Motor oil on feathers?!

[OneCrazyChickenLady]

UGH! My hubby had a motor oil drain pan in the garage with a little bit of oil still left in it on the hood of the car. He accidentally left the back door to the garage open and the chickens got in there (they know that is where their food is! lol), and when he tried to get them out.....wouldn't you know it. One flew right up onto the hood of the car, landing smack dab in the middle of the oil pan.

Poor thing! She has oil on the tips of her wing feathers, and all on her belly. I washed her really well with some dish soap, but of course you can still see where the oil is/was because she is a beautiful Buff Orpington. So I have a few questions:

1. Is there anything else I can do to get all of the oil residue off?

2. Will the oil harm her?

3. Does anyone want a slightly used husband??

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

~Charlene

 

[wolftracks]

Dawn dishwashing detergent.

They use it after oil spills to clean the birds they rescue.

 

[Dar]

Quote:
X2

 

[edselpdx]

I would be most concerned that the birds would try to preen it off of themselves and ingest quite a bit in the process. I agree with a bath with Dawn or the like...

 

[epeloquin]

Quote:
X3

This is correct. They used it in Valdez, on the gulf coast etc. I would get her into a basin and keep lathering/rinsing until the oil is gone. I wouldn't worry about it harming her at all.

 

[OneCrazyChickenLady]

Thanks for your help! That is what I used on her earlier and she seems to be doing fine, though she didn't like her bath too much. I was worried that she would ingest some residue if I hadn't gotten it completely off. It felt like I did, but some of her feathers are still darker so maybe they are a bit stained?

 

[BeccaSmith]

Sorry to bring an old thread alive, but a neighbors rooster visiting my hens has motor oil all over his face, comb, etc. I would like to try and clean him up if possible, I don't know how friendly he will be with my catching him and bringing him inside as he isn't human friendly like my hens. Anyways, I would like to know how things turned out with your hen? Thanks!

 

[OneCrazyChickenLady]

Hi there! I washed her up with the dawn dish soap, and she is just fine. Very happy, healthy, and such a sweet girl!

You might need some help holding him down to wash him, if he is a feisty one! I just washed mine up outside, but it was summer and it gets very warm here in central CA. So I just let her air dry. You may want to keep him in a kennel or some sort of cage inside until he is dry, so he doesn't get cold. Good luck!

 

[BeccaSmith]

Yes if I must bath a chicken in the winter, it is done indoors and then I blow dry them....not sure if he will go for that or not...lol. Thank you for the update!

 

[BeccaSmith]

Hi there! I washed her up with the dawn dish soap, and she is just fine. Very happy, healthy, and such a sweet girl!

You might need some help holding him down to wash him, if he is a feisty one! I just washed mine up outside, but it was summer and it gets very warm here in central CA. So I just let her air dry. You may want to keep him in a kennel or some sort of cage inside until he is dry, so he doesn't get cold. Good luck!

Do you remember how much you used? Did you just put it on him directly or did you dilute it in a bottle of water first and then apply it? Trying to figure out how much to use if I need to make a solution/mixture.