chicken butts

I've been way too intimate with chicken butts lately! Several weeks ago when I processed our roosters I had a first hand experience with a post-mortem projectile poo...and now I have baby chicks...which I have now learned means that I get to deal with "pasty butt"....and what is pasty butt you may want to know? Well, basically it is sticky chicken poo caused by shipping stress, lack of protein, and/or too much heat. However, the poo sticks to their butt or vent and if it is not cleaned off they can't poop and die. So, I've been examining chicken butts and cleaning them with a moist, warm rag several times a day for the last couple of days.

However, the peeps are doing great, 7 were delivered yesterday morning and another 2 are going to a friend today...which leaves me with 18 babies....yikes!