What to do with Dirty Silkie

[featherbaby]

I have a white silkie hen whose feathers directly below her vent are stained coffee brown. I have washed her with various shampoos but nothing has worked. Has anybody got a way to get these white again or should I just cut them off short and wait for a molt? She looks terrible, like she has pooped on herself. Is this from egglaying? Any suggestions?

 

[paddock36]

There is whitening shampoo for white animals that you could use.

 

[bantyshanty]

I've got a silkie who get's the same brown stain. Her neck & chest, also. She rolls in mason sand. I guess it's the clay. I gave her a cool vinegar-water bath last week and rubbed the stains a lot. It lightened them to butter-yellow for a few days. They're turning gradually brown again...

 

[featherbaby]

Her name is Snowflake! HA! What a joke!!!! Why do they get stained so badly? The other colors don't seem to have this problem.
I have used a whitening shampoo, but it doesn't seem to do any good. Her neck and topknot are also stained from rolling in the shavings or food. Is there any bleaching agent that would be safe to try (assuming of course that it was completely rinsed out after use) ?

 

[Zoomom]

I've got the same problem with my white Silkie since I switched to sand instead of shavings. Her face, head and feet look dirty.

I don't know if a bath will help if I'm just putting her back in the same area though.

 

[featherbaby]

Does anybody have some suggestions to get these stained feathers white again???????????

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Its amazing what a search turns up...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=99105


ETA: dont get the spray n wash in the vent. Spray some on your fingers and rub the vent feathers gently, then rinse.

 

[featherbaby]

Thanks for the information, I will try it.