The best way to clean/bathe chickens

[pathakipathak11]

I have some white silkies and I want to start showing them. I need to clean them in order for them to be applicable to enter. Does anyone have any recommendations on products that I can use on my Silkies without harming them. As well as the best ways to bathe them.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Since yours are white, you'll probably want to pick up some bluing shampoo (typically found in the dog section of most retail stores). Whites tend to stain, the bluing shampoo will help with that. Be careful though, if you use too much, you'll turn them purple! As for general bathing, lots of folks use different techniques. The most common seems to be a gentle baby or dog shampoo, then a rinse in diluted vinegar water (to cut the soap, if you choose to use the bluing shampoo, use it first) and then another rinse in clean water. Bathe them a few days to a week before you plan to show, so they can preen their feathers out again. They tend to look a little flat after being washed, and it strips the oils from their feathers.

Good luck!

 

[pathakipathak11]

Great thanks, are there any specific brands of bluing shampoo that's better for chickens. Is there anything that you want to look for in the baby/dog shampoo?

 

[pathakipathak11]

What is better baby shampoo, or dog shampoo (gentle)?

 

[mamatink7]

How do we clean and prevent matting of tail feathers? We have little older pullets and their extra fluffy, which is getting matted and these girls are newer to us so not used to us washing or messing with them much. Ugggh
Buff Orpington is awful right now.