Pasty Butt in Baby Chicks – What is it and How to treat

I swore I was not going to buy a chick with Pasty Butt. My husband and I are smarter now than when we first bought chicks two years ago. But guess what? That’s right – Chicken Butt or Pasty Butt.

So, what is Pasty Butt?

Pasty Butt, also referred to as pasting up or pasted vent, is a condition in which the poop sticks to the vent area, drying and causing a blockage. It’s very common in baby chicks and thought to be caused by stress.

If your chick has Pasty Butt, you will need to act quickly. It can kill a chick within a matter of hours.

What can cause a chick to be stressed?

1 – Being shipped from the breeder causes stress

2 – Change in environment

3 – Extreme variations of temperature – too hot or too cold

4 – Adjusting to chick feed

The first few days of the chick’s life can be very stressful.

So, what can you do?

Examine the chicks prior to purchasing. Unfortunately, if you purchase online, you don’t have this option.

As I said earlier, we were not going to purchase a chick with pasty butt. We are experienced chicken keepers and know the signs.

However, when we picked our chicks, we chose a Columbia Wyandotte (and knew she had pasty butt). Hazel, our Broody, is a Gold Laced Wyandotte and I wanted to get a similar breed.  She was the last one left.

Since we’ve had a chick with it before, we knew how to treat it.

If you don’t have Vaseline already, I highly suggest getting a large tub. It has many uses in treating different conditions for chickens.

How to treat Pasty Butt

You need to remove the poop from the vent area. There are several ways to do this but be careful. The skin in the vent area is very delicate.

Method 1: Hold the chick under warm running water to loosen the poop. Wipe off gently with a tissue or paper towel.

Method 2:  Wet a cotton ball with warm water and wipe area clean.

Method 3: Use a moisten Q-tip.

We’ve done all three.

Like newborn babies, chicks have a hard time maintaining their body temperature. If you do Method 1, make sure you dry the chick well. You can even use a hair dryer on low setting. Just don’t hold too close.

If the poop is not horribly stuck, Method 3 works well. Plus, it keeps the chick from getting too wet. Be careful not to pull any feathers out or tear the skin.

If it’s really stuck, you can apply olive oil, vegetable oil or Vaseline to help soften and loosen.

Now that the vent area is wet, it becomes exposed and the other chicks may peck at it, causing more damage to the area. Make sure to dry well.

Pasty Butt can be life threatening and will likely re-occur.

Check the affected chick several times a day. If it’s chronic or you’re unable to monitor, you can apply Vaseline to the area to keep the poop from sticking. Non-affected chicks should be checked daily since it can occur anytime.  

If you have a Broody Hen, she will keep the vent area clean. Otherwise, you will have to do it. The chick can’t remove it by itself.

We only had to remove the poop once from Rayne, our little Wyandotte (named by our daughter). Hazel has kept it clean ever since.  

When removing the poop, be careful of any remaining umbilical cord. It’s located below the vent area (a little higher on the abdomen) and can easily be mistaken as poop.

Prevention

~ Maintain the proper temperature for the brooder. Make sure there’s an area the chicks can get away to if they become too hot. Be sure and check out my blog post on setting up a brooder.

~ Make sure they have plenty of clean water.

~ Use a high-quality chick starter feed. Make sure it’s always available.

~ Minimize stress. Don’t put new chicks in with older birds that will pick on them.

~ Add probiotics. Some feeds may have probiotics in it. If not, I like to use Sav-A-Chick and Apple Cider Vinegar. I’ll give it to the chicks the first two weeks we have them, alternating each week and giving every other day. In general, don’t give more than 3-5 days in a row. If using ACV, add a splash in their waterer.  For Sav-A-Chick, use as directed.

~ You can also add a small amount of cornmeal to their feed or ground raw oatmeal.

~ Another great thing to give them is a tiny amount of scrambled eggs. It’s easy to digest and full of vitamins and protein. Egg yolk is the chicks first food.

Pasty Butt is not contagious but can happen at any time until the chick’s digestive system matures, which is usually around 10 days. Until then, you’ll need to check each chick daily.

We love giving the girls treats.

Giving treats will help the chicks bond with you. However, you should limit to less than 10% of their food intake. Except as I mention above, avoid giving treats the first two weeks. Only feed chick starter. Prior to that, their immature digestive systems have a hard time processing. This can make Pasty Butt worse.

So, if you are getting chicks, make sure and check them right away. As far as illnesses goes, this is probably the easiest to treat.

If you have a chick with recurrent Pasty Butt, try to determine the cause and address it. Hopefully, it’s only due to the adjustment period and will resolve quickly.

Having baby chicks is a wonderful and rewarding experience. Although, between keeping the brooder clean and at the right temp, refilling the spilled water bowls and feed bowls and now Pasty Butt, it can be a little stressful.  But when you hear their little peeps, somehow none of that matters.