Tonight I took a few minutes to sit and watch the peeps, to see how they were doing. Sometimes, when there are a lot of peeps, you don't see things you would see with fewer. I noticed a chick that was not as lively as the others, that was hunkered down and "looking inward". I picked it up, and the picture shows what I found:
That, my friends, is what pasty butt is all about. The poor little chick is unable to eliminate once the opening is "pasted" shut. Cold water or cold environment will sometimes do this. We had a dramatic drop in temperature yesterday after Saturday's heat and humidity... but I think that's several days worth. I gently soaked the bottom with a warm washrag... and then ever so slowly cut the poopy behind out... taking care not to pull or cut the delicate skin. I have actually seen chicks have their skins pulled off by someone doing it harshley.
About an hour later, I sat down again for a minute to look at them in the dark henhouse (with just the heatlamp on)... my old boy Butch was perched on the tank screen warming himself in the light of the lamp. I noticed a second chick with a pasty behind, and got it cleaned up, too. I think both chicks will be fine, now, and will take time for the next few days to look at them all closely.
And this next picture is what I almost fell over in the pasture this morning!
This is why I hate cutting really tall grass, because of creatures like this.
I thought I heard a bullfrog out there last night!
