Bath for 4 - 5 week old chicks?

[CatKai]

I probably should not have but I went ahead and bought 4 chicks (4 -5 weeks old) this week that were just filthy. They are separate from all my other chicks/chickens and I have dusted them in case they had mites. Didn't see what I wanted in breeds when I got there but decided to go ahead and get these. They have a sand box which they love but it's not been enough to make them smell better. They were in a very crowded container that was really nasty dirty and they were all damp/wet to some extent. The smell is just terrible and I am wondering if I can give them a bath with diluted Dawn dish soap? Wanted to post pics but they look ratty being so dirty...

Thanks,
Kim

 

[hsdiaz]

I wouldn't bathe them in water and certainly not dish soap. They'll get bigger, shed feathers and learn to take proper dust baths...give them a tub with some dirt or soil mixed with wood ash or peat moss...any dry dirt will work. They'll also preen/clean themselves once their feather start to come in. They'll smell better soon...just give it a bit of time. There are good "dust bath" threads on here. Hope someone with more experience can help answer you...I just don't think dish soap/water is a good idea especially if they're still pretty young.