Pasting up :(

Ti-he and Lucy are not feeling well. An electrical storm left us without power the other night, and our baby girls went without a heat source for a few hours. Despite our best efforts to keep the temperature consistent, it still dropped enough to cause a few of them to "paste up". Pasting up occurs when chicks are exposed to a rapid change in temperature or stress, and it sometimes occurs as a result of shipment. Their droppings dry up on their rear ends so they can't poop, as ridiculous as it sounds its actually a very serious condition for a chick to have (serious meaning deadly). So we have to keep their little behinds clear of droppings with baby wipes until they recover. If you live in an area with regular power outages, (especially if you get chicks in early spring) I recommend having a generator on hand or making sure you have a chicken loving friend near by. Chickens can be quite pricey, especially if you invested in exotics or rare breeds, you don't want to lose them all because you weren't prepared.