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- #21
@ButtonquailGirl14
I started typing out my method and remembered I shared it not that long on another thread!
Here it is (slightly edited to make more sense) I hope it helps
Before you wash your birds, i'd say try shampoos and such on a small patch such as the legs/foot feathers since they tend to get the dirtiest. Like humans, animals can have allergies to certain ingredients. It's rare but always best to test it on a small part first. Also, just remember to keep all soapy products and water out of their eyes and nose/mouth.
Put the shampoo on an old toothbrush and brush its down into the feathers, following the way they flow.
For my white coloured birds I use a whitening shampoo but for the other colours I don't. The process is the same just without the whitening!
I wash all my Silkies in the bath one at a time with a shower hose. I don't have enough buckets do that other three bucket method
Firstly I get my Chicken. Put her in a bath that's has some whitening shampoo squirted in and is filled to around the top of her legs.
I use a jug to get the water over her, using non soapy water over her crest.
Once she's wet through. I put whitening shampoo on her back and on the toothbrush and brush it onto her, following the flow of the feathers. I do this on all the body except the head.
Then rise off, and repeat with baby shampoo! Do the same with the toothbrush, of course be gentle. Don't scrub the feathers. I clean the crest with the baby shampoo.
Then wash this all off again with the hose, empty the bath then too and make sure all soap is rinsed away.
Then I use green swarfega on my Silkies legs and leg feathers. It brings them up lovely and gives them a shiny rubbery look! I also pop this onto a toothbrush and brush it down the legs, toes, leg feathers and nails. Then I fully wash off and give another rise.
I then go over their face with a cotton bud removing any dirt around her beak etc. I also add a very tiny amount of petroleum jelly to combs/wattles and such before drying.
I then gently squeeze any excess water off and put her in a towel and then off it is for a blow dry. She loves that part the most and relaxes so much.
Once dry, I use a very soft baby brush and brush the feathers the way they should be. Then voila, you have one clean Silkie Chicken.
With silkies, is advise washing the day before the show. They aren't like other birds that require oils to get back onto their feathers.
Some additional advice is to make them fluff up more, blow dry them from back to front (tail to head) and once dry, I use a very soft baby brush to fluff up their tails.
What I use:
View attachment 1826634
View attachment 1826635
I started typing out my method and remembered I shared it not that long on another thread!
Here it is (slightly edited to make more sense) I hope it helps
Before you wash your birds, i'd say try shampoos and such on a small patch such as the legs/foot feathers since they tend to get the dirtiest. Like humans, animals can have allergies to certain ingredients. It's rare but always best to test it on a small part first. Also, just remember to keep all soapy products and water out of their eyes and nose/mouth.
Put the shampoo on an old toothbrush and brush its down into the feathers, following the way they flow.
For my white coloured birds I use a whitening shampoo but for the other colours I don't. The process is the same just without the whitening!
I wash all my Silkies in the bath one at a time with a shower hose. I don't have enough buckets do that other three bucket method
Firstly I get my Chicken. Put her in a bath that's has some whitening shampoo squirted in and is filled to around the top of her legs.
I use a jug to get the water over her, using non soapy water over her crest.
Once she's wet through. I put whitening shampoo on her back and on the toothbrush and brush it onto her, following the flow of the feathers. I do this on all the body except the head.
Then rise off, and repeat with baby shampoo! Do the same with the toothbrush, of course be gentle. Don't scrub the feathers. I clean the crest with the baby shampoo.
Then wash this all off again with the hose, empty the bath then too and make sure all soap is rinsed away.
Then I use green swarfega on my Silkies legs and leg feathers. It brings them up lovely and gives them a shiny rubbery look! I also pop this onto a toothbrush and brush it down the legs, toes, leg feathers and nails. Then I fully wash off and give another rise.
I then go over their face with a cotton bud removing any dirt around her beak etc. I also add a very tiny amount of petroleum jelly to combs/wattles and such before drying.
I then gently squeeze any excess water off and put her in a towel and then off it is for a blow dry. She loves that part the most and relaxes so much.
Once dry, I use a very soft baby brush and brush the feathers the way they should be. Then voila, you have one clean Silkie Chicken.
With silkies, is advise washing the day before the show. They aren't like other birds that require oils to get back onto their feathers.
Some additional advice is to make them fluff up more, blow dry them from back to front (tail to head) and once dry, I use a very soft baby brush to fluff up their tails.
What I use:
View attachment 1826634
View attachment 1826635
