The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: storm35 on August 19, 2010, 11:56:57 am
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The little chick i have here, has a wet bum, and the duck keeps pecking at her bum, i have cleaned it with warm water and patted dry, it looks like theres a dropping sticking out but it wont come out if i try to pull it out.
What can i do to make it better for her, her bum is red and the duck wont leave her alone, she is getting rather stressed about it and she is so tiny??
Thank you
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I'd separate them - make sure the chick has plenty to drink which should help it pass. DON'T pull it!
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I'd separate them - make sure the chick has plenty to drink which should help it pass. DON'T pull it!
Ok will put her in another cage on her onw yeah? As dick and other chick and close, when you bring duck out, other chick makes a racket, so will put little one in her own, is that ok?
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I have tried seperating her/him from the other 2 but what a noise she makes, she is not happy at being away from them, have put her back in with duck and chick, just dont know what to do, he pulls at her butt most of the time.
They all asleep now, wont it make her more stressed being away form them, she is calling to them, they are calling back.
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Hi
Our friends chicks that had pasty bum were like that, we googled it and the advice was to wash it with water and kitchen roll or something similar and then put vaseline on its bum to try and stop other poos sticking. I think if the poo crusts over it can lead to problems. We ended up washing their bums around 6 times a day........never so glad to see people come back their holidays :wave:
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Hi
Our friends chicks that had pasty bum were like that, we googled it and the advice was to wash it with water and kitchen roll or something similar and then put vaseline on its bum to try and stop other poos sticking. I think if the poo crusts over it can lead to problems. We ended up washing their bums around 6 times a day........never so glad to see people come back their holidays :wave:
I bet you were glad to hand them back lol. Little chicks bum is washed and dried, it looks ok now, think i was mistaking the red skin for red sores, but i am wonderign whether i should keep her in with other chick and duck, or take her out, they make a horrendous loud cheeping non stop if i take her out, the duck does not go about chasing her all the time, every now and then he sees her butt and wants to grab it and pull feathers off.
Not sure what to do as i am new to all this, hope someone comes along and helps, also as she is about week old can i put vaseline on her fluff?
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If its the duck causing the pecking problem, can't you put the duck on its own, and leave the two chicks together? Chicks do make a racket and if you are not used to it, it is alarming, but better being separated than pecked!!
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If its the duck causing the pecking problem, can't you put the duck on its own, and leave the two chicks together? Chicks do make a racket and if you are not used to it, it is alarming, but better being separated than pecked!!
I have tried that aswell, duck and older chick squawk at each other, would they get stressed being seperated? duck is ok just now, just every now and then he pecks little ones bum.
He is not chasing her 24/7, so you recommend just seprating the duck and putting up with the squawks?? Will they be strssed over it or be ok?
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We put vaseline on the fluff and some fluff came away with washing but it comes away anyway when they feather up.
We also seperated a different chick for a different reason and the cheeping was awful, but when we left the room it settled down. I always put a cuddly toy in for lone chicks as they like to snuggle in to it and that helped (though it does get covered in poop) :wave:
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We put vaseline on the fluff and some fluff came away with washing but it comes away anyway when they feather up.
We also seperated a different chick for a different reason and the cheeping was awful, but when we left the room it settled down. I always put a cuddly toy in for lone chicks as they like to snuggle in to it and that helped (though it does get covered in poop) :wave:
Thank you, i have put her in herself in another cage, she has a fluffy wooly thing she is sitting on, snuggled into and sleeping. What worries me is will she find her food and water, it is at other side, she is that small, no idea why he gave her too tiny, will she have brains to walk over other side for food and water, have only gave her a little dish of water? She has been fed on layers mash, was goign to add some chickrum to it, is that ok?
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sounds like you are doing a great job, the wee chick will need plenty rest too so let it sleep and have some quiet time.
I am sure the chick will make it over to the food when it is hungry and chick crumbs may help give it a bit of a boost and may be larger than mash so will take less time to get what it needs. Good luck :wave:
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sounds like you are doing a great job, the wee chick will need plenty rest too so let it sleep and have some quiet time.
I am sure the chick will make it over to the food when it is hungry and chick crumbs may help give it a bit of a boost and may be larger than mash so will take less time to get what it needs. Good luck :wave:
Thats great thank you, she has found her food and water, now i can safely go and add chickcrumb not chickrum lol to her feed, thank you.
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Hopefully chick will be fine. They know where food and water are when they are hungry and thirsty. An old fashioned mop head is a good substitute mum, as they can snuggle under it :D
Have you not had hens before? Why did you get chicks and not older hens ....sorry for the questions, just thought older hens would have been easier and less stressful for you.
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Hopefully chick will be fine. They know where food and water are when they are hungry and thirsty. An old fashioned mop head is a good substitute mum, as they can snuggle under it :D
Have you not had hens before? Why did you get chicks and not older hens ....sorry for the questions, just thought older hens would have been easier and less stressful for you.
I am in tears, little chick has gone :'( :'( last night, i put her back in with other 2 as they all go to sleep at night and thought it be ok, as nowhere to put her cage at night, light is too bright where we sleep, woke up this morning, she was just sitting there, i picked her up and she would not walk, wanted to hang her head down, cheaping away, thought she might not have had any water so got a new sponge and dropped water in her beak a lot missed, but she was panting, so she got a few drops, she was cheaping as she likes your hand over her body to make her all snug, but she was dying slowly, i cuddled her in my jumper, just holding her, but she has gone, i am soooooo upset. There is no blood on her, her bum is all dry and fluffy, just 1 strand of fluff wet, so i dont know if the duck was pecking her last night as she was dry, not a mark on her, could it have been stress if duck was pecking her, usually you see where he has been as his beak is always wet with the water, or what could it have been?
I am never getting chicks again, he just gave me chicks, no idea why, told him i am new to this, now i blame myself for killign 3 of them as i have not a clue what ia m doing, i just come on here follow advice, she was perfectly happy last night. My fault if i never put her back in and let her be and so be it if the dam light was on, she would still be here.
I am never ever buying chicks again, too upsetting.
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I'm sorry to hear that. :( But these things do happen. Look at it as part of nature and it's not your fault. Don't give up. As Roxy said, get POL maybe next time.
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I'm sorry to hear that. :( But these things do happen. Look at it as part of nature and it's not your fault. Don't give up. As Roxy said, get POL maybe next time.
Thank you, but i do feel its my fault, if i left them where they were with the breeder, they would be perfectly happy and living. Little one was eating, drinking, happy wee soul yesterday, then i put her in with them thinking it will be ok, as its nighttime, and me being selfish not wanting a bright light in my room, then this morning she is dead.
So upset today :'( :'(
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These things happen, young of any kind are hard to keep well and healthy. Sad that you had to go through this but do try again.
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you do get the odd one that dies on you. its very hard knowing whats best but if they struggle as chicks chances are that they would not thrive. even keeping hens you will face the same dilema you need to come to terms with death if your planning to keep hens. our chuck grave yard is rather full of birds that have had to be culled.
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Odd one, i have had 3 die on me in space of a week, i wont be getting chicks again, will just get pol chicks.
If i left her be on her own she would have been fine.
Trial and error but its just so sad, now i have a mad duckling who is getting chased about by a chick who thinks duck is her mother, as she always wants fed from ducks beak lol.
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So sorry about your chick. As others have said, things do happen when you have livestock - and the chick could have died whether it was with the others, or on its own, for a variety of reasons. Birds and animals can be horrible to each other, even babies, and if one is a bit weaker, they seem to know and peck it. It may be that the chick was weak, and the duck knew.
Its such a shame you had to go through this. Surely whoever sold you the chicks, should have realised it would be more sensible to start you off on older ones. I know no amount of saying these things happen will alter the guilt you feel, but they do happen, and all of us have been through it at one time or another. You still have the duck and other chick, so concentrate on them now, and enjoy watching them grow!!
Just keep an eye on that duck, in case it starts on the other chick
I have just had a look at your pics - didn't realise just how small the chicks were. I would not have ducks in with my small chicks, because ducks obviously grow a lot quicker, and will be bullies. I am sure they will grow up to be lovely birds though!!
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we have two bantam chicks who think a peacock chick is there mum they jump on its back.