Oh, DEAR.

[chickencrazymamahen]

When I have to wash a chick I just use a butter bowl of warm water and gently massage with my hands, never have used any type of soap, most things come off with warm water, baby bottle warm.....then give them a gentle toweling and a blow dry...just don't get too close and rub a little while you are drying to "fluff" them up. No expert, just what I have done with ones that the yolk sak had broken in the incubator or pasty butts. Good luck...so glad they found someone to take care of them!!!

 

[MaggieRae]

Goodness, what a state they're in!

for picking them up! I'm sure once they're cleaned up and healthy, you'll find tons of homes for them in no time.

 

[mlove]

Poor babies. It's wonderful that you and your family saved them.

 

[Tallgirl17]

So great that you have a kind heart! I think you just earned some good chicken karma!

 

[MamaDoula]

I'm hoping we saved them...one died upon arrival this evening...throwing up...they have air in their gullets.

We got most of them washed and dried between the two of us, and they look more like chickens now, and I can see that some of them have dark feathers. They're acting cold, but they're dry and under the lamp now, so hopefully they'll get comfortable soon...

We used our only heating lamp for them, so our "big girls" are spending their first night lamp-less. They really could have done so already, but I'm a doter and have turned it on for the past few weeks anyway. They're getting so big (our original birds) that they're getting rebellious and don't want to be herded out from under the bunny cage and my bushes when it's time to go to bed. Stinkers.

Our one for sure roo is always the instigator...if he goes in for the night, everyone else follows. Anyway. I'll post pics in a bit of the fluffed-out chicks.

 

[Yardbirds286]

I just don't understand how someone could do that to living creatures.

You did a very good thing helping those poor little ones.

Post some "after bath " pics when you can.

 

[Miss Red]

I got my dearest Piggy and Earl-RIP- from a similar situation. I do hope these guys get well soon!

 

[redhen]

Poor things!

Whats air in their gullets mean?? Can it kill them?

 

[sune42]

Those poor peepers! I echo everyone else, thank goodness a caring person took them in.

 

[MamaDoula]

I'm embarrassed to say that I have no clue what air in their gullets could mean...it just looks really bizarre.

Here they are, after an hour and a half of washing and drying, one by one...dh and I had quite the assembly thing going. Their heads still aren't fluffy, because I didn't want to damage their ears or anything by too much rubbing. You should have seen the water (which we changed, like, eight or nine times

Now, it's up to mother nature, I guess...we've done what we could!