Solitary chicken - need advice

[Louisdog]

Hi all

 

After reading some great advice on here I decided to bath my white star last night.

 

I have read accounts of how good the chickens are and how they enjoy being bathed and dried.

 

Flappy has not read those posts! She lived up to her name and flapped lots, it was certainly and interesting experience. She then stood on the edge of the worktop after being towel dried, and squirted a huge watery poo backwards, all down the cupboard, over the floor and on my foot (thank goodness for crocs - just rinsed it under the tap and, good as new )

 

She didn't enjoy the blowdrying but was resigned to it in the end, she just stood patiently with minimal holding.

 

I really enjoyed it though - what an amazing transformation She looks amazing, she's all soft and white and gorgeous again, her pants are back to being nice and fluffy, she looks lush!

 

So I will definitely bath a chook again in future if necessary. I'll wait until hubby is away again though, he would not have been amused (especially the bit where I wrapped her in his bath towel hope he doesn't read this)

 

So if anyone else's chicken has misbehaved while being bathed, please let me know so I won't feel so bad

 

Cheers

Alex

[Alfred]

Not tried it with mine yet (they don't have many feathers)

Did you use special chicken shampoo?

[Louisdog]

I used Tesco Value baby shampoo. The book said fairy liquid would suffice but it's done the trick, she is so soft and smells lovely Er well she did when I sniffed her this morning, she probably honks again now after a day with the others

[Barkisland]

Good grief I can just imagine the rumpus from mine if I tried anything 'dodgy' - they don't permit bodily contact of any sort. I would have to snatch them from their bed under cover of darkness if I were to attempt to bath them!

[Louisdog]

I would have to snatch them from their bed under cover of darkness if I were to attempt to bath them!

 

I waited until she had been roosting for a couple of hours before sneaking her out, so she'd be all sleepy and placid Not that it made a blind bit of difference I am glad it is not just me who has lively no-PDA chookies

[cluckbok]

Mine loved it, well Rosie did, Matilda wasn't too impressed but Rosie went all funny and squatted further down in the bowl! but then Rosie is the one who likes her head stroked.

[Louisdog]

I wanted my Flappy to be like that

[helenmb]

Alex your post made me really this morning, love Flappy's name and the vision of her having her bath and using your hubby's bath towel

 

I have been considering bathing one of my girls as she is really grubby at the moment so good to know its possible - she is a flappy type too.

 

Thanks for making me smile on a dismal grey day

[cluckingmad]

I second that! don't even weant to consider the mess our girls would make if we tried to bath them (although dearest OH has suggested we wash ALL of them when my parents (and his future in-laws) are over this w/e

[Louisdog]

Go on, do it, for fun and for their vanity, your girls will look lush after! Flappy still looks all bouffed up and plumptious and fluffy (and nice clean pants )

 

Oh and hubby's towel came up a treat, chookie splat washes out quite well it seems

[cluckingmad]

May well do then won't be doing the ex-batts tho', still got few feathers there to wash!

[helenmb]

I told my DH about the towel and he asked me if you'd hung it straight back up for him to use without knowing about flappy using it. I did warn him that I could do the same with his towel too!

[moomin]

Oh and hubby's towel came up a treat, chookie splat washes out quite well it seems

 

Love it!!!! Chookie Splat needs to be added to the Omlet Dictionary! So descriptive!!

 

[likeastar--x]

i had to bath my chook as she had dried sick on her from where shed been ill it took a good hour and a half to clean her and then blow dry her, she looked so lovely after! shes a lovely white chicken and all her feathers were shiny and puffed up, and her feet were dirt free! of course this lasted about 10 seconds before i went to see her outside that afternoon and she was soaking wet from the rain with a muddy tummy

[Lesley]

Flappy has not read those posts! She lived up to her name and flapped lots. ........So if anyone else's chicken has misbehaved while being bathed, please let me know so I won't feel so bad

 

Cheers

Alex

 

You are not alone! - last time we bathed a hen, she lived up to her name as well! - unfortunately, it was Jake's hen and he had named her Ploppy (Poppy in polite company)