I was talking to my neighbor about chickens and the new coop I was building. She said that she gives her chickens bathes. Ive never heard of chicken bathes before. Can you really give chickens bathes?
Can Chickens get Bathes?
- Thread starter chickencoop789
- Start date
Yes, you can. It is not something I would do unless I had to, but people do wash their chickens before shows (No, I don't mean before the chicken watches television!).You basically put them in a little water in a tall trash can (13 gallon) shampoo, and submerge (not their head) in clean water to remove the soap. I believe baby shampoo has been mentioned, but chicken shampoo can be found on the hatchery sites.
Chickens do take dust baths. They roll around in the dirt to get it down to the skin. This kills any bugs that may be hiding in their feathers. Sand and DE are also helpful.
Chickens do take dust baths. They roll around in the dirt to get it down to the skin. This kills any bugs that may be hiding in their feathers. Sand and DE are also helpful.
They don't generally need a bath unless like above, you're taking them to a show. There are times when I'll bathe a fluffy butt's rear end when the feathers get too clotted from poo getting stuck there. But not often, I don't like doing that.
The dust bath is their way. They flick dirt all up under their feathers for lice and stuff and it works well for them. Then it's shake shake shake and groom. Most people never need to bathe at all. (their chickens I mean! The people most certainly need a bath! lol) I think your neighbor might be too obsessive lol.
The dust bath is their way. They flick dirt all up under their feathers for lice and stuff and it works well for them. Then it's shake shake shake and groom. Most people never need to bathe at all. (their chickens I mean! The people most certainly need a bath! lol) I think your neighbor might be too obsessive lol.
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Have you ever buried your nose into the warm-from-the-sun neck feathers of a friendly lap hen? There's no cleaner or more wonderful smell.
I continue to marvel that chickens can smell so good living down low and close to poop.
However, that said, I do afford my chickens a butt tune-up every so often when poo gets caked on their rears and it's beyond all preening efforts on their part to remove it.
I fill a small wash basin with warm water and children's bubble bath soak, splash water on the rear end until the buildup softens, then scrub it away with a fingernail brush or wash cloth. I don't bother to rinse, just dry with a dry cloth.
I have a number of feather-footed chickens that need foot washing every so often, too. I back them up to the basin and wash one foot at a time.
The only time I washed a whole chicken was when the unfortunate darling was standing under a perch at the wrong moment and got bombed with a big wet one.
I continue to marvel that chickens can smell so good living down low and close to poop.
However, that said, I do afford my chickens a butt tune-up every so often when poo gets caked on their rears and it's beyond all preening efforts on their part to remove it.
I fill a small wash basin with warm water and children's bubble bath soak, splash water on the rear end until the buildup softens, then scrub it away with a fingernail brush or wash cloth. I don't bother to rinse, just dry with a dry cloth.
I have a number of feather-footed chickens that need foot washing every so often, too. I back them up to the basin and wash one foot at a time.
The only time I washed a whole chicken was when the unfortunate darling was standing under a perch at the wrong moment and got bombed with a big wet one.
Yep. I wash mine in the sink with dawn dish soap. I also fully blow dry unless it's a hot day outside 85F and up.
I've done it enough to where most hens like the water. They also lay in puddles of cool water from my garden hose on hot days.
I've done it enough to where most hens like the water. They also lay in puddles of cool water from my garden hose on hot days.
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Don't they have some kind of film or something that protects their feathers & bathing them washes the protection away. Just asking I'm sure its ok to wash them here & there but I think they keep themselves pretty clean without using soap on them. Guess, what I'm saying is there's no way I'm bathing 65 chickens. Thats why I got red chickens can't see the dirt LOL.
Thats it. The oil also helps repel water when it rains.
My d'uccle screams and throws a temper tantrum if it rains on her! Oh my, I never seen anything like it!
I had a White Plymouth Rock that had a dirty, nasty bottom pretty much from day one. I had to give her weekly baths in the kitchen sink, because she'd be just caked with poo and in the winter it would be like poop-sicles hanging off her hind end. The whole process from the soaking to the rinsing to the blow-drying took over an hour but she was usually really calm about it as long as I had something on the bottom of the sink so that she didn't slip. She didn't like it if the hair-dryer was on high, but perfectly content if I kept it on low, lifting her wings to let the air blow under them. It was kinda cute...although a major annoyance when I took her back outside and she'd immediately poop and it would just run down her back feathers and the next clump would begin. I think there was something anatomically wrong with her because she also had a weird waddle and a tail that drooped down instead of turning up like my other hens. Anyway, yes, you can bathe a chicken.
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