Chicken baths

[TimG]

Not the dirt variety. When you are cleaning up a chicken for show, do you put it in the kitchen sink and give it a shampoo? I imagine that could be a rather messy process if the chicken decides it should start flapping. What do you use for soap or shampoo?

 

[jimnjay]

I use a pet shampoo. I do use the kitchen sink but some people use a series of 5 gallon buckets. My Silkies and Sizzles have been rather lulled by a warm bath and don't fuss about it.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I use the tub and either bird, dog or human shampoo--depends on what I have available and whether or not I am treating for mites/lice (then I use dog flea & tick shampoo). I've even used body wash. Some use dishwasing or clothes washing detergent, but that really strips their natural oils badly.

Wet the bird under running water and run your fingers through feathers to find any mud or manure clubs and make sure they get wet enough to soften. Add shampoo and gently rub in, add more water to spread the suds. Let stand in a damp tub for awhile for the shampoo to sort of soak into the feathers. If using flea & tick follow the directions, which usually vary from 5 to 10 minutes. You may want to use a fingernail brush on the soles of the feet (and on foot feathers).

Rinse the bird under running water to remove the soap--you can also use a bucket of water with vinegar added to help remove the soap from the feathers. For hard feathered birds adding some glycerin to the final rinse water adds a sheen.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

I use Suave human shampoo. Not the "intense" clean kind, but the moisturizing kind. I like to take the least amount of oil possible off of the bird.

 

[lovemychix]

I bath some of my birds when needed. They don't seem to really mind it at all. They love the blow dry.

 

[Pathfinders]

I wrote an article on our website about conditioning and prepping for shows, see it here:

http://www.pathfindersfarm.com/Prepping.html

Hope that helps!