Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

[Carolyn252]

Hey guys, I have decided tomorrow is Breslin Farm Bath Day, since I think I need to clip the puppy's coat a little and the chickens are looking a bit grungy. I've never actually bathed a chicken before.... any advice? Where should I do it, inside or outside? I'm not bathing them for any particular reason like mites, just that I've never done it and it seems like the weather will be nice tomorrow and a good day to try some cleaning.

I've done it several times. It was easy peasy. I did it outside on days that were very warm and windless. Used different "tubs" : plastic dishpans of a variety of shapes and sizes. Water nice and warm, they settled right down into it. I kept the water just deep enough so they still had their head and most of their neck out of the water after they folded up their legs completely and were lying/sitting down.

I kept my hand on their neck the whole time. I used Dawn dishwashing liquid in the water. After soaking for about ten minutes, with me talking to them the whole time, and gently massaging the soapy water into their feathers and skin, and pulling gently on any matted butt feathers, I lifted them out and switched them to a second tub filled with plain water for rinsing.

For birds that needed it, I rinsed again in a third tub.

Used a cup to scoop up water and pour it over them. Slow and easy movement of my hands to begin with, but after a few minutes, could work fast as long as I stayed firm and deliberate and didn't flinch when they moved.

Lots of dry towels to wrap them and dry them with. Used a hair dryer on warm not hot, on gentle not high, and kept the dryer moving constantly.

I kept the towel around the top half of their body, and used the hair dryer on the bottom half; then switched when the top was dry.

Best tip I can give you is work on a table that is the right height for you so you don't get a backache from being stooped over. Also, if you keep a container of boiling hot water nearby, , you can add some of it to tub water that's getting too cool. Just lift the bird out for a few seconds when you add the hot water. If you can, wear something waterproof so you can cradle the wet bird against you if need be. I cut a hole in a big trash bag and put it on over my head like a poncho. You can add the hot water to the rinse tub when you're finally ready for rinsing. I wore rubber gloves the first few times, then didn't for the next few baths.

For washing the bird's head, I used my fingers and a tiny scrap of terry cloth toweling. When all done, I let the birds down into a small temporary pen that I set up in the sunshine on a clean grassy lawn. Sun to dry them; grass to keep them clean and not able to make mud and get dirty again.

Good luck!
-Carolyn252

 

[Carolyn252]

Actually, I had an appointment in Hampton Bays, so I went to the Agway in Riverhead. Lately, they have chicks all the time there. I go every couple of weeks. If you need anything, let me know. I can pick it up and bring it to you in Freeport. In fact, I'm heading out east again on the 30th. And I'm frequently in Baldwin visiting my mom. More so after school is out...

Well, thanks! Can't think of anything just now. Though I'm thinking of getting a leg band for one of my new buff Orpington pullets, cause I'm having a hard time telling them apart.I know the smaller one is "Shirley" and the other is "Laverne", but they're catching up in size and it's getting difficult.

It's either a leg band or a spot of food coloring on one's head. LOL

 

[Carolyn252]

Actually, I had an appointment in Hampton Bays, so I went to the Agway in Riverhead. Lately, they have chicks all the time there. I go every couple of weeks. If you need anything, let me know. I can pick it up and bring it to you in Freeport. In fact, I'm heading out east again on the 30th. And I'm frequently in Baldwin visiting my mom. More so after school is out...

Anytime you plan on coming to Baldwin, and have the time, drop me an email and let me know. I'll put the coffee on and we can talk chicken. Maybe you can look at Laverne and Shirley and tell me if they look like girls or boys. They're about 14 weeks old today and I'm praying pullets.
-Carolyn

 

[magsrags]

I am still in denial about Chipmunk. SHE hasn't made one single crow and she should be by now, I think, if she were a he. She also doesn't have any spurs on her legs. I'll believe it when I hear it.

Sorry you have to say goodbye to your guys - maybe you can visit them in the future?

She just might be a she. Lets keep our fingers crossed.:<)

OK......bathing chickens is easier in a sink inside if ya ask me. Mine actually fell asleep in my hands so be forwarned..... they like the warm water generally and can kinda go into a stupor. I thought once my polish died in my hands cause she just went totally limp and relaxed.

Shook me up!!

 

[JerseyHen]

I am still in denial about Chipmunk. SHE hasn't made one single crow and she should be by now, I think, if she were a he. She also doesn't have any spurs on her legs. I'll believe it when I hear it.

Sorry you have to say goodbye to your guys - maybe you can visit them in the future?

My roosters didn't start to crow until they were almost 15 weeks old or more. I have 6, 10 week olds and I am sure several of them are roosters and none are even attempting crows yet. My roosters didn't really get going with spurs until they were much, much older (one is over a year and they are really just getting going). I will keep my fingers crossed for you. I do have 2 hens that crow though, so even if you hear a crow... Look for saddle and hackle feathers, those should be showing soon (if not already) on little chip if he is really a he.

 

[magsrags]

My roosters didn't start to crow until they were almost 15 weeks old or more. I have 6, 10 week olds and I am sure several of them are roosters and none are even attempting crows yet. My roosters didn't really get going with spurs until they were much, much older (one is over a year and they are really just getting going). I will keep my fingers crossed for you. I do have 2 hens that crow though, so even if you hear a crow... Look for saddle and hackle feathers, those should be showing soon (if not already) on little chip if he is really a he.

I've had silkies 5-6 months old not crowing yet thinking YEA.....a pullet! NOT.

Then a 6 week old bantam cochin who simply crowed his little head off any time of the day just to hear himself talk.

He was adorble.

 

[JerseyHen]

So, I came inside to grab a glass of water and ask the DH a quick question, maybe 2 or 3 minutes, while my DD is outside playing happily in the sprinkler, when she busts into the house screaming "bear at the coop, bear at the coop!". So, do I Call the animal control? Grab a gun? Nooooo, I run out into the yard screaming at the bear, who was sitting right behind the run on his haunches looking at the chickens and sniffing. One of the chickens, who were out freeranging at the time, was only a few feet from him, but he didn't seem interested in them. I think he could smell the grain though. So, do I go back in? Call animal control? Grab a gun? Noooo, not me, I begin screaming again and chucking rocks (while watching the remainder of the woodland for another, perhaps larger bear, maybe like a sow). My DH comes running out and grabs a shovel and we are both there standing down the bear. What the hell is wrong with us? Anyway, the neighbors and their kids all come running. So there I am screaming at them to go the hell home, because they were creating a danger for us if we have to take our mind off this bear to keep them safe, and finally someone of my neighbors comes down with a pellet gun to sting the bear to get it out of there. I would really have rather been able to just sit on my deck and observe this creature, but that guy was not going to leave. It is unreal how unafraid they are of people.

We think this might be an orphan from this winters hunt since it is only about a 250 or 300 lb bear. It makes it really challenging because our yard (or the pocket of 4 houses that is our little settlement here) is surrounded by woods on all sides and we never know where they are going to pop out. It is really stressful because the kids are always outside playing and some of the places they play are cut off from a ready escape route. We actually have a "bear" drill, like you might have for "strangers"... that includes how to find a safe place based on where they are on the property.

Yeah, yeah, I know, they were here before we were, well, we have been on this property for 4 or 5 generations now and we never saw a bear before 5 years ago and then it was only a very rare occurance (that we would generall enjoy). Now I see bears on a daily basis and it just isn't safe for any of us (people, pets, livestock, or bears). I blame my neighbors for feeding the deer and leaving out the trash. I think it has baited them down off the mountain and they have made us part of the "route". I can tell you which of the 7 or so bears will be by on any given day. The bigger ones have a week route the smaller ones are about every 3 days. We do try to live in peace with our wild animal neighbors, I mean, it is why we live in the countryside, but this is a safety thing now. This week I have had 3 bear, one coyote, and 3 fox on the property. It has been like this for the past few years (well before the chickens), so while they might be adding an additional attraction, it is not the primary reason for these sightings. Before we had this property it was farmland for about 100 years and they had the whole thing cleared, which the dept of fish and game says has added to the problem since they are less likely to travel over a wide open field (so they stayed in the woods on the mountainside).

It is still better than a few years ago. We had 7 adults and 12 cubs running about the area immediately surrounding the property. There was one day when none of us could get out of our houses because an old male (estimated at about 800 lbs) decided to park himself in the middle of the yards (all of our houses surround a large several acre center yard) and sun himself for several hours before nosing around all the buildings for food for several more hours.

Well, back out to do the gardening. With the gun this time. I don't know, I garden to relax, somehow having to have a rifle next to me is not helping...

 

[magsrags]

I sure don't see any easy answers for you and the wildlife population surrounding you. That would really stress me out as well. Having lived in the Adirondacks and living or camping in remote areas you expect situations like yours and live accordingly.
But your predicament is changing and somethings gotta give.

We all can't keep LSGDs for warning and protection. And bears have no fear anymore cause of humans and us thinking they are so cute "let's feed them". NOT a good idea. They come back for more and don't take no for an answer.............Good luck.

 

[JerseyHen]

I sure don't see any easy answers for you and the wildlife population surrounding you. That would really stress me out as well. Having lived in the Adirondacks and living or camping in remote areas you expect situations like yours and live accordingly.
But your predicament is changing and somethings gotta give.

We all can't keep LSGDs for warning and protection. And bears have no fear anymore cause of humans and us thinking they are so cute "let's feed them". NOT a good idea. They come back for more and don't take no for an answer.............Good luck.

When we threw the rocks the bear would just look down at them. We think he thought we were throwing food. It makes me wonder if someone saw it as a cub and has been chucking food at it for a while and now he is a nearly grown bear with no fear of people. In fact, he probably seeks them out. I worry that it will eventually damage my coop/run and garden (fully fenced in) or the orchard we put in this year (lots of money into trees, 14 of them so far). or worse, hurt someone.

 

[itsy]

Saw that ya'll were posting about a bear....hope you get him out of your yard!!!!

A few nights ago we were on our way back from PA where I picked up a couple spinning wheels that I found on CL. It was a long drive.

When we got into NY, we were north of Port Jervis on Rt. 42, when we hit an adult bear. My car will be in the shop for a couple weeks, but we're ok.