Bathing Methods?

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

What You Need
•3 Tubs
•1 bottle of Mane and Tail Shampoo
•Bottle of White Vinegar
•Toothbrush
•Small Dish Cloth
•Large Towel
•Blow Dryer(optional)

NEED TO KNOWS & SUGGESTIONS
•DO NOT let the birds head go under, or drink any water especially after shampoo!
•If your water smells like pickles in the 2nd tub either add more water or dump it out.
•Make sure you get under the birds wings and underside in each step!
• For the 3rd tub I like to only fill it halfway up the birds breast. This is just a personal preference though.

1. Fill all of the tubs with warm water, first and second up to the bottom of the birds neck, have the shamoo bottle placed right next to the first tub. And the toothbrush next to the third
2. In the second tub add 1/3 of a cup of vinegar.
3. Grab the bird and soak it in the first tub, you want to make sure you get the bird wet everywhere.
4. Take the bird out of the tub and lather it with shampoo. Make sure you get everywhere.
5. Place the bird back into the first tub and scrub the shampoo around, try to get as much off as possible.
6. After scrubbing the shampoo around on the bird place it in the second tub.
7. The second tub helps discard any left over shampoo so make sure you get this water everywhere.
8. Place the bird in the 3rd tub. This is where I make sure the vent feathers and everywhere else is clean. Scrub the legs, and tops of feet(as long as clean legged*) with the toothbrush.
9. Take the bird out of the last tub and fold it up in the towel.
10. Now you have option to either blow dry or air dry your bird.
10A. If you choose to air dry you want to keep your bird in the towel for at least half an hour to make sure it will not get chilled. You also want there to be a breeze outside. 90F or warmer temperature is the best. Keep the bird outside until it is dry.

10B. If you choose to blow dry, the simpler option in my opinion. All you need is a place to blow dry your bird. In the summer months I have a fan also. In the summer I will often take turns blow drying birds. I will blow dry one bird for 5 minutes, and then put that bird in front of the fan and blow dry the other bird. I will keep doing this until they are fully dry. Make sure you get uner the wings, around the vent, and underneath the bird.
11. Everything is done. Now place the bird back in the conditioning cage.

*if clean legged run your fingers through to make sure

Make sure the bird has trimmed toenails and beak if needed.
Most judges do not like birds with artificial, spray on sheen or vaseline or any type of oil on the comb.

Do you have a show box already together?
What breed are you showing?

Sorry if it is kind of spacey I wrote this up quickly

Wow, thanks a lot! I have cages for dyrying, and a show cage, too. Is that what you mean by showbox? I'm showing Marans this year.

One question, how big are your tubs?

 

[I Love Layers]

Wow, thanks a lot! I have cages for dyrying, and a show cage, too. Is that what you mean by showbox? I'm showing Marans this year.

One question, how big are your tubs?

Marans should be really easy to clean. A good first time bird.
I have used everything from large tupperwares, wheelbarrows, and cat litter boxes. Whatever you have works. One day I would like to have all of one kind probably large tupperwares though.

For a show box, it is a box that you take anything you may need.
• Nail Clippers
• Scissors
• Large Wash Clothes
• Safety Pins
• Zip ties
• Electrolyotes
• Pen
• Vetericyn
• Small bottle of shampoo just in case
And anything else you may need. For my cochins I also bring a brush to get any extra woodchips out, but Marans are tight feathered so you won't need one

 

[fangedknight]

Marans should be really easy to clean. A good first time bird.
I have used everything from large tupperwares, wheelbarrows, and cat litter boxes. Whatever you have works. One day I would like to have all of one kind probably large tupperwares though.

For a show box, it is a box that you take anything you may need.
• Nail Clippers
• Scissors
• Large Wash Clothes
• Safety Pins
• Zip ties
• Electrolyotes
• Pen
• Vetericyn
• Small bottle of shampoo just in case
And anything else you may need. For my cochins I also bring a brush to get any extra woodchips out, but Marans are tight feathered so you won't need one

Wow! Okay this is exactly what I needed to know, thank you so much for posting all of this. I'm getting all of my research out of the way now in prep for my first couple of shows. I still need to get everyone banded and vetted, etc. However, this was something I've been wondering about.

Quick question though, would you do something of a similar process with ducks and geese? Or would you just toss them in the bathtub like normal with maybe a mild dawn solution? (Did that once with my ducklings when they got extra dirty, then rinsed them off quickly and made sure they had clean splashing water, worked like a charm).

Here's what I've got for my "Show Flock" plus I might be tossing in a couple Wyandottes but I'm not sure.

• Buff Saddleback Pomeranian (Young Gander)
• Rouen Duck (Young Duck)
• White Crested Blue Polish (Pullet)
• Golden Laced Polish (Cockerel)
• Feather Leg Bantam: Porcelain d'Uccle (Cockerel)
• Feather Leg Bantam: Partridge Cochin (Pullet)

I have to see out of my Wyandottes, who might be good enough, but I'm not sure since I need to actually get a copy of the Standard of Perfection. I do have one SLW Pullet that seems promising but again not positive. They might actually have to wait till they grow some more.

But either way, out of my show flock, is there anything special I might need to keep in mind? (I'm kinda confused about the Polish myself but I figure as long as the crest is upright we should be good).

 

[Akrnaf2]

I am noticing a pattern in the chicken bathing tutorials. "A splash of vinegar" or "a squirt of glycerin" or "soak for a while". No specifics, just pictures of chickens in 5-gallon buckets. I am also getting conflicting information on which tub should go first.

What works for you? How close to show do you bathe them?

They don't need to bath.

 

[fangedknight]

They don't need to bath.

*points at the white show chicken with mud caked feathers*
*gestures to the Gander that won't stop playing in the mud puddle*
*cries because feather legged bantam has dried poop stuck on her toenails*
*holds magnifying glass over wyandotte's feathers to show the tiny gnats that never stop bugging the birds*

Not to mention on top of getting all of your birds tested it's just like humans washing hands and taking showers regularly before going out in public, it keeps the risk of disease down, A LOT. Also it's a show, your birds need to look their best to off their best qualities. The judges are not going to pick up a filthy bird that doesn't even look like its breed or variety because it never had a bath! Not only is that completely gross but it's insanely inappropriate. These are show birds not battery hens!

 

[Akrnaf2]

*points at the white show chicken with mud caked feathers*
*gestures to the Gander that won't stop playing in the mud puddle*
*cries because feather legged bantam has dried poop stuck on her toenails*
*holds magnifying glass over wyandotte's feathers to show the tiny gnats that never stop bugging the birds*

Not to mention on top of getting all of your birds tested it's just like humans washing hands and taking showers regularly before going out in public, it keeps the risk of disease down, A LOT. Also it's a show, your birds need to look their best to off their best qualities. The judges are not going to pick up a filthy bird that doesn't even look like its breed or variety because it never had a bath! Not only is that completely gross but it's insanely inappropriate. These are show birds not battery hens!

If you are talking about show birds, I really don't know nothing about the show requirements, so I guess that bathing is one of them.
But about standart BYC they realy don't need to.

 

[fangedknight]

If you are talking about show birds, I really don't know nothing about the show requirements, so I guess that bathing is one of them.
But about standart BYC they realy don't need to.

Well yes of course we're talking about show birds. That's what this thread is dedicated to, not to mention the entire forum it's posted in.

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

Marans should be really easy to clean. A good first time bird.
I have used everything from large tupperwares, wheelbarrows, and cat litter boxes. Whatever you have works. One day I would like to have all of one kind probably large tupperwares though.

For a show box, it is a box that you take anything you may need.
• Nail Clippers
• Scissors
• Large Wash Clothes
• Safety Pins
• Zip ties
• Electrolyotes
• Pen
• Vetericyn
• Small bottle of shampoo just in case
And anything else you may need. For my cochins I also bring a brush to get any extra woodchips out, but Marans are tight feathered so you won't need one

Oh, yeah. I have one of those. It doubles as a seat, too. But why zip ties? As in leg bands?

I also found a comment on Poultry Show Central that I just can't get any info on. Has anyone heard of this?

Buttermilk
by Bobby
(Philpot, Kentucky)



This is my first time showing chickens but my uncle has shown them all his life and he takes a cloth and soaks it with butter milk and rubs down all feathers and then uses a sponge with butter milk and grabs feet then pulls down gently and wraps chicken in towel and transports to the show to be sure that all feathers are in place an wins in the top three.

 

[I Love Layers]

Oh, yeah. I have one of those. It doubles as a seat, too. But why zip ties? As in leg bands?

I also found a comment on Poultry Show Central that I just can't get any info on. Has anyone heard of this?

Buttermilk
by Bobby
(Philpot, Kentucky)



This is my first time showing chickens but my uncle has shown them all his life and he takes a cloth and soaks it with butter milk and rubs down all feathers and then uses a sponge with butter milk and grabs feet then pulls down gently and wraps chicken in towel and transports to the show to be sure that all feathers are in place an wins in the top three.

I have had cages that will not stay closed before, or some people will use them at bigger shows to make sure there birds are not stolen.
As for the buttermilk, personally I wouldn't do it. Stick with what you know works. It honestly sounds like an old wives tale to me. I have won many overall, and reserve grands at my county fair and at my first open show I received reserve champ asiatic. So I will stick with a proven method

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

I have had cages that will not stay closed before, or some people will use them at bigger shows to make sure there birds are not stolen.
As for the buttermilk, personally I wouldn't do it. Stick with what you know works. It honestly sounds like an old wives tale to me. I have won many overall, and reserve grands at my county fair and at my first open show I received reserve champ asiatic. So I will stick with a proven method

Okay, thanks!

Another quick question: I found my Vet RX bottle had spilled out yesterday, and the farm store was out of it. How well does Glycerin work at making the combs red? Lotion?