Does Everyone Bathe?

[countyroad1330]

Bathe their chickens, of course. I've heard people talk about bathing theirs, but I was wondering if everyone did. And do you blow dry? I have no idea where to start! My show chickens are feather-legged bantams. Any tips on keeping their foot feathers looking nice before a show?

 

[LoneCowboy]

I don't think so. Might have to do with if they need it for some reason, or if they are going to show them at the fair or something.

 

[DuckLady]

I bring a special duck in for a bath and one on one time a few times a week.

 

[jenichick]

The only chick(en) I've ever bathed was one that had stuck membrane on it after it hatched and had dried it didn't fluff up. So I got some warm water and got the dried yuckies off of it, it shivered for while but fluffed on up. I've sprayed a couple in the run down to get dried gunk off their feet. My chickens don't like getting wet unless it's really hot.

 

[arlee453]

I don't know why you would need to bathe a chicken under usual circumstances - they take dust baths and constantly preen themselves to keep clean.

Only reasons I can think of would be before a show and if a bird is ill or incapacitated for some reason and can't groom properly, or has a very dirty bottom, etc.

 

[Flufnstuffs~FluffySilkies]

I wash My silkies at least once a year.
And I wash the birds I will be taking to shows several times.
If I had regular chickens I don't think I would wash them unless they get really messed up for some reason.

 

[karri25]

Here is what 4-h teaches about washing your birds:
have 3 buckets of water, one soapy to wash in and two clean to rinse.

Just use some dish soap or yummy smelling shampoo, put in enough to make the water sudsy.

Use a wash cloth to wash them. Don't scrub but wash the direction their feathers lay in. Pay close attention to the area on their back side closr to their oil glands. That place is always grimy.

After washing, put in the first bucket to rinse. Softly squeeze excess water. Than repeat in the second bucket.

To blow dry, use a hair dryer on lowest setting. It takes FOReVER!!!!!!

This works but takes a long time. If you are going to show your bird though I would definately wash them. You can also put some vaseline on their comb and feet to make them sharper. Good luck!

 

[IHeartChickens]

I've seen a chicken getting a blow dry before. The chicken was not bothered by it at all. It was a white chicken getting all gussied up for a show. They used a blue shampoo ( like laides with grey hair use to get the yellow out) to make the feathers extra white and then did a blow dry. She was a very clean fluffy looking hen after that.

 

[CarriBrown]

I give Nugget a bath because she gets a poopy butt, but other than that, no baths for my girls!

 

[1acrefarm]

I have never in my life bathed a chicken. If some need came up I would though.