Down to 6 Silkies, my chicken/garden friend has the rest of them. I "think" two of the remaining might have some pasty butt, there is a bit of poo stuck on their bottom. Not sure if they just poo'ed while laying down or not?
Will it hurt to give them a small chunk of grass & dirt to help it? I already dug up a small clump in case it's ok. I have it on paper towels to soak off the excess water (melting snow here) and to warm up a bit first.
Should I give it to them? Will it hurt them if it isn't pasty butt? I just got them on Thursday.
Annie
Pastry Butt?
AURGGH, goof!! I know it's called P A S T Y butt - guess I shouldn't look at Flan recipes before asking an important question!
They will love the grass but you need to clean off their rears if poop is stuck there.
I just hold their bottom under running warm water to loosen the poo so you don't end up plucking feathers. It's a lot easier than it sounds.. If it's blocking them from going, the warm water will stimulate them to go..
I used grass and dirt 3 times with 3 different hatches and all were cured when I put some dirt and grass in the brooder! I'm sold on it.. All my babiez get a clump of grass and dirt now.
Thanks for the suggestions!! I'll try the warn running water, if that is too stressful for them will warm wet cotton balls work?
What causes pasty butt? I gave them a cooked egg yolk yesterday, maybe that did it?
I put the grass & dirt in there, so far they're staying away from it, monster grass!
lolol...no better advice than they've given but, Oh!! The Dangers of FLaaaannnn!!
I've thought about it...and I think I may have Pastry Butt....
I thought it was a new recipe LOL Just jokin
Well...I'M not putting this on the reference thread!! too funny...
They got a spa treatment, warm running water on their butts. Cotton balls seemed too PC, sometimes ya gotta just suck it up and get it done, poor chickies will survive the humiliation.
I've never met a pastry I didn't like. Pastry is our friend.
Oh Catsy, I laughed so loud I scared the chicks!!
((Now here sit I composing a Pastry Butt Ode a la "Purple Cow" ermph}}
Laughed out loud when I read this one Annie!
Grownut, you have to post the "Pastry Butt" poem when you are done!!
Assus Rotundus, or pastry butt as it is commonly called, is a non viral affliction caused by unchecked inhalation of substances usually filled with creme or jelly, although chocolate is also a know causative agent. This affliction is non-descriminatory, but pregnant women seem unusually suseptible. :)
Come to think of it, pregnancy did seem to exacerbate it.
I believe that Assus Rotundus is a zoonotic disease. Stage II of the disease involves Chick Hypnosis which comes from hours and hours of staring at their butts for signs of more pastry. The peeping lures you in. Whole pies disappear& warm Flans are cooling on the countertops. I blame the chicks.
You all made me laugh so hard today!!
Screamin funny... "staring at their butts for signs of more pastry" I love it!!
oh this is so right on time. You all talked me into Silkie chicks and I went to feed store planning on getting 2 but got home with 5 yikes all with pasty but I have been pulling it off them. Didn't know you could bath them that small. Hoping all are hens. I picked out the smallest one out of the bunch. 1 was sickly but I have got it going by dropper feeding it vitamin sugar water but its crop gets pretty big. It was so cute I couldn't leave it there to die. Took DH a few hours before he saw them as many times and he came in the kitchen to talk to me. Then he screamed I said no more chickens. I said they followed me home ROFL. Now just wait until the 24th when the 5 female geese goslings come in along 3 rouen and 3 cayuga ducklings for the pond. Yall better plug your ears
oh by the way. What causes pasty but?? none of my ducks, geese, or chickens I hatched from eggs has ever had it
Just get their bottoms wet.. try not to soak them, or they will chill. Warm water.. it works wonders. :) You can pick it off, but that hurts and doesn't stimulate them to go like warm water does.
I'm not sure exactly what causes it. I've read having the brooder too warm, certain feed, not keeping the area clean, etc. I keep them clean, I monitor the heat, I feed quality chick starter, etc.. Some get it, some don't. So nothing has convinced me of the cause..
This batch of Seramas haven't gotten it.. but I gave them dirt and grass right away... I am a believer that a clump of grass with the dirt on the roots will cure them. I've done it several times, and it always works. Like I said in an older post... How may times have you seen a broody's chicks outside with pasty butt?
The warn running water just over the butt area only really cleaned it up with very little wiping. However, spa treatments creates prima dona's. I clean out the entire box every 4 or 5 hours, temp is right at 95. ZZ's (thank you!) suggestion of the clump of dirt and grass helped too. The chicks were afraid of it for a few minutes and then it was an all wild pig fest.
wow 85 is all mine want, higher than that and they moved as far from the light as they can. Mine are 5 days old
The box is big, 2 1/2 x 4' the light is in the middle so they can go as close to the middle or sides as they want. I just moved the floor temp gage to check the area they hang out in most. I might need to adjust the height.
I have "chick stare" burn on my face, ouch, from sitting next to the box for hours on end, but I'm closer to the heat light than they are. They do a million cute things all day long! I haven't put a cover on their food dish yet (the one with holes) it's so cute to watch them stand in it and scratch, crumbles flying every where, other chicks chasing them. I swear they know my voice.
I don't use a thermometer for my brooder.. they tell me just fine. Get it too cold in there and just listen.. LOL They will sound off big time.. If it's too hot, they look like swans.. or pancake chickens..
I'm glad to hear they went after the grass & dirt... mine were so freaked out the first time I put it in there, I thought they'd never get close to it! In time, curiosity takes over... :)
Well, the chicks just told me they like the new box adjustment. Before they were laying just as you described, pancake swans. I moved the box so the light was more at one end and now they're in the middle, sleeping in a more up right position. Thanks, Chick Whisperer!
Well that is so cool Annie! I'm glad it helped..
Chick Whisper....COOL... I threw the grass in there, found some new young stuff that I could pull out, and they went crazy... The were loud and having fun.. Wren got the last piece and they chased her all around.,.
Now you gotta try wax worms! LOL You gotta tear em in half the first few times.. (easier to tear than meal worms) Once they know what they are...(and I'm done having fun watching them eat them and run around announcing to the world they got one) then I only let them have them when I pick them up. That is their reward for letting me pick them up without a fuss.. takes a long time, but I had Dot, my lil Serama trained to jump up on my forearm when I slapped it with my other hand.. I've got a lil one now I think is gonna be a firecracker too... I love chickens I do.. :)
well I bathed them off a couple of days ago and no more pasty but since then. They came from the feed store that way. The cage was pretty nasty and had dead and dying chicks in there. I fussed at the owner. They had just come in the day before
Good for you Donna, someone needs to fuss with people who don't care for them properly.
Annie! I roll with laughter every time I click on PASTRY BUTT: Thanks for the mistake...LOL. Hay
Well hay, I don't multi-task as well as I think I should, even after coffee I'm dense!
My twin! LOL Did you see my thread? Lateste hatch? WUT??
I smile when I see this thread too.. I like pastry butt. LOL
Yup, ZZ's I've been watching it. How's Teaspoon doing?
This morning I was looking around the yard trying to decide where I could put another coop....
Teaspoon belongs to Catsy.. That was an old thread.. Teaspoon is a mommy now and a great one too! I will have to get some pics of her babiez..
That's a sign you are HOOKED big time. Next thing you know, Home Depot will be your favorite hang out, and you will discover how good of a carpenter you are. LOL
See? I need an IV of coffee. I'm trying to keep up LOL Teaspoon is a mommy? Yay!
Unfortunately we have building and animal restrictions here so a coop has to look like a shed or building.
Love Home Depot! But my building skills are sadly lacking. Did you notice the lime green duct tape in the chick box? That illustrates my building skills to a T.
I'm in love with chickens and not ashamed to admit it. This one, Marge, has the most beautiful face, like an owl. She's so sweet. Still choking on the idea of touching wax worms but for the chicks I can manage.
This is a pic of the daily grass & dirt fest. They go crazy running around the box with their prized piece of grass. Cured the pasty butt right up!
That is great Annie!! The lime green is a great theme to help bring in the outdoors! I'm glad the dirt helped!! It is amazing that such a tiny, new lil creature knows what to do.. knows what it needs... just wild to me.
So I guess you don't have to tear the wax worms in half? My Seramas are terrified of the big ones.. I have to "reduce their size" for them. LOL Since they are so expensive, guess that makes em go further.
Um, I'm still working on the worm idea. Meyers had a bucket of them for 20 something dollars but I didn't get them. Big EWW Factor. When we go fishing I wear gloves to put them on the hook. I don't mind spiders, but worms, that's a tough one, wet or dry.
Do you know how many colors duct tape comes in now? Green, purple, orange, yellow, pink, no more boring gray!
I love purple duct tape! :)
I don't use fishing worms.. just wax worms. I've tried meal worms, but they kinda hang on when you pull them apart.. kinda turns up the eww factor a little.. LOL
we fed the babies some meal worms today. I never really noticed the little legs.. the eyes.. ewwww. But they loved them! The bantams were the worst about darting in & snagging a worm from someone. I need more dirt in my boxes for the chicks but its hard when its under 1 ft of snow & ice. :(