Easiest way to bathe birds?

[purplepoen]

I usually just use plain water and no soap on my chickens and they clean up nicely, you might want to try that before you use soap too.

WisconsinGardenChick- the benefit from a dust bath is having dust in their feathers to make it a less desireable place for mites and such. So by bathing them and removing dirt, yes it takes that away. But it's not a problem because you can be sure that they'll be right back in the dirt soon after their bath and be replacing it all

 

[chickenannie]

Two comments on this that I read recently:

Chickens NEED to dirt-bathe to keep their skin and feathers in proper conditioning. Bathing them in water is hard on them so it should not be done often.

Also, a chicken MUST be blowdried 100 percent after being dunked in water because without their feathers dry they cannot maintain their body temperature (unless it's like 100 degrees where you live with no windy drafts).

 

[bkreugar]

We do this maybe once a month to our white frizzles and light colored silkies.Since they have been handled since chicks and have been bathed since an early age they give us NO problem.I wash them with dawn as that is what they wash oil soaked birds in.Also I then wrap a hand towel around them and blow dry them.They DO enjoy the warmth of the dryer and I give them a special treat.My daughter calls it their "spa day".

 

[BigSkyChickens]

I had to wash my Blue Wyandotte's backside because she was laying poopy eggs.....Gross!

I could not have done this without a second pair of hands.

DBF held her on his lap while sitting on the edge of the bathtub. Her backside was over the tub.

Held a tub of water & baby shampoo right under her backside. I scooped the warm soapy water onto her bum, and worked out the icky bits, being careful not to pull her feathers.

Then we toweled her off and dried her with the blowdryer. By the end of the experience, she was very warm and clucking happily.

I think there is a tutorial on YouTube of someone bathing a Silkie.....

Good luck, everyone!