Dirty Chicks

[siobhan118]

My chicks are almost 4 weeks old now and are looking pretty ragged. Its been warm enough that we have been giving them supervised outside time and yesterday they took a dust bath in some yucky mud. I'm wondering can I give them a bath to clean them up? It doesn't seem to bother them but they really are looking nasty! p.s. my husband thinks I'm nuts for evening asking this question!

 

[debid]

They always look rough at that teen stage. I'd suggest giving them a nice dust bathing area and letting them go to it. If they're getting dirty from too small of a brooder, get them into a bigger space. But a bath? Nope. They'll be molting their baby feathers soon enough.

If you feel compelled to wash them, you must dry them completely with a hairdryer to prevent chilling.

 

[siobhan118]

We had set up a dust bath area for them but they decided they liked the mud better. Now my silkies have dried mud on their feet where their feathers are. I'll set up their dust bath for them again and make sure to keep them out of the mud today. I'll see if I can just pick off some of the dried mud on the silkies.