[mickwood]

Well....it's been over a week now and the girls are settling in. When I picked them up, they looked a bit dirty and obviously were a bit shaken up at being moved. I didn't inspect them too much when I bought them so I decided today.....wash the chucks, give them a good look over!!

So...

baby shampoo, couple of buckets of luke warm water and et voila - clean chucks!!    But by 'eck they look funny when they were wet!!

Glad to report they look like there's no mite or lice etc. legs are a bit scaley but i don't think it's anything to worry about (I'll keep my eye on it!)

but I wondered, does ANYONE wash chickens? Or have I just crossed the line into obsessiveness!?  :roll:

[Aunt Sally]

I've only washed dirty bums but not whole chooks.

Don't let them get too wet (If you have rain) until they have re-oiled their feathers.

And If you wash them again WE WANT PICTURES  

[agapanthus]

Obsessive? Nah!!! :roll:  :roll:

[mickwood]

You know Auntie, I VERY NEARLY took pics!!  

Next time, I promise...if I do it again, Fraggle didn't like it that much  :?

[Jellyhead]

Very nearly, just not good enough, you must do better next time. No piccies :shock:  :shock:    

[mickwood]

I know....my bad  :oops:

<mick hangs head in shame and heads for the naughty step>

[Jellyhead]

        me been on naughty step tooo :roll: but for a lot worse      

[Vember]

I washed my Silkies when I got them.

They come from a very nasty man who sells chickens but don't seem to like em much  :cry:  (The type of place where you just want to buy everything cause you feel sooo sorry for them)

Anyway back to bath time, they absolutly loved it I think they might be half duck    They're living in my computer room an only go out when it's dry so they don't have to worry about the cold  

Now then Keeping them indoors, taking them to bed with me writing page upon page of stuff about what they get up to daily...


That's obsessive but hey I've got OCD so that's ok  :roll:

 

[mickwood]

LMAO!! Now then, I feel positively sane!  

How did ya wash them if they loved it so much? Mine didn't seem to like it? I just held mine in a bucket of luke warm water while my partner washed them. Fraggle, the Silkie, was OK in the water but don't think liked the hair dryer....yes...yes I did...i dried them with the dryer (didn't want them catching cold now!) Well, I dried Fraggle but Violet the Lav Pekin seemed to be drying OK in the sun so I left her to it?  

Did you do it any differently?  :?

[Vember]

They had a proper bath in the tub in the house, with the rubber duck floating next to them  :oops:
But did them 1 at a time think I'd have bin pushing my luck to get all 3 in !!

And yes I too used the hair dryer

 :oops:

Why am I admitting to this  :shock:

Sarah world is great though  

[Kate and her Ducks]

Wow, and I thought I was the only person who had blow dried one of their birds :oops: . Had to blow dry one of my ducks when she sank in the pond after moulting too many of her feathers at once  

[Roughlee Handled]

Wow, and I thought I was the only person who had blow dried one of their birds :oops: . Had to blow dry one of my ducks when she sank in the pond after moulting too many of her feathers at once  

TMG thought (mmm thank goodness no one had a cockerel.)

[compostqueen]

if you think they get mucky in this weather just wait til we get rain every day and they're up to the eyes in mud. You can't wash em when it's cold. Mind you once they dry off and have dust baths they look much better  
I only washed my one hens butt as it was pooey after she had the runs but she had a lovely warm day to dry off in. I did very gently towel her down first  

[Roughlee Handled]

OMG
Just found this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.omlet.co.uk/guide/guide.php?view=Chickens&cat=Chicken%20Care&sub=Cleaning





How to Wash and Dry Your Chicken
Usually chickens are only washed if being shown at poultry shows. However, if your chickens do get dirty and you feel they could do with a wash, it is best to follow these simple insructions.

The basic procedure is similar to washing someone's hair in a sink. Prepare a washing up bowl of nice warm, but not hot, water. Add some soap/washing-up liquid or shampoo. It is important to hold the bird firmly but safely to prevent any attempts at escape. The best method is to hold your chicken by the legs with your index finger between the legs and your thumb and forefinger gripping the legs.
Now that you have your chicken where you want it, you can start washing! Wash the feathers as if washing your hair but use an old toothbrush or something similar to take the dirt off its feet and legs.
You must now rinse your chicken with plenty of clean water. You will probably find that you need a couple of bowls of water to get rid of all of the soap.

Unless you can get your chicken to obediently sit in front of a radiator, towels and a hairdryer are your best bet. Again dry the feathers as if drying your hair. Rub carefully with a towel to get the worst of the wetness out without damaging the feathers. To get rid of the last of the moisture, use a hairdryer as if drying your own hair. Don't let the top feathers get too hot as they could get damaged.



What next?

[blulagoo]

I'm worried about the cockerel comment Roughlee - think you need to go visit the naughty step?