(Sad music could play now!) This was a tragic day. My favorite chick Pico, died. While I was cleaning the paper towels out of the brooder, I saw a small gray fluff stretched out on the floor, dead. We suspect that she died from the older chicks standing on top of her while she was sleeping. My babysitter, said that two of the chicks were younger than the rest; those two were Pico and another unnamed gray one. I am very sad about Pico, even though my mom said that many chicks die in the first week!
So far this morning, we have changed the paper towels twice! (If you are a strict environmentalist you should not get chickens; we use about thirty paper towels a day in just one brooder!) We have also cleaned two chickens with pasty butt! Pasty butt is a disease that many chicks get, it is when the poop sticks to it's butt and clogs up it's "valve".
If you see a chick with Pasty butt, this is what to do. First make sure that it's "valve" is open, if it is not it won't be able to poop and it could die! If the valve is not open, get a washcloth or rag and moisten it with warm water. (You may need a helper to do this part.) One person can hold the chick carefully and the other person can gently wipe away the poop. (I think it is best to use circular motions.) After attempting to wipe it away check again to see if the "valve" is open. If it is not keep wiping with the cloth. If it is but there is still some poop, you may cut some of the down around it's "valve". After doing all of this you should rub some vasaline on so that no more poop sticks to your chick's butt.
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