To wash, or not to wash?

[oellian]

I just bought half a dozen hens from a dirty farm. I felt bad for the poor birds, and almost consider them to be rescues. The ground in the coops appeared to be made of a poop-mud hardpan. Not surprisingly, they have some crusty muddy undersides, and bits of dried mud in their plumage.

Now that I have them at my place, would it be reasonable to wash the poor things, or should I just let their new healthy environment take its course?

If the answer is that I should wash them, what is the appropriate method?

 

[fawndane]

You may want to wash them and check for lice and mites.

I’ve never washed a bird, however, so I can’t tell you an appropriate method lol.

Someone, hopefully knowledgeable on that kind of stuff, can help you..

 

[Parront]

Warm not hot water with a little Dawn dish soap. In a small tub on a counter where you can control the bird. Wrap a towel around the wings so you do not get flapped, and stand them in the mildy soapy water. Some use Epsom Salts if there is a wound to clean. You can dry the bird with a blow dryer on a low, warm setting if it is too cold out to let them run. Keep them separate from your other birds and observe them for 4-6 weeks.