Chicken Bath?

[Scareab]

Hello!
I was wondering if it's safe to bath my chickens with water. I understand that they dust bath themselves but I was wondering if I can still bath them with water. I have a bathtub and was thinking of carefully washing them within shallow water. (I have bathed a dog before and understand NO animal likes baths)
Just wanting to check to see whether this is ok and safe to do.

-Scareab

 

[azygous]

Yes, you can bathe a chicken. It's not advisable to do it regularly since it will strip the oil from their feathers, causing the feathers to deteriorate. I've had to give a chicken a bath when they happened to get under a perch where another chicken pooped on them.

Usually, though, I only wash their butts. That's the only part on a chicken where they can't easily clean themselves, and poop buildup can irritate skin and attract flies that can result in fly strike where maggots will eat the chicken alive.

I back the chicken up to the wash basin and splash warm water on the crusty butt, loosening the poop. Then I pull the poop off and rinse well. You can blow dry a chicken, and while they have mixed feelings about getting bathed, all chickens adore being blow dried.

 

[Acre4Me]

Yes you can. I’ve soaked s chicken in an Epsom Salt bath (breast blister injury) in our utility sink in the laundry room. Also washed them before showing them at the county fair. For that event, we use a tub with lightly soapy water (using the mildest, low sudsing type cleaner we could find, no fragrance). Swish around and gently “scrub” using fingers to help remove dirt. Then rinse tub, then towel to soak up excess water then blow dry. When blow drying, make sure to dry the fluff underneath. Don’t use fragrances, their respiratory systems are sensitive.

 

[aart]

I was wondering if it's safe to bath my chickens with water.

Only if absolutely necessary...and then very carefully.