Pullet Baths?

[aaoddancer14]

I picked up two new silkies this morning, both pullets. Normally I get chicks very young and they stay clean, so ive never had to deal with a dirty pullet before. When I got them they have poopy feathers and smell. Im guessing theyre like 3 and a half months old. Should i give them a bath and if so should i do anything differently than i do when bathing a full grown chicken?

 

[Choco Maran]

Make sure you use bubble bath LOL Chickens are dirty animals they live outdoor. do you give them a bath weekly? They dust bath to clean their feather bathing to much is not good for them. It will remove all the natural protection off the feather. Bathing is fine for a show bird just before showing but simple Backyard chickens unless health reason call for it I would not bath a chicken

 

[azygous]

In all my nine years of keeping chickens, I think I've only given a chicken a full head to foot bath maybe twice, and that was because they had been in the wrong place when another chicken decided to poop, and they received a direct hit.

Usually, I just spot clean the poopy rear ends by backing them up to a tub of warm water and a dab of children's liquid bubble bath. That way the majority of the chicken's feathers don't get wet and the oils depleted.

But it sounds like your Silkies were subjected to crowded, dirty conditions. It's perfectly okay to give these dirty birds a bath to get rid of all the filth, especially if a lot of it is poop. Dirt bathing removes some, but very soiled, encrusted feathers need soap and water.

But avoid harsh detergent and hot water. The bubble bath liquid I use is very gentle and I just use a very tiny bit. Chickens surprisingly don't really mind getting washed. Make sure you rinse, and towel dry by just wrapping the bird in a towel and squeezing out the excess water into the towel, then blow dry. They really love that part.

 

[aaoddancer14]

Thank you!