When things go wrong, you need to take the time to try everything you know to help them. But then, it's not like it gets any easier when they're older. Any pet is a huge commitment. And just because a chicken cost less initially to purchase than a dog or cat, it doesn't mean they need any less care.

My suggestion is to try to learn a lot more about chicken care before getting any others.