Baths??

[MotherMaidenCrone]

So a friend and I rescued these baby chicks from deplorable conditions. These poor babies didn't even have access to food or water when we got them. I finally got them to eat and drink okay and still waiting to observe poops but they smell awful! You can tell they were around cat urine/feces etc in an enclosed environment. I'm keeping them at my house to not separate them. I'm thinking of treating them for lice/mites just in case but should I go ahead and give them an actual wet bath? They are VERY skittish around ppl and don't want to put more stress on them but I just want to ensure they grow up as healthy as possible. Any advice?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Do not bathe them. It will be very, very hard to keep them warm enough to not get chilled or go Into shock

 

[MotherMaidenCrone]

Do not bathe them. It will be very, very hard to keep them warm enough to not get chilled or go Into shock

I should have added that these are pullets from the looks of their feathers but thank you!

 

[Penpal]

I have given baths to very young chicks because of pasty butts. They like it. I use warm, not hot, water and use a little towel to dab some of the water off. Then right under the light or brooder plate.

Just rinsing them off might be enough. Try it with one. You don't want to use soap because it will dry out the skin.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have given baths to very young chicks because of pasty butts. They like it. I use warm, not hot, water and use a little towel to dab some of the water off. Then right under the light or brooder plate.

Just rinsing them off might be enough. Try it with one. You don't want to use soap because it will dry out the skin.

How old are they? Can you post photos, mainly to see how much they are feathered out.

People wash chicks and chickens all of the time. You do not want them to chill so keep them (especially chicks) warm until they dry out. Animal rescues often use Dawn dishwashing soap to clean up oily animals, including fowl. People wash chickens before chicken shows. There is nothing in the SOP against a chicken stinking but a judge is more likely to be friendly if they don't stink. That's just human nature.

Again, keep them warm until they dry out so they don't chill. That is important.

Good luck!

 

[Buffbrahmabantam]

We occasionally have chickens with poop streaks on their bum feathers and I give them a butt bath in the kitchen sink with warm water, a little fragrance free shampoo, towel dry, and then blow dry while they stand on a towel next to the kitchen counter. I alternate between cool and warm air on my blow drier so they don’t overheat. The blow dry takes a long time because they have a lot of feathers, but I make sure there is no dampness at all. Some of them seem to hate it, others relax and enjoy it and spend the time preening and lounging on their side, like they do in the sunshine on a warm day.

If they are growing in new feathers, be especially careful because the growing feathers are tender at the base.

To avoid picking the chickens up, sometimes it works better to somehow direct the chicken to walk onto a stiff board, shallow cardboard box lined with a towel, or other rigid surface that can be picked up. They don’t seem to mind as much as being picked up directly in your hands and arms. Our chickens are super friendly, in-your-face and follow-you-around pets, but they still don’t like being picked up. Handling with hands is a human thing and chickens would rather have control of their movements, which makes sense. I don’t want to be picked up and carried around by someone else. All that to say, if you are having trouble catching or carrying them, try to get creative and try to avoid forcing yourself on them.

 

[Buffbrahmabantam]

I’ll also give them a few treats and tidbits during the blow dry. Tiny bits of cheese, peanuts, stuff like that. I hope it makes the process more pleasant for them. (Yes, my chickens are spoiled )

 

[MotherMaidenCrone]

I’ll also give them a few treats and tidbits during the blow dry. Tiny bits of cheese, peanuts, stuff like that. I hope it makes the process more pleasant for them. (Yes, my chickens are spoiled )

Now my other babies are spoiled like crazy haha! I actually have to tuck them in at night or they yell at me. Not even kidding. Hahaha With these rescued babies, you can tell they have had either no or terrible human interactions because they are super skittish. Like more than normal. I have been just doing everything I can to build a bit of trust (slow movements, low tones, etc). I want to make sure they are healthy before introducing the treats. I'm gonna monitor for another day then try the spot cleaning to see if that helps. Also doing a lice treatment just to be safe. Thank you!

 

[MotherMaidenCrone]

How old are they? Can you post photos, mainly to see how much they are feathered out.

People wash chicks and chickens all of the time. You do not want them to chill so keep them (especially chicks) warm until they dry out. Animal rescues often use Dawn dishwashing soap to clean up oily animals, including fowl. People wash chickens before chicken shows. There is nothing in the SOP against a chicken stinking but a judge is more likely to be friendly if they don't stink. That's just human nature.

Again, keep them warm until they dry out so they don't chill. That is important.

Good luck!

I attached a few photos. They are literally all black so it's really hard to tell but one is nearly fully feathered and the other isn't far behind.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My guess is around 4 weeks old. I don't know what your weather is like there but I would not be that worried about giving them a bath unless it is pretty cold. Just be prepared to get splashed as they will probably flap those wings and splash water everywhere.