Pasty butt, a clear and present danger

Pasty butt. And trust me, I do not think this has anything to with judgement of how we take care of our chicks. Yep, this is what I would like to talk about this morning. This was talked about in another thread and I am either going to get yelled at, or get some really good comments. I can take yelling so bring it on...I am kidding and I am smiling, but I need discussion.

There was talk about others thinking that it was the chick feed that was being fed to the chicks. That some had used chick feed that they normally did not (KathyS, you come to mind) and that you want to switch back to the type used in prior times.

I think this is a bunch of hooey actually (starting to sound how Uno can’t stop thinking with her Night Mind) (is that what you called it, girl? Can’t quite remember).

Let’s start a discussion.

I don’t think I have never had a hatch that I did not encounter at least one or two babies (I speak of say, about 25 chicks) that does not have pasty butt. I am speaking about that bunch of crap that can gather below, and sometimes will totally cover the vent on little chicks. I find this is absolutely and 100% not prevalent after about 4 days. All gone. Nothing to show that there ever was a pasted up back end of a chick.

Again, this will ensue deep discussion, I know. Bring it.

If it is feed related. Why only one, two, maybe 3 out of a whack of chicks? Why not ALL of the chicks, if it has to do with feed. Does it have to do with feed conversion? Need thoughts. So let’s go on maybe some get it, and others not. Why? Why? Why? I need to know and if anyone has any actual test stuff, like what universities do, smiling. Again. Bring it. I need to know.

I absolutely do not believe it has to do with food. Period. If it does, why would not ALL the chicks have this issue. And, should those chicks that get it be marked and tested to see if they grow up big, healthy and strong? That would involve intense work and marking for sure. But...now comes another question. Does pasty butt affect the chick in the long term? I know I have also heard of death of chicks, because they cannot poop out stuff, imagine it plugs up the innards pretty good. Pasty butt is really a pain in the ass, but babies need to be watched. Any different than other species, in that they need watching, probably not.
So, let’s talk about pasty butt. Let’s here the thoughts about food. I gave the chicks cooked egg yolk. Still, four out of the bunch (48 or so of them) showed signs of pasty butt and I had to deal with that yesterday. Carefully removing this stuck debris crap. Four of 48, not very many. Are these going to be chicks that will not be as healthy as the others? I should mark them, but am too lazy and do not had the guts nor gumption to do this.

I think what I would like to hear is....in this amount of chicks, or a lesser amount, go ratios, who DOES not experience pasty butt? Anyone? Maybe some experience chick death and they don’t know why. Was it pasty butt? Totally know that if the vent is plugged up, that chick will perish if that is not opened up so they can, well, poop. Pasty butt. Ya, a nasty chick thing, but there.

Let the discussion ensue. Have a most awesome day, CynthiaM.

My name is Susan W and I get pasty butt. So do my chicks. I have a feeling it has a link to chilling. Just a little chilling will do it, hence some pasty chicks and some not. This is why it may happen sporadically in a hatch. Of course, worse chilling makes worse pasty butt. I have had chicks from hatcheries that chilled on the way here that all got it and bad.

I watch my chicks carefully and if I see a little cling-on I swiftly pull it off, along with a tiny bit of down. Not so much as a chip from the chick.

I happen to agree with both of you. I think the odd ones that get it, and I get a couple every year, are from chilling. Staying out of the heat just a little to long. Maybe one of the last to hatch so removed from the incubator a little quickly.
I also think they can get it from eating to much shavings. It is what a happen to use for bedding in my brooders at this stage.
What Piet and KathyS were talking about was a whole clutch having it. I think if they are home hatched chicks and haven't been shipped, there is a possiblity that that could be from food.

Just my thoughts on it. Nothing like talking about pooo in the morning.

I will give you my comments on this. Some old school and experience. What really causes pasty butts is really not known for sure but chilling is probably the cause. Many older fanciers, me being one, will use corn meal with the chick starter. Put little bit of corn meal with the chick starter and it will prevent pasty butts. Sue, I don't know if it will work for you but it can't hurt.

Very interesting about the corn meal. I have heard that before now that you mention it. I wonder what it does?
Maybe it makes them little hot bodies with the high energy and they don't get a chill!

Good comments. About the corn meal. I do not know what that is, is it a powder? Does it have chunks? If it has chunks, then does one need to provide grit. Now we are on to a different subject to go along with this subject. I think that old methods, in so many ways, are so tried and true. So....is corn meal a powder or is it a crumble? Sebas, do you add any kind of grit to chicks at a young age. Chick starter is water soluble, so no grit required. BUT....now here we go again. Yes, chicks do pick at the shavings and I have always used shavings with the newlings. So....now seriously wondering if I should be giving chick grit. I know grit comes in many different sizes and there is chick grit. Hmmmm....now wondering even more. Never have supplied grit to chicks until they leave the brooder area, about 3 weeks of age, then they get all the grit they want, but it is the adult #2 grit only that is available. Now wondering if shavings give pasty butt. Brother, a whole lot of wonder going on this morning.

If it is chilling. Why on earth does it not appear to be present after four days. I have not encountered any lingering pasty butt after the fourth day. So...after four days the chicks don't get chilled. Something not jiving here. I have NEVER had pasty butt issues after the fourth day. So, wondering about chilling, probably is, but why...rats, got get off this subject, wondering too much. Think I'll go outside and play. have an awesome day, CynthiaM.

The corn meal is the normal stuff you can buy at a food store. It is very small crumbles and mixes well with the chick started. I do not add any grit when I use chick starter. I do use shaving for bedding most of the time but found sand to work much better. Sand keeps them drier and is much cleaner but it takes a little more work. You can reuse the sand over and over again. To clean it I would run it thru a screen. All the sand falls thru and comes out clean and reuse it. You will never get coccis and very little pasty butts if you use sand.

I have had pasty butt after 4 days in chilled hatchery chicks.

Rico, I love polenta. Perhaps it will help with my own pasty butt.

Cornmeal is fine ground corn.

I used sand in my brooders in Australia every hatch. I may go back to that again.

For what it is worth I have not had a pasty butt (nor my chicks either for that matter) since I switched to the eco 50 heater.
Sue you might want to try Olive oil for your pasty butt, I hear it is the problem solver of choice in the middle east.

I too am interested in sand. I like the idea it can be clean and dry. If the olive oil does not help perhaps I can use it to scour my own pasty butt.

SUe...no one wants to hear about your butt problems.

CYnthiaM...my chicks are one 100% pure cedar shavings from the moment they hatch and for the rest of their lives. I do NOT get pasty butt.

I feed them UNmedicated starter and if I run out I smash lay pellets and feed that to them. That's right, I smash lay pellets and feed that to wee, small chicks. They do not die from shavings. THey do not die from lay pellets and I do not get pasty butt.

I think having too many chicks crowded under one heat source can be a problem. All it takes is for one chick to have his bum pressed up against someone else and instead of the poop falling to the ground, it gets physically smushed to his butt because they are all crowded. Now you have a problem. Like a wad of chewing gum in your hair. I think pasty butt can be about the physical living conditions, too many chicks in too small a space with not enough heat source...and poo gets stuck on someone.

So maybe it is from chilling...and crowding under the heat...and not having enough space to poo without someone else getting in your way. So sort of from chilling, but not in the way we think. I don't know...just thoughts. NIGHT BRAIN!

Hmm, interesting responses. I'm happy to see my chicks are no longer having this problem, whether they have just grown out of it or the change in feed made the difference, I'm not sure. I have more hatching in a few days, so I'll see if the new little peeps suffer from poopy butt syndrome, or do better on the different brand.
I am not ready to discount the possibility that this can be related to feed. Not all feeds are created equal. The link Coopslave posted clearly states that sticky poop can be directly related to feed (barley to be specific). And Rico has stated the condition can be improved through an increase in corn in the diet....Hmm...sounds to me like nutrition can play a role here too.

Not much to add, done two hatches of my own birds in the previous two years, and one hatch of shipped eggs. They've always been relatively small hatches (around 12 or so). Never had pasty butt problem (knock on wood). Their raised in the house for the first couple of weeks since we don't have a "brooding house" set up. Perhaps that's why, house is warm? Their on shavings and chick starter, not sure of the ingredients in the chick starter though. Soon it will be time for another batch of peepers!

Ah, geeze, should know better. I just spent 10 minutes typing a very lengthy response, push the backspace button twice to correct, and bling, the window went somewhere. Lost post. So now going to make this very short and hope I don't lose it again. I should know better, but thought that I would just hurry and get a response off. Maybe I'll do two responses, smiling. Kind of lost guts and gumption to make a longer post, darn, sorry ramblin'.

I like the idea of sand. And with this riding arena that is so big and so full of soft, nice sand, very, very soft, not gritty, I think I may try sand in the next incubated chicks. It is too late, the pasty butt issue is almost past its prime. Only see it for about 4 days and those chicks are now 6 days old and yesterday, the pasty butt issues on a few of them was almost cleared and no present. But ya, for sure. I am going to go and sneak away some pails of sand and put it in the brooder for next time, when these chicks are moved out. The surface of the sand now is bone dry, so I am going to begin gathering 3 gallon pails of sand and stacking them in the chick brooding room. I'm sure no one would mind me taking some of the arena sand. They have so much . Also, will implement corn meal with newlings as well too. That pasty butt is a bummer and I don't like to deal with it. Have an awesome day, CynthiaM.