Faverolle with a muddy face--should I bathe her? with pics

[hyzenthlay]

Ok, maybe this is a dumb question, but my Faverolle hen managed to get her whole face (comb, muff, etc.) muddy a little over a week ago, and now it's just dry and crusty. It hasn't been wet, so I figured she'd clean herself eventually, but no dice. She has access to dry areas at all times, and my other two hens aren't muddy like this. She looks scraggly and I'm thinking it can't be too healthy for her. Should I bathe her, and do you have any advice on the best method for bathing?

Here she is now:

And here's what she normally looks like:

 

[fldiver97]

I would try to clean the mud off with some wet cloth...I don't think she needs total bath?????

 

[hyzenthlay]

Thanks--that seems sensible. I'm new to chickens, so maybe this was a dumb question--I think I'm just feeling nervous because I've just been dealing with the fragility of pet rabbits, and I don't want to accidentally do or not do something out of ignorance that will cause problems for my hen.

 

[fldiver97]

I got chickens this spring....I still question a lot of things, read and ask....and the rest of the time I am trusting the girls to do the 'right thing'...And then I fuss and read and wonder some more.....

Did you get her cleaned up a bit??

 

[hyzenthlay]

Thanks for asking.

I took a couple of sopping wet rags and tried to wipe her head down. The mud was really thick and clumpy, though, and I was having trouble making progress. Eventually I got the hose and ran it on her beard for awhile, to try to soften the mud and thin it out. I think that helped--then I wiped her some more and let her go. I had her wrapped in a big towel so she couldn't struggle too much, but she was definitely not happy with me, so I wanted to give her a break. She's not totally clean now--still some stubborn mud in her beard and on her comb--but much, much better. I'll try going at her again tomorrow probably.

 

[SurprisingWoman]

I know it's not the same but one of my EE's has really tough pin feathers.

(The coating on the feathers that keeps them smooshed together but when it dries they can preen it off and the feathers "open up" and look like feathers.)

I tried helping her and she didn't like it. I thought I was helping her but I was just making her mad.

My chicks let me know what they are comfortable with.

HTH

 

[hyzenthlay]

Thanks.

So, when I went back out to continue my hen cleaning, I saw the little stinker had managed to get her whole head muddy AGAIN! Hmph!! It's been rainy here for a couple weeks, and although part of their run and the coop are always dry, there is a muddy spot in the run where the hens have scratched the mulch away. I think I'm going to have to get some more mulch to pile on there, wait for things to dry out a bit, THEN clean her again. Little troublemaker. The other hens are perfectly clean.