[Lindeggs]

You're right - in the photo I can see a fluffy hen with dirty feet, but no mud on her feathers.  Hooray for you getting your hens even though it's unexpectedly fast!

I don't have my hens yet but I do enjoy watching the wild birds dust-bathing out in my back yard. They have scratched bowl-shaped indentations under the plum tree, between the roots where the soil stays dry except in the heaviest rain.

I have read of people using a shallow tray like a kitty-litter tray and filling it with fine, dry soil and/or fine sand, Diatomaceous Earth (DE) in powder form, even wood ash.

Perhaps after they have had the chance to dust bathe they might get rid of a lot of the mud on their fethers without you needing to bathe them?  I say give them the opportunity first, and at least they will enjoy the chance to fluff around in dry soil, especially if they have been in mud for a while.

[penninehillbilly]

Congratulations - to you for being lucky in getting 2 lovely girls and to the girls for getting such a nice new caring owner.
I wouldn't bother bathing them, with dry bedding and preening, plus a dust bath (mine love the polytunnel soil, shame they don't let me grow plants in there in winter), i think they'll clean themselves up just fine.

[Casey76]

Chickens will acutally "dust bath" in muddy pits.  I have a splash (basically white with a few black spots) pullet, and she does occasionally walk around looking lik a black rock after bathing in a muddy pit.

It doesn't take them long to preen themselves clean again

[F1schuey]

Thanks everyone, they are looking better everyday.... and are so eager to see me.  I let them out the coop first thing and then when the sun is up let them out into the enclosure, really looking forward to letting them loose on the garden but that will be a few weeks yet.  Just need to make sure its secure and our dog need to get used to them, I wont trust her until Im 100%  What quantity of grit to food do I give them or do I just put 2 seperate pots in???

[Casey76]

Put the grit in one pot, and oyster shell in another, and leave in the run all the time.  Both should be available separately to feed