I just got 22 chickens a few days ago and am giving them unmedicated starter, because I want to go as organic as possible. 9 of them started to paste ( get dried poop around their vents). I washed this off with a damp towel, but one of the chicks started to bleed from what I assume is the belly button. I have the chick separated from the others and a large clot has formed on the down. Does anyone know if the chick will live? Something to prevent this in the future? What do I do now? annette

-- annette (j_a_henry@yahoo.com), April 02, 2000

Answers

You need to get them some grit. I to like to stay away from medicated feed , but I always start with one bag of medicated then switch to non medicated. I do this because the animals are stressed and when stressed they are more likely to get sick .When cleaning there butts use warm water soaks , do not pull you can injure them .I also put a little oil on there butts , it makes getting the poop off easier.Be prepared you will often loose a couple of chicks.Check your temps in your brooder ,what them are they huddled together ? If so make it warmer .Are they spead out all over ? If so move your light up higher to cool them down a little.Are they all drinking well ? Keep clean room temp water with them at all times.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), April 02, 2000.

I just wanted to say that I do pretty much as Patty has and it works. That oil sure does work wonders on dried poop. Its been awhile since we have brought in an outside order of chickens or chicks.. we free range ours and they are now up in numbers where they are building up the flock nicely. I'm at a bad spot... not big enough yet to fill outside orders yet too big for our own use.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), April 02, 2000.

Hope you don't mind if I insert a question. What kind of oil do you use of the chick's?

-- eagle (eagle@alpha1.net), April 02, 2000.

Eagle, we have used petroleum jelly, but I bet K-Y jelly would work too. Water soluble and all that...

Seems to me that chilled and stressed chicks get pasted vents. I would revisit the temperature, as was mentioned before. Best of luck.

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), April 03, 2000.

Cow liver is very good for chicks. Are they meat birds? We give our meat birds unmedicated starter, grit and cow liver. They love it!

-- AbigailF. (treeoflife@sws.nb.ca), April 03, 2000.

I use just plain old veggie oil and put it on with a Q-Tip.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), April 03, 2000.

Well, I lost the chick, but the others seem to be doing better. Apparently I wasn't giving them enough grit. I did check the heat and it was too low. Someone had moved the lamp. I haven't tried the oil, if another chick gets bad I'll try it. The chicks I got are buff orppingtons with one aracona. I did drop 4 worms in the brooder this afternoon, and they all went nuts! It was so funny watching one of them run around with a worm longer than it was tall, trying to keep the others from getting it. Does anyone else know what bugs are safe to give them? How soon can I give them sprouts? Thanks for all the advice, this is my first time with chicks. annette

-- annette (j_a_henry@yahoo.com), April 03, 2000.

We give our chicks any bugs we come across. They always go crazy. When we turn the garden or do any digging we always find grub worms we just drop them in a coffee can until we've through then give them to the chicks or chickens. They love it and we've been lucky in the past 5 years we've never lost one to illness, just to varmits.

-- Sherrie Holcomb (ester@communitygate.net), April 03, 2000.

I have given them greens from several days old .I start out with a very little at a time .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), April 03, 2000.