Can a pasty butt kill a chick?

[lil_chick_chick]

we had 1 die yesterday and noticed he had some poo on him, and last nite we noticed one had the same problem so we cleaned him off. Im wondering if thats the reason why my chick from yesterday died though? Whats the easiest way to clean them when they do this? Right now we just have 1 thats doing this. Thank You!

 

[triplebfarm]

Yes it can kill them because they can't vent. I use baby wipes to clean mine off.

 

[elliemay0305]

yes it can kill them. i would take a q-tip and dip it into some warm water and use some anitbacterial soap to clean its bottom. or if you have an old cloth you could use that. if its butt doesnt stay clean his poop cant come out and there for it will back up inside of him and thats what causes them to die. i have had the problem with some of my chicks before and i got the advise i gave you out of a book i have on raising chicks. i read in the book they dont know what the cause of it is. but i have seen on here people say its the feathers by the butt, they get poo on them and it just hardens and builds up from there.

 

[lil_chick_chick]

Okay, thank you...i will for sure be watching for this, im thinking now that thats the reason for my other chick dying yesterday.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

The quickest, safest, and easiest way is to just run their little bottom under warm water until it is clean. Some chicks will paste up, some won't. A lot of people give ideas why they THINK it happens, but when you have it happening to one or two out of many it is obvious no one really knows. You need to check all their bottoms every day (I do several times a day) until they get a little bigger. It doesn't take long to die when your intestines are completely blocked. Sorry you lost the little one.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
Others think it may be constipation and some think it may be stress. I certainly don't know what causes it, but it can kill them. There are different ways to clean it off. Just make sure you do not put them back in the brooder wet. They can catch a chill and die from that.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Quote:
Others think it may be constipation and some think it may be stress. I certainly don't know what causes it, but it can kill them. There are different ways to clean it off. Just make sure you do not put them back in the brooder wet. They can catch a chill and die from that.

Actually, the brooder is the best place in the world for them if they are still a bit wet. I keep my house warm but certainly not 90 degrees. Just get them dried of with a paper towel and let them snuggle under the heat lamp and they will be alright.

 

[laurenlulu]

Yesterday I found a chick with a stopped up crusty butt. I was holding him tight while cleaning him off, and when I was done, TONS of poop came out. Like almost the size of the chick, and it was pretty putrid. He is about half the size of the chick that hatched the same day as him

I'm surprised he is doing okay now. The poor chick, some of his fluff came off while I was cleaning him, he's got a naked butt now!

 

[sonew123]

The two chicks I had- had pasty butt.. I sat their butts in a warm cup of water-( yes they will chirp but mine actually fell asleep-hahaha-clean them off with q-tips and warm wet washcloth and cut the butt feathers just above and below their vents--they look clean and beautiful now-much more livelier and happy-7 days old today I have chicks hatching in 2 1/2 weeks I hope and I will do it to all of them ( cut butt feathers) so I hope I dont have to do it again...

 

[nekomi]

A few of my chicks had pasty butt the first couple of days here... the first day, I just washed it off with warm water like others suggested. The second day, the same chicks had it again, so that time I washed it off, then rubbed a little Bag Balm (a non-toxic, lanolin-based lubricant, feels a lot like petroleum jelly) on their little butts.

It did the trick beautifully and there were no other cases of pasty butt after I did that. The chicks are going on 4 weeks now, and are healthy, big, and strong!