Poof washing!

[Alycia]

My shows are a little while away yet but I have a little problem. I had a Mottled Houdan hen, the only one in my flock of fancy chickens with a crest and the only Mottled Houdan I have, and instead of having a nice, full poofy crest, she has gotten is all gross and it looks all spikey and dirty! I brought her in and gave her a bath because she was filthy all over. I tried very delicately to wash her little head but even when she was completely dried, it was still gross and the white looks a little brownish still and it's not looking like feathers but like spikes. How do you recommend I clean her crest without irritating her head and her eyes? Is there a certain thing I can use besides just regular old soap to clean it with? What do you recommend?

Thanks!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Dog/cat flea & tick shampoo with an insect growth regulator. Look for northern fowl mites to have made a nest/home in her crest. Gently remove it, and any scabbing.