Silkie thread!

[ChickensXOXO]

I washed my favorite silkie today, Cali (in my avatar).

First time EVER washing a chicken of any kind...

 

[cherprit]

Quote:
Please, please, share.........

I have to do it for the first time, and my chicken mentor had to go to a funeral so can't help me........

I'm so nervous - everything I read is different - what kind of shampoo - blow dry or not?

 

[cherprit]

Can someone direct me to a post about washing silkies?

What shampoo do you use?
Blow dry or air dry?


getting show nerves for next weekend..........

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
I just use a flea shampoo if I have one or just regular people shampoo. I'll do a final rinse with water that has liquid glycerine added in it. Then I wrap them up in a towel to soak all the water off, and then i'll put them under heat lamps. They'll get just as fluffy if they are blow dried, at least that's what I found out.

 

[peepblessed]

Quote:
Please, please, share.........

I have to do it for the first time, and my chicken mentor had to go to a funeral so can't help me........

I'm so nervous - everything I read is different - what kind of shampoo - blow dry or not?

I saved this from KFchickenlady. Hope she won't mind my sharing....

I thought it was very nicely put!

Bathing method - KFchickenlady - I use flea and tick shampoo, might as well get
the bugs off if any while Im at it...I wash mine in a tub of warm water, then
use a sprayer to rinse. I tip their heads up to get at the crests without
getting soap and water in their eyes and nostrils.
I have a tub lined with old towels waiting, and as I finish washing one, it
goes into this tub to drip. Once they are all washed ( I rarely do more than
4 or 5 at a time) I start with the first one and try and get most of the water
off with another old towel, then they get put on an old towel on the floor for
blow drying. They look great with this method of drying, but its really time
consuming IMO. Ive been told to use heat lamps, and I will try this next time.
If its a hot day, the easiest is to put them outside on the lawn in a portable
dog pen and let them dry by themselves. Its also a good time to trim the nails,
since they are a little softer.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Quote:
Please, please, share.........

I have to do it for the first time, and my chicken mentor had to go to a funeral so can't help me........

I'm so nervous - everything I read is different - what kind of shampoo - blow dry or not?

I saved this from KFchickenlady. Hope she won't mind my sharing....

I thought it was very nicely put!

Bathing method - KFchickenlady - I use flea and tick shampoo, might as well get
the bugs off if any while Im at it...I wash mine in a tub of warm water, then
use a sprayer to rinse. I tip their heads up to get at the crests without
getting soap and water in their eyes and nostrils.
I have a tub lined with old towels waiting, and as I finish washing one, it
goes into this tub to drip. Once they are all washed ( I rarely do more than
4 or 5 at a time) I start with the first one and try and get most of the water
off with another old towel, then they get put on an old towel on the floor for
blow drying. They look great with this method of drying, but its really time
consuming IMO. Ive been told to use heat lamps, and I will try this next time.
If its a hot day, the easiest is to put them outside on the lawn in a portable
dog pen and let them dry by themselves. Its also a good time to trim the nails,
since they are a little softer.

Agreed, I had to wash 12+ over a couple days this past week because of a mite infestation *sigh* BUT I washed them in the sink one at a time, I had half way full of water then use sprayer to get the rest good and soaked. lathered up with some baby or cat/dog shampoo - then drained water and rinsed thoroughly all over. hand wash with a bit of shampoo on fingers to get the crest and beard, tip the head back and rinse out taking care not to get much if anything in the eyes or nose area.

Then I wrapped in a towel, put in a laundry basket with a towel on the bottom, went and got the next couple chickens, washed them. Then I hand dab the wet chickens, get as much access water as I can out. I then just leave them where its good and warm (heat lamp, by heating duct in a warm room, near the fireplace if you have one going, etc) in summer you can just stick them outside and let them completely air dry on grass. but winter is trickier. When they are most of the way dry I fluff with my fingers to get all the still sticked together feathers from the body nd blow dry on low setting, have them in the laundry basket on the floor or on the counter if easier and slowly finish drying them, it will get them all fluffed up, but just air drying tends to be just as good. even if blow drying your still going to want to leave them indoors for a couple more hours to make sure all the moisture has dried, they can still catch a chill in cool/cold weather with damp underfluff.

 

[peepblessed]

Quote:
I saved this from KFchickenlady. Hope she won't mind my sharing....

I thought it was very nicely put!

Bathing method - KFchickenlady - I use flea and tick shampoo, might as well get
the bugs off if any while Im at it...I wash mine in a tub of warm water, then
use a sprayer to rinse. I tip their heads up to get at the crests without
getting soap and water in their eyes and nostrils.
I have a tub lined with old towels waiting, and as I finish washing one, it
goes into this tub to drip. Once they are all washed ( I rarely do more than
4 or 5 at a time) I start with the first one and try and get most of the water
off with another old towel, then they get put on an old towel on the floor for
blow drying. They look great with this method of drying, but its really time
consuming IMO. Ive been told to use heat lamps, and I will try this next time.
If its a hot day, the easiest is to put them outside on the lawn in a portable
dog pen and let them dry by themselves. Its also a good time to trim the nails,
since they are a little softer.

Agreed, I had to wash 12+ over a couple days this past week because of a mite infestation *sigh* BUT I washed them in the sink one at a time, I had half way full of water then use sprayer to get the rest good and soaked. lathered up with some baby or cat/dog shampoo - then drained water and rinsed thoroughly all over. hand wash with a bit of shampoo on fingers to get the crest and beard, tip the head back and rinse out taking care not to get much if anything in the eyes or nose area.

Then I wrapped in a towel, put in a laundry basket with a towel on the bottom, went and got the next couple chickens, washed them. Then I hand dab the wet chickens, get as much access water as I can out. I then just leave them where its good and warm (heat lamp, by heating duct in a warm room, near the fireplace if you have one going, etc) in summer you can just stick them outside and let them completely air dry on grass. but winter is trickier. When they are most of the way dry I fluff with my fingers to get all the still sticked together feathers from the body nd blow dry on low setting, have them in the laundry basket on the floor or on the counter if easier and slowly finish drying them, it will get them all fluffed up, but just air drying tends to be just as good. even if blow drying your still going to want to leave them indoors for a couple more hours to make sure all the moisture has dried, they can still catch a chill in cool/cold weather with damp underfluff.

 

[cherprit]

Thank you all so much!!!!

 

[cherprit]

Quote:
I just use a flea shampoo if I have one or just regular people shampoo. I'll do a final rinse with water that has liquid glycerine added in it. Then I wrap them up in a towel to soak all the water off, and then i'll put them under heat lamps. They'll get just as fluffy if they are blow dried, at least that's what I found out.

So do you wash them the day before? And keep them under the heat lamp? Or a few days before?

 

[ChickensXOXO]

Quote:
Please, please, share.........

I have to do it for the first time, and my chicken mentor had to go to a funeral so can't help me........

I'm so nervous - everything I read is different - what kind of shampoo - blow dry or not?

I have this link saved: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=99105