Constipated Chick!
- Thread starter nessa
- Start date
foxy
Active member
You will have to to remove the droppings, soak the area with a cotton warm ball (warm) and pick the stuff off. Check they are warm enough and there are no drafts in your brooder.
chrismahon
Well-known member
We always give our chicks probiotic natural yoghurt at day 2. Just a small spot with their beaks dipped in it. Supposed to kick start the digestive system as the probiotic bacteria then multiply in the gut assisting digestion. Natural yoghurt on its own won't help. Chicks digestive systems are so inefficient initially that the hen will eat their poos as feed.
foxy
Active member
I agree with chuck, leave them on chick crumb they don't need anything else. Check the sell by date to ensure it is fresh.
tygrysek75
Member
This feed you give your chick is out of date then,it only lasts aprox 3 months,you need to buy fresh chick crumb or have more problems with new chicks.
chrismahon
Well-known member
With chicks hatched under a broody they will get some of mothers gut bacteria when they start pecking around. Yes the gut will start on its own with machine hatched chicks, but is not as efficient as quickly as it could be. So some potential for early growth is lost.
Where do you get this stuff from ? I've hatched hundreds, probably more than hundreds. Hatcheries hatch thousands/millions each year and don't get any of the stuff you are recommending and produce healthy, productive chickens ! Guts have started up on their own for centuries. It is very misleading for new people to be given this kind of advice and it could well be harmful. It also gives the impression that chicken keeping is much more difficult and demanding than it is. It is not rocket science !
chrismahon
Well-known member
As you can see Nessa, feeding chicks probiotic yoghurt has its followers and opponents. We had one chick with a messy bum, which was cleaned, as yours, fed probiotic and never repeated the problem. We hatched 46 chicks -Wyandottes and Orpingtons. All grew fast and strong, none had coccidiosis, even though we used unmedicated crumb, all reached adulthood. In the first set of chicks we had one contracted coccidosis and she was force fed one large dose of probiotic yoghurt and fully recoved overnight, much to the surprise of the vet who diagnosed her as terminal -Lucy is now 4 and a half and laying well.
Sue
New member
Trouble is some people think they're right and everyone else is wrong! They're not willing to listen to other peoples ideas and points of view and actually accept that they may be right. Other peoples ways/ideas of poultry keeping actually work just as well, just because they're prepared to go the extra mile for their birds doesn't mean they are wrong. Things have changed a lot regarding the keeping of any animals and new ideas/research and technology is advancing every day. People now have much more knowledge and choice than they used to have. Some choose to use this and some don't.
foxy
Active member
I think it's right to say that we can agree to disagree! 
07
However interestingly there is clinical evidence which suggests that actually there may be a benefit in pro-biotics and feeding lactose to chicks, this is not to say that we need to do this routinely with our backyard youngsters, but in the case of Chris chick, by feeding a large amount of pro-biotic would have lowered the pH in the lower gut of the chick which mayhave saved it's life.
The data out there is specifically focussed as you would expect in optimising growth in commercial broilers, where the requirement is to gain mass quickly and convert feed as effectively as possible. There are some interesting results out there however which in some cases may have practical applications rearing our own birds or/and provide some evidence base for what we already practice.
07 However interestingly there is clinical evidence which suggests that actually there may be a benefit in pro-biotics and feeding lactose to chicks, this is not to say that we need to do this routinely with our backyard youngsters, but in the case of Chris chick, by feeding a large amount of pro-biotic would have lowered the pH in the lower gut of the chick which mayhave saved it's life.
The data out there is specifically focussed as you would expect in optimising growth in commercial broilers, where the requirement is to gain mass quickly and convert feed as effectively as possible. There are some interesting results out there however which in some cases may have practical applications rearing our own birds or/and provide some evidence base for what we already practice.
I agree there can be differences in mangement. By 'they' of course you mean me and I would take issue with you in that I am willing to listen and to take on board other peoples point of view.
What I am not prepared to do is to sit and say nothing when I think that wrong information is being given to new keepers and this is one of those cases.
There are tried and tested methods of rearing chicks which can be adjusted but there are also things that are or border on experimental and in theses cases it is not a good thing to pass these on to new keepers. A very good example was messa asking for advice, picking up on a contoversial information perhaps because it was the first thing on offer and running with it. This happens time and again. It would see it as less of a problem if owners who gave this controversial advice had healthy, productive hens that had no vices but they appear sometimes to have the most unhealthy birds.
Keeping poultry over a long period, as with life in general, obviously gives you experience and I don't think there's much I haven't encountered. What I bring to the forum is that experience and a from a different perspective than those who have only been keeping them for a short time, many times being able to advise, hold on, this may pass, chicken have off days too.
What have i learned from this question ? Be ready to remind keepers that compound feed has a very limited shelf life and while in this instance, no harm was done at other times it could have a bad effect.
As for new knowledge and research, I'm quite prepared to take it on board as long as I know that it has been researched and not something someone has made up, or someon's theory. I remember that it was not long ago that you were bemoaning the fact that you were getting conflicting advice, for vets as well. I can assure you that there are many, many productive flocks of chickens kept in a straightforward way, who don't seem to encounter nearly as many problems as occur with some people on this forum. In my opinion, there are some very bad practices which need to be challenged so at least keepers will know that there is an alternative way.
What I am not prepared to do is to sit and say nothing when I think that wrong information is being given to new keepers and this is one of those cases.
There are tried and tested methods of rearing chicks which can be adjusted but there are also things that are or border on experimental and in theses cases it is not a good thing to pass these on to new keepers. A very good example was messa asking for advice, picking up on a contoversial information perhaps because it was the first thing on offer and running with it. This happens time and again. It would see it as less of a problem if owners who gave this controversial advice had healthy, productive hens that had no vices but they appear sometimes to have the most unhealthy birds.
Keeping poultry over a long period, as with life in general, obviously gives you experience and I don't think there's much I haven't encountered. What I bring to the forum is that experience and a from a different perspective than those who have only been keeping them for a short time, many times being able to advise, hold on, this may pass, chicken have off days too.
What have i learned from this question ? Be ready to remind keepers that compound feed has a very limited shelf life and while in this instance, no harm was done at other times it could have a bad effect.
As for new knowledge and research, I'm quite prepared to take it on board as long as I know that it has been researched and not something someone has made up, or someon's theory. I remember that it was not long ago that you were bemoaning the fact that you were getting conflicting advice, for vets as well. I can assure you that there are many, many productive flocks of chickens kept in a straightforward way, who don't seem to encounter nearly as many problems as occur with some people on this forum. In my opinion, there are some very bad practices which need to be challenged so at least keepers will know that there is an alternative way.
Sue
New member
I would be interested to know Chuck how you would have dealt with this chick that Nessa is trying to help. Perhaps you would let us know.
I would clean up the bottom as suggested, continue to do this for as long as nec. and continue with chick crumb. Foxy picked up on making sure the crumb was fresh.
It's such a common thing and it clears up within days usually. Sometimes one clean up is enough. In some batches you can get several, in most, you don't get any at all. It's such a small problem that experience tells you doesn't need over-thinking or over-treating.
It's such a common thing and it clears up within days usually. Sometimes one clean up is enough. In some batches you can get several, in most, you don't get any at all. It's such a small problem that experience tells you doesn't need over-thinking or over-treating.
Thanks everyone for your helpful replies. I was starting to get confused with all the answers. I also seem to have opened up a big can of worms of questions which has resulted in heated answers. Sorry. I have infact cleaned up the bottom and continued with fresh crumbs and the chick is looking much better and being able to go to the toilet more freely. Thank you.
