bath time????

[kacappi]

I just bought a doz adorable babies a week ago so they are now two weeks old. A couple of them are dirty on their chest area like they laid in some poo. Can i bath them with warm water to get that off?

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

yes, just like you soak them in water to fix poopy butt, you can soak them in warm (not hot) water and them wipe it off gently with a soft towel. place them back under the heat lamp to warm up right after. remember to be gentle and hold them while soaking them or they could relax too much and drown. also, don't make them totally wet, just the part you want to clean. i would clean off any poopy butt if there is any at the same time

and btw, welcome to backyard chickens!!!

 

[kacappi]

Thank you sooo much!! I know common sense told me i should but i just wanted to make sure...just dont want to do anything wrong. Thank God for this site it has helped us so much already. Again thank you!!!

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Baby chicks and water is not a good mix. If they feel dirty they will preen themselves clean, even at that age.

 

[azygous]

In just a couple more weeks, that soiled down will be replaced with actual feathers, if you feel you can wait.

But I don't believe washing the poop off chicks hurts them. It's just important they don't get chilled.

You can blow dry them on the low setting. Chickens mostly adore being blow dried.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

You can blow dry them on the low setting. Chickens mostly adore being blow dried.

You ever blow dry a chicken?

 

[azygous]

The first time I ever blow-dried a chicken was after I had to wash a three-year old Buff Orpington, a week after I had adopted her, that had gotten pooped on. I was preparing myself for an hysteric reaction from Connie, or at the very least, some flightiness when I turned on the drier. But she barely registered the noise, quickly getting used to it, and she stood absolutely still for the 30 minutes it took to dry her.

Since then, I've blow-dried feathered feet in winter that had been caked with wet mud and poop, being in danger of frost bite, and other chicken parts too numerous to list. All appeared to enjoy the warm air blowing on them. I have never had a chicken fight it. That includes an occasional chick butt.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

I was just wondering. Personally I've never washed a chicken, but I've used a blow dryer many a time to revive a wet chick that was near death from being caught in the rain, pen flooding, falling into a bucket of water and all the other usual chick calamities.

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

Thank you sooo much!! I know common sense told me i should but i just wanted to make sure...just dont want to do anything wrong. Thank God for this site it has helped us so much already. Again thank you!!!

your welcome...you don't have too unless they are really poopy...don't do it very often. It's no fun to hold a chick cover in poop