blue food coloring as bluing when bathing?

[KitaNori]

Has anyone used blue food coloring as bluing when washing white and light colored chickens? Or does anyone know if it would work and is safe? Thanks!

 

[tyjaco]

Wouldn't it just make her blue? Even ever so slightly...still blue?

 

[KitaNori]

well that's the point

a white bird gets dingy yellow, and blue and yellow are opposite colors on the color wheel, and apparently if you add a little blue to the yellow bird it makes them appear more white. I know people use bluing which is used for white clothes, so i wasn't sure if food coloring would do the same thing. Only a little though, I don't want a bluebird

They use bluing agents in dog whitening shampoo, which is hat i was using but I am out.

 

[SilkieCrazy123]

why dont you try it?

 

[tyjaco]

Yah - try it

I'd love to see a picture

 

[AngelzFyre]

Blue food coloring will turn blue...not make whites whiter!
You can use Clairol Shimmer Lights for hair and get the same effect as the shampoos they have out there for horses, dogs and such that have white hair, most of those are purple shampoos with bluing in them that you leave on for a few min, then rinse out. You can also put corn starch on white feathers or hair after washing and comb out when dry to keep white color white.
Do not use blue food color unless you want blue as the color!

 

[KitaNori]

oh... well I will try it on my blue silkie

I want to try it on my white one, just to see what happens, only a drop or two though in a sink of water along with regular shampoo. I will post pictures to see if it was a fail or a success. Either way, it rinses out. I tried to dye my cat purple once for halloween, but the purple didn't hold and left bright pink! he's a boy cat...

 

[KitaNori]

and if it fails, he will be very festive for easter.

 

[SilkieCrazy123]

I just finished dying my silkie pink

I had been dying eggs and had some left over dye and I wanted to use it for something. I mixed the dye with A LOT of water, so its a really light color, and it'll come out in a few days or a week. And just in time for Easter!She looks so pretty in pink.

 

[ButchGood]

Poor, Poor Chickens.