How do you bathe chickens?

[EEforMe]

Hi! I’m simply wondering for the future how you bathe a chicken as it sounds to me like a process involving getting scratched, hit in the face by wings, soaked, and not to mention a very unhappy chicken. I’m fine with getting wet, scratched, etc. if that’s just the way it goes but if there’s a way to do it that will avoid this it would be good to know!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I get two totes filled half way with warm (not hot, but not cold at all either), one with dawn soap and one not. You hold the bird with two hands, ducking the body in the soapy water (but not letting them drink or breath it, or get it in their eyes) before ducking in the plain water until all the soap is out. Then you let the bird loose to air dry.

Obviously you want to do this on hot days so they don't get chilled

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Doesn't anybody bathe chickens for shows? I'd like to hear how that's done. @CapricornFarm you bathe chickens, care to share your techniques?

 

[LateBirdFarms]

It's much easier with a second person, someone to hold down the wings and someone to wash. When doing it myself I use a tea towel to keep them somewhat wrapped while I work. Most of the birds I've had to bathe have been surprisingly accommodating.

 

[InterestingChickens]

For bathing I use a large bucket about half way full. I haven't had any problems as I have only needed to bathe one chicken, a leghorn cross. She is very gentle and patient, but of course this may not be the case for you. Their is no need to bathe a chicken unless it the chicken is overly dirty and not able to preen the dirt out themselves, having been a while.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Doesn't anybody bathe chickens for shows? I'd like to hear how that's done. @CapricornFarm you bathe chickens, care to share your techniques?

I have a plastic bin that's meant for washing dishes. I use it for washing my chickens. I do the bathing outside. I fill gallon jugs with warm water. I put a gallon of water in the pan, then put the chicken in slowly. Pouring dilute dishwashing liquid on once the chicken is wet, i let them sit for about 10 minutes after i lather it up on the bird. I lift the chicken up out of the water. Then pour clear water on the chicken until all the soap is out. Wrapping the chicken in a towel , i dry it off. Then i put the chicken in a cage and point a small personal heater at it until it is completely dry. Palmolive is my liquid of choice as it will kill bugs, but i may use blue dawn if the bird has foreign substances in its feathers.

 

[Banana01]

Most of my chickens that need bathed are due to coryza and mucous build up on the face and feathers on their back. I only use a wet cloth and wipe their face and beaks to clean away the dried mucous. The i use the wet cloth on their back to clean the feathers. I do not evsr need to submerge a chicken in water.

Another case for bathing are epsom salt bathes i have only read about on this forum. When a hen is egg bound, a warm soak helps supposedly although i have never had an egg bound problem.

Other than that, i don't think chickens want to be submerged. They take dust baths, and are very good at cleaning their feathers with their beaks. Only when they are sick and encrusted with mucous do they need help bathing. I evwn have a mite problem, and still do not bathe them underwater.

 

[EEforMe]

Thanks for the responses everyone! They are all super helpful!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Are you saying, just basically a dip bath or do you actually scrub them down with soap?

Kinda both. I move feathers away from the skin so water can get therr, but when I bathe, it's because the birds have bugs, and I need to drown those things. Not literally scrubbing, just moving feathers around

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Thank you for specifying. I've got red roost mites that have been stubborn. Had to switch up the pest spray I was using for something stronger but I was considering a bath as well.

I don't know if a bath will help with those since they don't live on the birds. My bugs live on the birds (I guess that makes them lice?)