Can I bathe my chicks?

[goochgirl]

Just like babies, they seem to just eat and poop. However, these girls seem to like to roll in it. Its going to warm up to the 80's on Friday. I was hoping I could give them a warm bath and send them outside to play for a little while. they will be 3 weeks old on Friday. Are they old enough for a bath?

 

[lemurchaser]

I wouldn't bathe them, but it is possible. I wouldn't put them outside after but under a warm heat lamp. I would try keeping their area cleaner, adding diatomaceous earth (a drying agent) and giving them spot to take a dust bath.

 

[speckledhen]

I would not bathe them. At that age, they are molting out fuzz and getting in new feathers all the time. The poop on them will go away. If it's a small spot, you can dab at it with a warm washcloth, but I wouldn't bathe them. I've never felt the need to bathe a chick in four years of raising them. They'll be filthy one minute and spotless the next--they do groom themselves quite a bit.

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

Quote:
From what I have read a chicken's lungs are located up near its back and that area is later in fully feathering out. If you send a young, wet chick out in 80 degrees, it could end up sick.

If you must, take a warm, damp washcloth and stroke your bird, use a warmed towel to dry some and put the chick under a heat lamp to finish drying so it does not get chilled.

 

[pgpoultry]

I wouldn't bathe them either. I had to clean day old chicks off with a kitchen towel and warm water after my (by then) sickly hen soaked them with liquid poo and they nearly died of hypothermia. I then placed them back in an incubator (forced air) with 60% humidity and dried them off again to fluffy stage before re-uniting them with mum. I am pleased to say they all survived and mum is now well , has solid motions, and is looking after her chicks .That was almost a week ago.
Best advice, though, is never to bathe them unless you absolutely have to and then try to ensure that they are dry before returning to the pen or mum,
Regards,
Sandie

 

[elmo]

I agree with the other posters. Chickens don't bathe in water normally, they preen and take dust baths. Instead of bathing them, maybe you could try cleaning the poop out of your brooder several times a day? When I had chicks in a brooder, I used several layers of paper towels. When one layer got soiled, I just pulled up that layer, etc. I did this two or three times a day, plus a full clean out before I settled the chicks in for the night after their weigh in and play time.