Sweetpea Fluffy II soaking her butt

Occasionally (OK, we’ve had one in every batch) a chick will develop a ‘poopy butt’. Little poop balls become stuck to the fluff by her vent (the all-purpose exit hole), eventually binding up the vent itself. I treat this by sticking her wee butt in warm water, then massaging the poop balls off with a Q-tip until the entire area, including the vent, is clean. A follow-up Q-tip with mineral oil (vegetable oil?) prevents further immediate build up.

Sweetpea Fluffy II (so-named by our chick-sitter Kelly D) developed a poopy butt last week. Unlike previous chicks who were understandably traumatized by so much attention, SPII was quite calm. She stood in the warm water, dozing slightly, while her butt soaked. The Q-tip she didn’t like so much, but I couldn’t blame her. I checked her out a few days later and the problem has no re-occurred.