Grooming Chickens please help!

[rockabilly7]

I have just had 9 silkie hens and roos ( some adults some chicks) dumped on me without notice! Don't get me wrong I am so excited!!! But the condition they are in isn't exactly silkie beautiful if you know what I mean I was just wondering how in the world do I groom these chickens??? Can someone please help me???

 

[farmin'chick]

Well, for one thing, I keep my silkies on pine shavings, changed frequently. They groom themselves, and sometimes each other. Once in a while one will get a clot of something in their feathers, and after it's dry I can rub the clot between my fingers and it will crumble into powder. There's a thread on bathing your chickens if you think that's necessary.

Mine shaped up within a week of keeping them on clean shavings.

 

[chookchick]

Yes, just what I was thinking. Give them a nice clean coop, a run with sand or woodchip base, and some good food, and I bet they will start looking better in no time! The fact that they look dirty means that their care was not optimal. Look them over for lice or mites, and keep an eye out for worms.