When should i start checking for pasty butt?

[Nikkumz]

My chicks are one and two days old....Whe should i check them for thiis, and how? What do i look for?

 

[lady feathers]

Start looking now (most of mine were done with pasty butt within the first two weeks- but I still check here and there and they are 7 weeks now), all you have to do is periodically scan the fuzzy butts for clumping..... or if it looks like someone is straining but nothing is happening. Just pick them up take a closer look, if something is crusted over you can try to gently remove it. If it doesn't some off right away take a warm washcloth (not hot) and try to moisten it and gently work it off or what worked best for me was to take them to the bathroom sink and run the poo under some warm (again-not hot) water and gently massage it away, dry them off and place back into the brooder. You may have to redo this several times per chick. Good news is that generally, doesn't last more than a few days to a week. Nothing to worry about as long as you stay on top of it and take care of any underlying causes that you can. (Right temp, feed, lots of fresh water, etc...) Keep in mind that pasty butt doesn't alsways mean your chicks are sickly or that you have done something inadvertently wrong- sometimes they are just stressed, especially if they were shipped to you! In severe cases you may CAREFULLY trim some butt fuzz from the area, but you can also try using some sort of lubrication to help to poo slide rather than stick first if you prefer to go that route. Good LUck, enjoy your babies!