Bathing?

[AdrieeC]

I Bought some young laying hens today. Their run was muddy because of all the rain we got last night and they are all muddy. So I would like to clean them up a bit before I put them into their new home...I have heard dawn was safe to use? If not, what should I use? I have not ever given a hen a bath before... these are my first since childhood. Any suggestions of the best way to do that?

 

[PandoraTaylor]

use warm water (like baby warm temperature) fill to about chest height, then add chicken, use your hand on the chickens back, don't allow them to drink the water if you use Dawn or any soap. once you get the chicken wet, you can use the other hand to add yoru soap, and then rinse using a cup. Wrap in towel for 15-20 minutes to wick water from feathers, you can also use a blow dryer on low setting, placing your hand between the bird and dryer every now and again to ensure warm air not hot. keep inside over night to ensure they are dry before placing in coop.

 

[elmo]

I don't bother about dirt or mud, but once I had to clean a cecal poop off the back of one of my hens (she had walked under a roost at just the wrong moment). The only reason I did that was it was very cold at the time, and the poop matted down her feathers. I didn't use soap, I just used warm water on a washcloth, and I only cleaned the soiled area.

I used a blow dryer on low setting, then let her finish air drying in a cage indoors.

 

[teach1rusl]

Much easier to bathe a chicken if you have an extra pair of hands to hold her firmly, but gently in the water while you bathe her. If they're really calm and tame, no problem. But if you just recently acquired them, they're probably not going to be. Most seem to like the warm water after a minute or two of getting settled.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Give them a wide box of dry sand and they'll take care of it themselves.

.....Alan.