Why do I need to care about Pasty Bum and What is it?
When we first got our chicks we learned about Pasty Bum. A friend who raises chickens all the time told us we need to watch out for it. She said if we didn’t they could die from it. I had never heard of it before. Well we went and grabbed our chickens one at a time and sure enough more then half had it. Let me just say the first time doing it I may have gagged several times. Needless to say I got over it by round two!
What is Pasty Bum?
Pasty Butt/Bum is also known as Pasted Vent (a vent is the chickens Bum Hole) and Pasting Up is a condition that occurs in baby chicks when their droppings stick to the down surrounding their vent (bum hole).
Poop builds up to form a blockage that can kill the baby chicks if it’s not removed off.
All baby chicks have a vent and belly button. The vent in the hole nearest and under the tail feathers.
The vent is where the chick passes it waste as well as where the hen lays her eggs.
The belly button is just below the vent, if you see a scab looking thing on it leave it alone, like you and I they too can have an umbilical cord, it needs to dry up and just like us it will fall off when it is ready. If you pull it off before it’s ready you could you could tear its abdomen which will follow with something no one wants to see and your sweet baby chick will die so be very careful and let it fall off on its own.
What Causes Pasty Bum?
This is usually only in a chick from a hatchery that no longer has it mother to keep it clean off. What can cause it is if your little fuzzy chick gets to stressed or is to cold. Even being to hot can contribute to it as well. It can sometimes also be caused by a viral or bacterial infection as well as a bad diet.
How to get started with Checking and Treating it?
You need to check them everyday.
Pick them up carefully and hold them in your hand turning their fanny towards you so you can see their vent. They will not like this but they will live and be fine. You need to do it for their own safety.
If they have poop on their vent or blocking it you will need to do the following
1) Turn on a slow warm stream of water. Not to hot, but warm
2) Put their vent area in the warm water and use a q-tip or a paper towel and very gently and softly wipe off the poop. Becarful not to pull to hard just let the water get it soft and gently keep wiping until if falls off. You don’t want to pull out any feathers.
3) You know when your done the vent is all cleaned off, easy to see and pink again.
4) Now you can’t put them back out side all wet like that because one it could get to cold and die or two it could get pecked at on it wet exposed vent.
5) wrap her in a towel and try and pat dry a little
6) So get your blow dryer and on the cool, low setting go ahead and carefully hold your chick in place and blow all the wet spots dry. Get everything nice and fluffy again.
Tips for Success in Pasty Butt/Bum
One more thing to know. If your chicks continue to get Pasty Butt, some suggest offering some scrambled eggs mixed into your starter feed if that works it might be a sign you need a better feed.
You definitely want to educate your self on chicken diseases so you are well informed and know what to be watching for. The more you know the quicker you’ll be able to act of hopefully nurse your chicken back to health
