Is there a way to wash a chicken?

[fleenorfarmmom]

I know that sounds weird but my poor nutty little broody smells horrid. She is setting on eggs that are probably duds but the pregnant daughter is the candler in the bunch and I haven't got her here to look at them. Poor Zsazsa smells like rotten eggs. She broke a couple and WHEW! I need to take them from her but I don't want to until they are candled. Zsazsa needs some deodorant body wash. The clean shavings didn't do the trick.

 

[bigmike&nan]

Buzzard Chick who we got a Cochin from was telling us how she bathes and blow dries them, she uses a dishwashing detergent like Palmolive, she's really got a lot of experience and her birds are gorgeous...

 

[Break an Egg]

Use something like Ivory or baby shampoo. I bathed my silkies the other day with baby shampoo.

 

[Theda's Mom]

I bathed my cochin the other day. Apparently there was a bit of battle over nest boxes, an egg got squashed, and then of course, the girl with the fluffiest and whitest feathers just HAD to sit in the goo.

Fortunately, she's an amazingly patient little bird, and didn't mind being hauled to the house for a quick bath.

I wasn't sure about using soap, so I didn't. Next time I'll use the Ivory.

 

[Nichole77]

Just give them a bath. Use dish soap or baby soap. I don't blow dry mine but it's 100 degrees here. They dry quickly'

 

[SproutGirl]

Aw, poor little chickie. Have you folks ever watched The Natural History of the Chicken on PBS? You can rent it on Netflix, too. It's wonderful! Anyway, there is a slightly cuckoo lady on the film who not only bathes and blow dries her silkie roo daily, she also takes him in the swimming pool in a tiny raft and swims around with him. The film is very funny, touching, and informative, and I highly recommend seeing it if you haven't already. Good luck with that dirty birdy, Fleenorfarmmom!

Movie Link: http://www.shoppbs.org/sm-pbs-the-natural-history-of-the-chicken-dvd--pi-1428832.html

 

[BJ]

We use 3 basins. One for soaping, the next is the first rinse, and then the final rinse. We only do it on a very warm day in the summer. After the final rinse, we wrap the bird in a towel for a few minutes before releasing. You don't want them to get chilled. You can also use an old toothbrush to scrub the legs and feet. Be careful not to get the head underwater...they could swallow too much water or drown (at least that is what I have been told by the 4H leaders).

 

[vicki2x2]

All birds must be washed before coming to our 4-H fair, so yes, we do it every year, the day before fair. Just rinse well and dry well so they don't get chilled. We don't blow dry, but since we do it in July, it is usually pretty warm. We use Dawn dishsoap.

 

[fleenorfarmmom]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Zsazsa will be a much better smelling bird by the end of the day.
She and the other hen fought over the eggs so much they pulled each others feathers and she looks pretty scraggly, and being a frizzle to start with she was sort of wild looking. But she will smell better. Thanks

 

[inudat12]

Our local 4H actually teaches the kids how to bath the chickens before showing them at the fair. So on show day you see all the kids and parents, shampoo and blow drying their chickens.