Chicken Bath Experience Poll

[Akane]

I soaked half a chicken when she coated her underside in poop while penned up with a bad leg. Does that count? She did not complain, waited for me to finish, and then hobbled off to get food. I also floated one around the stock tank every day for awhile that got attacked by a dog and also had a sore leg with dried blood around it. She was quite happy and walked better after swimming therapy. I think she's still out there... The neighbors commented on one hen that always limped a bit a few days ago but my standard dark layers all look the same and they free range so having a chicken picked off here and there is common. I quit counting them when I passed a couple dozen.

 

[Country Heart]

Quote:
Chicken Swim Therapy...this site never stops amazing, entertaining, and informing me.

 

[magentamomma]

i have bathed some stinkyy crusty chicks. i used warm water and shampoo. I held their feet firmly and rocked them a little and then put them in the water. They almost fell asleep. They also enjoyed the blow dry.

 

[Gonzo]

I've had to give a white and buff orpington both a bath. They rather enjoy playing in the mud, and I couldn't stand seeing my pretty girls looking so bad. They both did fine. I think they enjoy the warm water and the blow dryer. Of course, as soon as the went back outside they were back to playing in mud puddles. So I give up for now.

 

[sonew123]

I bathed my white silkie for a friend-she wants him in the Spring and lives far away so I bathed him for her to see before and after pictures!

BEFORE BATH

wet in his towel

after a blow dry!

It was fun for me and I laughed my butt off but the blow drying took forever!!!!

 

[Chickenmaven]

I have bathed several chickens. I use Bronner's peppermint soap. Silkies are easy. Bathing my big, feisty Turken is an experience I do not plan to repeat.

 

[ging3rhoffman]

I had the shampoo and bath water ready before i went to get my
white rock chicken. I just kept talking to her real softly and everything
i did was very slowly. It was amaziing how well she did...i have bathes others as well.

 

[DawnSuiter]

I suppose now we've bathed dozens of Orpingtons...
7 recently who were living in a mud pit before they went to their new home
another 7 who were just a bit muddy and were on their way to a new home
all 30 when we got mites this past summer
show birds..

the list goes on.

It's pretty simple really. We use a large storage tub in the bathtub... fill that with VERY HOT water and a little dog shampoo or people shampoo.
Set them inside, make sure their head doesn't fall into the water as they are hypnotized with the soothing hot water, wipe the feathers in the direction they grow...only wipe the face feathers with your hand.. don't get their face in the soap or water. Careful with the feathers so you don't break them. Carefully wrap them in a towel (again not to break feathers).. squeeze to remove excess water and then drop them into a crate for the blow dry. Repeat, changing water after every couple of chickens until crate is full of wet chickens, cover the back & sides of the crate with the wet towels and then set the blow dryer on them. Takes about 30 minutes to dry about 7 of them... they turn to the air and take care of that themselves. The only thing to monitor then is to make sure the blow dryer doesn't overheat.

 

[JestersEye]

I guess I would myself an experienced "chicken-bather".

My son started out with 7 chickens about a year and a half ago, and the flock has grown to 15 now. He shows them in the local 4-H, so we've bathed them a few times for various events. For the most part, I think the hardest part is the setup and cleanup. The actual bathing goes fairly smoothly, so long as you prevent the birds from flapping around as they become acclimated.

I use three rubbermaid tubs, each for a different purpose. The trick is getting all the chickens through before the water gets too cold. Obviously, the early bathers get the advantage of most comfortable temperatures and cleanest water conditions. The first tub is the wash station, the second tub is the pre-rinse area, and the third is the final rinse. I looked online to find directions on what to use for each tub, and used a combination of techniques that I think does a good job for blue-ish or light-colored birds. (We have Blue Andalusians and Blue Orpingtons, btw; saving the darkest birds for last.) As long as you hold each chicken securely in your hand, so it feels safe, they seem to enjoy the warm water and tend to relax fairly easily as you wash them. (They do have a tendency to fall asleep so be careful to hold their head out of the water!)

I always wash the lightest colored birds first, as they always look the dirtiest, anyway. Black or dark-colored feathers have the ability to withstand a bath in "dirty" water without showing it a lot better than white or light-colored ones. In the wash tub, I use liquid Ivory soap mixed with a small amount of 20 Mule Team Borax. I usually start out dunking the bird's body and swishing them around in the water, and then I gently rub their feathers clean with my fingers. I even use a nail brush to rub their submerged legs and feet, which they don't mind at all. I sometimes use a washcloth to rub their faces, paying particular attention to their wattles, combs, and earlobes.

Once they seem relatively clean, I rinse them off in the second tub of plain water, but with a capful of Clorox bleach added to the water (to help in the control of mites and lice). The third tub contains some extra ingredients to add some finishing effects and heighten their coloring. The water contains vinegar and a tiny bit of glycerin to give their feathers that "show shine", as well as a dash of "bluing"; which is particularly useful if you have white or light-colored birds. (I figure it may even help bring out the blues of our breeds, as well.)

It's important to towel dry each chicken as much as possible, as you remove them from the bath. They should be placed in a clean, warm (draft-free) area to continue drying. On a warm day, you could put them outside in the sun; but if it's windy they could still become chilled. I usually put them in cages inside the house, near a heat vent, or in a warm bathroom with a small heater blowing on them. I also have a blow-dryer to use on them after I finish bathing everyone. For a group of birds, it's helpful (maybe even necessary) to have a "helper" who can start drying each bird as they come out of the final rinse. Otherwise, the water in the tubs can become too cold before you finish all the birds.

This is what seems to work for us and our birds. If nothing else, it makes for a good story for my husband to tell at work... Evidently, his friends can't believe the crazy stuff his wife does! =P

 

[Shannon's Chix]

I've only bathed chicks and a silkie and they seemed to like it and were very easy. I really need to bathe one of my standard mutts who has poop all over her butt!

I'm a little unsure about this one, she's very spunky! We'll see how it goes...