Filthy, feces-covered little chicks

[Mianna]

First off, I'm so mad that I could spit. A man from a local poultry group said that he had two young silkie girls and a Serama that he needed to find homes for. I talked to him via email, and we arranged to meet in a public place late yesterday afternoon so that he could drop the chicks off. I didn't really get a look at them beyond a peek into their box until I got home, and they're mostly nice and fluffy and clean on top, but really filthy on the bottoms. They had dried feces caked between their toes and to their bellies. =/

I bathed them in warm water in the sink and cleaned the Serama's pasty butt, but the silkies have little bits of dried feces tangled up in their foot-fuzz that doesn't want to soak or wash off. Should I trim their feet to remove the crud? I've never had silkies before, so I'm just not sure if trimming their fuzz is a bad idea for some reason.

Also, one of the little silkies has what looks to be very fine particles of more dried feces on top of its head, very close to its eyes. I'm worried about getting that close to its eyes, so is the most efficient way to clean that going to be a damp washcloth or cotton swab?

Last question for now, I promise: do silkies have odd feet? Their toes are spaced differently than the Barnevelder and Sussex chicks I hatched, but I don't know if that's normal for silkies. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[appps]

First off how old are they? If he has sold you sexed silkie chicks then he is a pretty clever dude. Most people find them impossible to sex till they are a decent age.

I would trim the feathers, both on the feet and near the eye. Just get someone to help you hold the chick so you dont accidentally poke an eye, but I trimmed my silkie head feathers in front of its eyes as it got older as it couldnt see to run in a straight line (and Its a pet so quality of life was more important than looks) and it wasnt that hard. They are like any feather though and you can see that some are downy sort of feathers and some are harder . The downy ones you can trim no problems, the ones that have the hard shaft in them can bleed so try and avoid those, but chances are you wont have any of those near the face anyway if only young. THey will grow back as they moult so its not a permanant trimming.

And silkies are a five toed breed. A nicely formed silkie foot wont look weird as such but a less nicely formed can have toes joined and such (or my 5 toed faveroles are like that anyway)

 

[Mianna]

They were free so it's not as if I got ripped off, I'm just upset that they're so crusty and dirty. Thanks for the advice, I'll get someone to hold them still and give them haircuts with my little embroidery scissors.