Blow drying silikies takes forever!!!

[mandelaykay]

I just spent almost an hour blow drying one of hens. It was the first time that I ever washed a chicken and or blow dried it. Anyone have any helpful hints or is this just a painfully long process

 

[wdc1952]

I have wash my Silkies in a 5 gallon bucket with luke warm water with a capful of woolite. I rinse the bird in a 5 gal bucket of lukewarm water with a capful of fabric softener. I then wrap each bird in a towel for 5-15 minutes as I am washing other birds. The towel wrap absorbs most of the water. Of course it helps to have your wash birds either outside in open pens to take advantage of mother natures sun and wind to aid in the drying process. I finally use the blow dryer to fluff up and help dry the bird. I most often will blow dry several times, but never as long as 4 hours.

Hope this helps as everyone has their own way of washing and drying show birds

Good Luck

 

[TinyTotsSeramas]

Quote:
you can wash Silkies with Woolite and Fabric Softener?

 

[chicmom]

Quote:
you can wash Silkies with Woolite and Fabric Softener?

Gosh I bet they smell great when you're finished!

 

[wdc1952]

I have use woolite to wash my birds for over 10 years. It doesnt produce a lot of suds and still gets the birds clean. I do not use fabric softener in the rinse water for my smooth feathered birds, only for the silkies. But I have found out that the woolite wash and then rinse sure gets the smooth feathered birds feathers nice, neat and tight fitting.

 

[TinyTotsSeramas]

Quote:
Wow! Thanks for the tips!!

 

[mandelaykay]

Yes! Great tips! Thank you!

 

[EweSheep]

Would it poison them when they preen?

 

[onthespot]

My guess is, after ten years of using it, no.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I don't blow dry my silkies anymore. They get just as fluffy if they dry naturally. I wrap them up in a towel for a couple min so the water soaks up. Then, if its warm out, I let them dry by themselves. If its cold I hang up a couple heat lamps.

I add Liquid Glycerine to the rinse water.