Poop will sometimes build-up around the the chicks opening and dries infront of the opening. When they try to poop they can't so they die soon. Lots of unattented chicks die this way. So to cure this take a wet cloth and dab/hold it on the poo till it comes off. This is REALLY important that you check their bottoms!

Conserned chicken raiser

-- Char (charpoultry@aol.com), March 25, 2002

Answers

This is indeed one of the reasons I have such good luck with my chicks. My husband would just die laughing watching me clean the chicks rears twice a day. I had 2 hovers rigged up. I'd have one clean and transfer the chicks one at a time to the clean hover and inspect their posterior at the same time. Then I'd clean out the other pen so it would be ready the next day. Sometimes it takes a bit of soaking to soften the poop enough to remove. If a chick is really caked up I will blow on their vent after removing the poop to make sure everything is working. Hehe where else could I talk about blowing on chickens rears and not end up in a straight jacket!

-- Amanda (mrsgunsmyth@hotmail.com), March 25, 2002.

The whole problem of the chick's back end pasting up is caused by them being too cool. It would save you a lot of time if you just keep your chicks warmer.

-- Dianne Wood (woodgoat@pacifier.com), March 26, 2002.

I was told a long time ago, that if you top dress the chick feed with oatmeal that it will prevent pasting up(only need a little bit). It has worked for us and on the occasional one with troubles we just clean them up.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), March 26, 2002.

Be warned that this is not just a problem with baby birds but also with lambs. Its called "pinning".

-- Alison in NS (aproteau@istar.ca), March 26, 2002.

A few years ago, we go our first batch of 25 chicks, RI Reds. They arrived the end of June - during a heat wave that lasted just about all summer. We were in the 90's most of the time, and in the worse drought ever seen in the US. By the time they were 2 wks old - more than 50% of them had pasty butts! Lack of heat - for sure - was not causing the problem!

And then - they began to develope respritory problems. We ended up loosing 5 of them. A 6th one was soooo sick, and keep relasping on me. There were many a night I sat up with "little guy" willing "him" to make it thru the night. And many a nights I truly believed I'd fine "him" dead in the morning. (heh. thought it was a roo - "he" turned out to be a hen) That little one didn't join the others when they went outside for a month. She was that ill. She turned out to be a beautiful hen. I too spent a lot of time, picking them up - one at a time - and rinsing off their tiny butts and blow drying them. But the worst were their feet!!!! During this time, their poop was runny. They'd track thru it and the mash that accumulated around their feeder. The combination balled up on their feet and dried as hard as cement! Took forever for it to soak loose in warm water!

Fortunatey, by the time we got our second batch of chicks (50+), I had had a crash course on chick care. So I had I much better idea of what I was doing.

-- dottie - in E Shore MD (mother-ducker@webtv.net), March 26, 2002.

dab a little cooking oil on with a q tip to help keep it from coming back stress causes it so a vitamin/electrolite solution in the water is suspose to help

-- george darby (gardenalways@yahoo.com), March 26, 2002.

It seems to be more of a problem with "store bought" chicks, and, I think is more likely caused by the stress of shuttling them between locations. As noted, it is an easy problem to fix. You just gotta carefully clean it off. No need to lose chicks from this problem if you pay attention and tend to them.

-- mary (mlg@mlg.com), March 26, 2002.

Wow! I've seen that bit about the pasting being caused by being kept too cool in so many publications, etc., and I have believed it for a long time. In the few cases we have had it appeared to pan out, but after reading the above posts I am no longer a firm believer. Thanks everyone.

-- Dianne Wood (woodgoat@pacifier.com), March 26, 2002.

no it's not too cool or too hot that 'causes the chicks to paste up. it's the lack of movement!

my cousin who has raised more exotic/oddball birds,[translyvavian naked necks are just wrong! ;) ] let me in on that years ago. he only lost birds to a spolied shepard dog.

overheated or chilled birds don't move around enough & will poop right where they are instead of the normal squat & poop action. as well as be less inclined to clean themselves if they are just trying to survive the weather.

they will also have higher incidence of constipation & over large stool. walking about means smaller but more frequent poop action.

if you can't regulate the temps. washing the cloacca/vent in warm water is the best solution till the birds can deal with the surrounding temps better.

whew, scissors & a wiggling peep! you have much better nerves than i!

-- bj pepper ,in central MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), April 01, 2002.