4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[madchickenlady]

My little pekin (18/19 weeks) Mildred has had a cold. The vet put her on baytril as a precaution, but she seems well in herself. However, I noticed today that she has some poo/mud balls stuck to her undercarriage, and they don't come off with a gentle pull. I'm considering bathing her Now, as it's so cold, should I bathe her, blow dry her and then keep her in tonight just to be sure she's dry? I don't want to leave her all manky

[chelsea]

My Ella (old girl) is prone to a mucky bum occasionally.

 

We are going to "bum bath" her 1st thing in the morning and then completely blow dry her. I should think your pekin will be ok if you do the same, Ella really loves having her bum cleaned and seems quite revitalised afterwards. Just make sure she's completely dry though.

 

Might be worth just cleaning her up for now with a bit of kitchen roll and doing the proper wash of her bum area (you dont have to do the whole hen) 1st thing in the morning so she isnt going to get cold before bed.

[The Dogmother]

I'd follow Chelsea's advice, but just add that she may have a runny bum from the antibiotics, so add soem live yoghurt to her food and some ACV to the water - that should settle her tum.

 

Both my pekins need a wash - they have shockingly muddy feet!

[madchickenlady]

When I investigated with a baby wipe, it became clear that Mildred was well and truly vile There was no way of cleaning her up without a bath, so a bath she had! She was on her best behaviour, even while I manually removed lumps of poo She particularly enjoyed the forty minute blow dry, even closing her eyes and lifting her wings Hubby thinks I'm mental! She is now comfortably ensconced in a large box with deep shavings in the downstairs loo, cooing contentedly.

[The Dogmother]

See, nothing beats a warm, fluffy undercarriage!

[chelsea]

She particularly enjoyed the forty minute blow dry, even closing her eyes and lifting her wings Hubby thinks I'm mental!

 

 

Lots of people think we are mental too! Im glad she enjoyed it. Ella loves going to "Le Salon" also for a blow dry.

[catherinej]

Just a quick question as I too was considering bathing my chicken. Did you put her in your own bath or a washing up bowl? This may be a stupid question but im not sure how Penny will react.

[madchickenlady]

I actually used a builders bucket, stood in the bath I also used the kids shampoo She sat there very happily, no panicking or shivering She is a very sweet hen, though, not a bit flighty

[chelsea]

Just a quick question as I too was considering bathing my chicken. Did you put her in your own bath or a washing up bowl? This may be a stupid question but im not sure how Penny will react.

 

I usually use a shallow tub trug, you could use a bucket or washing up bowl depending on how large the hen is. In the summer I have submerged my big cochin girls up to their necks in water, if I have to bath in the cold winter I will only do the bum/feet area.

[Egluntyne]

Might be worth giving the knicker feathers a little trim too, whilst they are in the salon.

[JM]

I had to have a go at Daphne today as well - but she only got a quick going over as she didn't seem too happy about it! She seems to be happier when I sit her on my knee to do it, but I've got a bad back and it was cold, so she was on my workbench!! My OH said that he never imagined that he would be standing in the shed blow drying a hen's bum!! (I was holding her).

 

I'm sure Daphne is a lot more flightly whenever she sees me coming with a container of warm water!! She's normally quite easy to catch - but she kept running away today (or did she know I had a bad back?!)

 

This is a daft question Egluntine, but when you trim the knicker feathers, how much do you take off? Is it like the flight feathers in that you don't go to the main shaft?

 

J

[Scramble]

This has happened to my little pekin Yolko, the mucky one she should now be renamed

 

I had a look and there is just this one annoying little poo stuck there I've bathed her and toweled her and gently pulled, but it doesn't work!

She also stood in one of her poos which then got stuck to her foot but that came off with a simple foot bath.

 

Did you use anything special in the water?

ATM i'm just using lukewarm water

[The Dogmother]

Warm water is fine, but I use a squirt of eco-washing up liquid (Bio-D) and a few drops of tea tree oil.

[mrsallen08]

We had to do the bantams this weekend.

Bum wash, dry and feather trim around the feet! How quick do they grow feet feathers!

Then the exbatts all had their feet washed and dusted with louse powder! They are still looking quite clean as the ground is so frozen but once the rain starts again...