How do you clean a chicken

[McGoo]

I've been reading all the wonderful heartwarming stories about all of you rescuing chickens and then cleaning them.

How do you do that? Do you put them in a little tub?
Should you use any soap? If so, what type?

Do you scrub down to their skin? Guess you have to be really gentle? Do they accept it easily? Mine chooks don't really like being handled, much less bathed.

And use a blow dryer

I guess it's just on regular air, not warm?

And how long does it take for them to dry? I wouldn't want to put a wet hen outside in the cold.

thanks

 

[hooligan]

I did a littl research on this earlier as I have to give some of the chickens I just got baths.
A gentle soap like baby shampoo or Dawn dish soap is supposed to be good. I would assume you scrub the feathers all the way down to the skin since its probably dirty too.
I have heard of ppl drying them with a blow dryer or sitting them near a space heater to dry off. If they are put outside while stil wet they can easily catch a URI.
I plan on bathing mine in the kitchen sink

 

[fallenweeble]

well, when i got my silkies they were a little muddy and has a few mites so i decided we'd start with a bath.
i took the whole group into the bathroom and i ran the water until it was warm but not too hot. one at a time i would put them into the tub, gently wet them with the shower head, rub some baby shampoo into their feathers and then gently rinse them. then i towel dried the bird AND THEN worked on them with a blowdryer and started with the next bird. the thing that took the longest was the blowdrying.
it went pretty well overall.
good luck!

 

[Malbri]

I think the best way to do it is with 3 tubs. One with soapy water, id personally recommend ivory, I havent used it on chickens but I have cleaned a horse sheath with it so I know its gentle. Rub the soap in gently, until clean. Put the chicken in the second tub, just plain water, and rub as much out iwth your fingers as possible. Then put them in another rinsing tub, and make sure all soap is gone. Squeeze out what water you can, gently towel dry. On tight feathered birds, dont blow dry, but if they are loose feathered, you can blow dry a bit to speed it up. Keep them in a warm area, preferable with a space heater(make sure the chicken cant get too close!) and let them stay there a few days

 

[seminolewind]

I just throw them in the washer on gentle cycle, then hang them over the fireplace with clothespins

 

[Wildsky]

You could throw them in the dryer as well - just use the cool cycle....!

 

[seminolewind]

I can't do dryer jokes-I knew someone who had a new kitten.......

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:

 

[hooligan]

SO I bathed Bob Marley and Himmler last night and besides them trying to jump out of the sink all went well.
I used Equate brand (thats walmart generic, folks) baby shampoo and since I couldn't find any other conditioner I used Fructis creme rinse since they have been in such poor conditions and I knew their skin would get dried out.
I set them up in the livign room with the space heater and they are sooooo white now and smell pretty good too.
They seem a bit happier too.