feemcg Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Skye, our new white (brown!) chicken was so dirty and smelly I couldn't leave her like that. She was stinking out the whole run so we brought her in this morning and sponged her down in a tiny bit of baby shampoo. I think she had been dust bathing in cow poo or something! Think I got the worst of it, blow dried her then dusted her with Diatom. She still smells so I may repeat the process in a few days (she was very well behaved) Then got Iona out as presumed she needed a bath too but surprisingly she didn't smell so just dusted her. Never thought I'd be bathing and blow-drying chickens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Wow - sounds like fun What an excuse though - sorry I haven't cooked the dinner darling but I've been blow drying my chicken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeramaSilly Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 My big Australorp stands out in the rain and her powder puff feathers get soaking so I blow dry her and she loves it - she puts her head on my leg and nearly nods off! Sophie x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Some people do it quite a lot - don't they Buffie and Kaz???? Mine all got a dunking in the really hot weather, but in 'normal use', a chicken shouldn't smell, so keep an eye on her. If you think their poo is smelly, then add some garlic granules to the feed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted October 27, 2006 Author Share Posted October 27, 2006 No Clare, its not her poo - that looks fairly normal! Her back feathers, from the top of her head down are completely matted and covered in thick ?bird poo, ?cow poo or something equally as smelly. Some of it seems sticky like chewing gum! First bath and her head and sides look whiter but down her back is still brown. So she's getting dunked again in a couple of days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Mmm, nice! That sounds odd - have a look at the skin underneath while you're at it; just check that it looks healthy. Probably just something she's rubbed up against in the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted October 27, 2006 Author Share Posted October 27, 2006 Her 'underneath' feathers are all white and fluffy. When I went to collect her she looked dirty - this guys chickens are outside most of the time I think (when I got the other girls they came out of a big dry barn and were clean and healthy looking) Maybe I should have taken them back once I had a good look at them but then what would happen to them? I feel they're mine now and I want to clean them up, feed them well etc. I know its nothing compared to the state of poor battery hens, just a bit dissapointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 (edited) I know where you're coming from; whenever I've picked up chooks, they never smell like my chickens - it takes about a week for them to smell the same. I think it's because I use garlic in their food that mine don't smell much at all. I have heard that poorly chooks can smell odd too, so just check her over. Edited October 30, 2006 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Am I bad...I've never washed my chickens!!! I had to give them all a little scrubbing when they pooed on each other and washed Henrietta's eggy legs down when she laid a softie and stood on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
