Poopy butt, but vent not blocked. Is this okay?

[Hopeful Peacock]

I have 3 dorking chicks, less than a week old. They are all doing well, active drinking, eating, peeping, and pooping! One keeps getting poo stuck to her little butt, but it is below her vent area. I keep checking her vent and it has always been clear. I am assuming that as long as her vent stays clear, this is not a problem?

Or should I be more aggressive in cleaning her?

Thanks!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Just use a wet cloth and wipe her off. Keeping it clean prevents "build up" which is what eventually leads to problems.

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

Go ahead and keep it clean, you might end up clipping a small area around the vent and applying either olive oil or mineral oil to keep the poo from sticking. We had 2 or 3 that we cleaned 3x a day for about 4 or 5 days before it stopped, but if you have the time I would clean to be safe.

 

[noodleroo]

If it gets really poopy, don't be afraid to run the warm water from the sink and hold her poopy hiney under it. Just make sure you keep her warm until she is dry...

 

[Gypsy07]

When I have poopy fluffed chicks, I just check them a few times a day to make sure their vent isn't blocked. Unless the poop start to build up, I just leave it alone. As long as their vent isn't blocked, they'll be okay, so I think a visual check is okay. It depends how pretty you want them to look whether you mind them running about with poopy butts or not. Personally, as long as they're healthy, it doesn't bother me...

 

[chickencrazyinHT]

I have a few that have pasty butt now too. As long as you check a few times a day and see the vent clear then they should be ok. I had one the other day that was dried with poo even around the vent and I stuck a warm wash cloth to its rear for about a minute and was able to clear it away so you could see the vent again. Vaseline around the vent helps a lot. It keeps the poo from sticking to the vent.

 

[Hopeful Peacock]

Thanks everyone!