Bathing your chickens? How?

[PamB]

Quote:
If I had a goat I'd bath it...I bath my horses, and my dogs and cats when they need it, why not a chicken?

Absolutely agree! My dog is indoors most of the time (he is a 6lb yorkie) and he gets a bath every couple weeks!! I don't like stinky pets! Haha

I have given a bath to my silkies just to freshen them up. They didn't seem to mind at all! I used baby shampoo and the hair dryer to dry them off.

 

[write2caroline]

I fill the water in my deep sink about 5 inches first and lower the bird into the water. They seem to love it and are very calm, some try to sit down. I follow up with a blow dry as they seem to love that too!
Caroline

 

[elmo]

A chicken doesn't bathe in water naturally, they use dust baths to keep their feathers in order. When chicken feathers get wet, they lose their insulating properties and the bird can get chilled easily. I would not give a chicken a bath in the winter unless I couldn't avoid it. Last winter one of our bantams got a cecal poop from another bird landed right on her back. Ugh. Her feathers were all matted down and because it was so cold I was worried that she'd get chilled from having no insulation in this area, so I brought her indoors and did a spot cleaning of just that area with warm water and some mild soap. Then I blew dry the area on low, and let her finish air drying in a cage indoors. She wasn't inside for more than two or three hours, so I didn't have to worry that she'd gotten acclimated to the indoor temp and would suffer a shock when she went back outside to winter temps.

 

[Chicken Mommy]

I too once questioned the idea of bathing my feathery friends. But, after researching and discovering I found out that a clean chicken is a happy chicken. Also that bathing your chicken reduces the chance of them developing mites and parasites. I get two plastic tubs: One for the lukewarm water with baby shampoo in it and the other with clean lukewarm water. Place your chicken in the baby shampoo water, she may protest but do not give in. Gently wet her down with the water with you hand or a cup. Spread her wings and get under and on the wings. Then put her in the clean water and get all soapy water off. After that, wrap a towel around her and pat gently. And moisturize her comb and wattles with lotion or vaseline. if you choose to blowdry do so in the direction of the feathers.