washing smelly baby chicks?

[sarahloveschickens]

I just recently cleaned out my coop because it smelled so bad! But when I put all the chicks back in it still smelled.. I relized it was the chicks that were smelling. So, I've been washing them with a light baby shampoo and warm water.. They smell so much better now, but since i have 25 of them I only wash 5 a day. When I'm done washing them I either blow dry them or stick them next to our cozy fire. They seem to like sitting by the fire. Is this ok to be doing to them?

 

[snowydiamonds]

Much healthier to keep the coop cleaner, throw down clean straw or long shredded paper once a week, toss out half of the dirty stuff first.

 

[Akane]

How old? Fully feathered adults could probably handle baths ok if kept warm. Younger animals as a general rule should not be washed aside from a warm damp towel to spot clean. They chill easy and it's stressful. Either way I'd try to avoid it in the future. Baths aren't really the healthiest thing for chickens and if you keep their home clean they shouldn't need it. There are also other potential health issues from letting the place get too dirty.

 

[sarahloveschickens]

Quote:
They are 12 weeks old