how do you bathe a chicken?

[newchik715]

seems an obvious answer but i was wondering if there was anything you all had learned from your own experiences that i might find useful. i need to just wash my sick birds toosh and plan to leave the rest of her as dry as possible. any advice?

 

[eenie114]

Stick her backside in the warm water and rub off whatever it is you need off. I've heard if you need soap, Dawn is a good brand.

 

[Illia]

As for washing tooshies, I've done it several times, and honestly - I just hold them near the water, scrub gently around there, you know, do what needs to be done, then dry her/him off. I always hold the chicken so that there's no struggle, and I usually do it at a sink.

As for a whole bird, that can be a number of other methods. Today was my first day of washing a whole chicken, and sadly it wasn't because I was going to show him.

 

[Mahonri]

In a sink, with soap and warm water and then I blow dry with the air on COLD or slightly warm setting. no need to burn the tooshie.

 

[geebs]

I use a baby bath tub... and put it on the ground with hot water close by... I try not to stress them too much... wash rinse reapeat and conditioner and rinse... toothbrush to the legs and combs and baby oil or vaseline after to keep them from drying out.. I do blowdry being careful not to burn them.

 

[mkearsley]

I found out it was less stress (for both of us

to put my bird in a large cooler (lid was taken off) & turn the shower on warm water & shower her, carefully rubbing & removing stuff with my fingers, rather than bathe her. To keep the rest of her mostly dry, I put the lid over her head & the rest of her body so just her butt was getting wet. She got mauled on her butt & every time I tried to push her back end into the water to give her a bath, she'd fight me. I tried setting her in warm water & slowly raising it, but she'd raise her butt, too.