What can I do about Pasty Butts on my Chick’s?

This often occurs due to becoming chilled in their early lives. Too much electrolyte in their water or becoming dehydrated can be causes of happening as well.

It is important to remove the paste daily with some warm water. If your chicks do not recover within a few days, reassess your environment: it may still be too cold.

Lots of sources will tell you to use moist cotton swabs to soften the paste so it can removed easily.

This condition is an accumulation of poop related to the vent (their butt) of the Chick. If you notice this, it needs to be cleaned up and dealt with. It’s a sensitive and fragile area which needs to be done cautiously. A cotton swab moistened in warm water can be used to loosen up dried fecal matter that has to be removed. Quite often the paste is dimply stuck in the downy fluff bear the vent which makes cleanup easy.

We deal with Pasty Butt by holding the chick in one hand while letting a very small amount of warm water run over the area where poop is accumulated. The water will soften up the poop emough that you can gently squeeze the chunks until it washes away. Never pull on any pieces because if they are attached to the vent you could damage of kill the chick. If you choose this method you must dry the chick immediately and get it back under the heat lamp to completely dry off and warm up.

You can give your chicks probiotics to help populate their digestive systems with beneficial bacteria.

Plain yogurt can aid in getting their systems in order. If they don’t want to eat the yogurt, sprinkle a bit of feed on top to encourage them to start pecking at it. Much like dipping their beaks in water, get a few to start and the rest will follow.

2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to 1 quart of drinking water to treat the digestive issues that can cause pasty butt. This also can be a preventative measure to stop this problem from starting in the first place.