Dirty Chickens

[scoot72]

Now I am no expert on poultry. Just making sure that's clear. Other than 40 years ago with my grandparents chickens on the farm I have had really no experience with them other than as food. We decided in Feb of 2013 to get us some and see if we liked them. Well we didn't.....We love them. It is hard when it comes time to put them in the freezer but it just has to be done. All the chickens that are destined for the freezer we make sure to have minimal contact. We have figured out that if the are given names its probably not going as meat. So all of my layers have names and we understand when they are thru with eggs that the only thing other than just personal enjoyment is that they finish their job and become food. With that said all of my girls and the 4 roosters we have are given special treatment. I really mean they are spoiled beyond belief they are given treats all day long when they're out and we're at home. They have spots where they like to take their "baths". They are just outside the yard where one of the sprinklers get and keep damp. When they are thru with their "bath" they go from 4-6 pound hens to about 10 pounds of hen and dirt. I know that there are several reasons they do this along with cooling down. But my whites and buffs look horrible. I have read that show chickens are given water and shampoo baths and was wandering if anybody gives their yard chickens baths? My buff's have grease marks from where they get under the tractor and trucks. Can and how can they be given baths to try and just clean them up every once and awhile? They run around the yard while the sprinklers are on chasing bugs and eating grass and it doesn't seem to bother them. So would giving them a bath hurt them?

 

[Whittni]

I give my chickens bathes every few months or so. Be sure to wash all of them in the morning so they can dry during the day and wash outside if you can, treat them like babies getting a bath, no soap in the eyes and towel them off before you set them loose. You can blow-dry them if you want and make sure you pick a warm sunny day.

 

[Judy]

A bath on a hot day is not a bad idea at all as it helps them cool off. In cooler or cold weather, they need to be indoors til dry. Lots of people blow dry them; just be sure you have the dryer on a low heat.