Bathing my chickens

[motherhenfran]

I'm not sure if this is in the right spot (still trying to navigate my way around BC ) but My girls are getting filty! Mostly around their faces/heads/combs from eating fruity treats (mostly watermelon to beat the heat) and having the juice from the fruit leave them sticky and then literally caked in dirt. They take dust/mud baths multiple times a day. They do not smell but they feel sticky from the watermelon juice and then get dust/mud on them that leaves them dirty. Their combs and wattles are caked with mud as well. They don't seem to mind and only get irritated when I try to "spot clean" their little faces.

What do you guys do when your little chickadees get their faces dirty? Should I just leave it or clean it off? I don't want it to become crazy matted/filty and lead to other potential issues like flies/obscured vision from too much mud/not being able to see injuries bc they're covered in dirt/etc

Thanks BC community!!

 

[aart]

Go ahead and clean it off with a wet rag.....then don't give them anymore watermelon (the sugar really isn't good for them) or just give them the rinds, I freeze/refrigerate them first if it's for cooling them off.

 

[chickenlover09]

I've never really had this problem yet. I would imagine if you just take a hose and hose down your chickens, they'd be scared to death so I wouldn't do that. Mabe you can just pick them up and secure them in your arms, ask a friend to hold an apple in front of them or another treat, and take a soaking paper towel and wipe their face.

After reading your question I never thought about, i'm really interested!