How do you get that brighter, whiter silkie

chickenGRAFFITI

Songster
12 Years
Dec 18, 2009
124
1
186
Florida
I have a flock of 5 SQ silkies (actually my Roo is a showgirl) and they have access to a 5,000 sq ft courtyard every day. Subsequently they end up getting dirty and I wash them every 3 weeks. The white ones get stains (especially on their feet feathers).

I would like to know if there is anything that can be done to safely get them whiter.

Currently I perform the following regimen when they get coiffed.

Using a laundry sink with sprayer I:
1. I wet the bird with a sprayer and I lather with Adams Flea and Tick shampoo
2. Fill the sink deep enough to cover the back with lukewarm water and Adams Flea and Tick Shampoo
3. After thoroughly washing the body I drain and refill the sink with clean lukewarm water
4. After rinsing I drain and lather the bird with Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, this time including the neck and top knot.
5. I use spray and wash on the feet of the white ones.
6. Fill the sink deep enough to cover the back with lukewarm water and Johnson’s Baby Shampoo
7. After thoroughly washing the body I drain and refill the sink with clean lukewarm water
8. After rinsing I drain and lather the bird with Blue Ribbon Show Chicken Shampoo, this time excluding the neck and top knot.
9. Fill the sink deep enough to cover the back with lukewarm water and Blue Ribbon Show Chicken Shampoo
10. After thoroughly washing the body I drain and refill the sink with clean lukewarm water. I add a light amount of baby oil and Kerastase deep conditioner to the final rinse.
11. I then wrap the bird in a pre warmed towel
12. I blow the bird dry using low speed and heat. I use a Kerastase spray shine/oil product while blow drying.

The detailing:
1. I trim and file their nails (their beaks never seem to need it). I use the Peticure machine for small animals and it works well.
2. I trim with brow scissors around their eyes so that they can see.
3. I use Blue Ribbon RX on their toes, beak, under wings, and vent. On the showgirl, he gets baby oil on his wattles and neck.
4. Finally I do a light spray of Poultry Protector or Frontline (once a year) and put the bird to bed under a warming light.

I don’t know what else I might be able to do as I want to ever use anything caustic on their skin but I was wondering if there might be some secret to getting their stains out that everyone else might know.

Also if there are any general tips it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Best,
RNM
 
Last edited:
Keep them out of direct sunlight. Stay away from corn based feeds. Both of those are well known for causing brassiness or yellowing in whites and splash. If you are conditioning a bird for the show ring, you might want to keep it on deep shavings to prevent stains and broken foot feathers. All the whitening shampoos in the world help to some degree but they won't completely salvage badly stained feathers. There is a horse shampoo called Quic Silver, another called White N Brite, laundry blueing, etc. They all might help but you have to be super careful or you end up with a blue/lavendar tinted bird. Tide with bleach alternative works ok. If you plan on seriously showing, pluck those broken and stained feathers about 6 weeks before your show so they have a chance to grow back. Breeding good birds is only half the battle, conditioning them is just as important.
 
I don't know if I would use OxyClean... I don't really think it was meant to be used on skin surfaces. The same for Tide with bleach. Yes you launder your clothes in it, but would you want to bathe in it?
 
I wash my birds, dogs and sometimes myself with Ajax Ruby Red Grapefruit dish detergent with bleach alternative. The longer you soak (I wouldn't go over ten minutes) the better it works.
 

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