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

[lollyfry]

We have a suspected-eggbound chook and want to try the 20 minute warm bath technique to see if it helps. Now, as we have only had the girls 2 weeks and haven't ever bathed a chicken before, how do you keep a chicken in the water??? and what do people use - we have though about using the trug as its not too big

 

We really don't want to get her anymore stressed out but will we have to hold her in the water?? How have other chickens reacted to a warm bath??!

[stoice]

i've not really fully bathed my chooks, just had to wash mucky or pecked botties. I found the best way for my case was a washing up bowl of warm to touch water with a few drops of tea tree oil in it (If washing because of dirty chook i use a mild dog shampoo, but the tea tree and warm water i found soothing and anti-bacterial for my injured birds) I'd then wrap my girl in a teatowel so she doesn't flap about. Have her under my arm with her head pointing behind me and gently washed the ankle deep water over her knickers with some kitchen towel. I also found a tooth brush or soft nail brush helps getting muck out of feathers. Towel dry and if your girl isn't too freaked out (And if it's chilly outside) a waft with a hairdryer on a coolish setting so not to burn her feathers.

 

i'm sure other people have different techniques, like i say, I've only ever needed to do part washes.

[House MD 221B]

After Scrambles bloody egg ordeal, we had to wash her downy feather down, and trim them a little...

 

we used a washing up bowl a mixed assortment of clean rags (as there was matted faeces and blood) some latex free gloves, and paper towl.

 

we thought there'd be flapping or squawking etc.. but she let us handle her and she just stood in the water, we didnt put enough in so we had to encourage her to sit down a little.

 

but put in a good amount of water and especially if she's under the weather, she wont want to stuggle to much anyway.

 

I dont know if our experience is the norm but scramble let us bath her, and splash it up on to her downy feather and allow us to squat her a little.

[C&T]

I used the bath...

 

When Ginger as a softee on the way, I put warm/hot water in the bath, and put her in. Fill the bath high enough to her nether regions are in the water. SHe is normally pretty miserable by this time, so no flapping usually involved. Leave her in for a while, holding a small dish of cool water for her to drink from (she is often thirsty when a softee is on the way). If not drinking, I drip water onto her beak, and instinct gets the better of her and she drinks the drip.

 

Then gently towel dry her, use the hairdryer to dry / warm further, and then wait for the egg to fall out.

 

When Fred is broody, I use a big Wickes bucket thing, in the garden, with cold water in. She flaps a lot (as not actually feeling ill - just annoyed she has been removed from the nest box!) - and no way she is making a mess in the bathroom if can be avoided!!

[lollyfry]

Thanks for all the tips! So we will have to hold onto her in the water - think I will try the towel method as she can be a bit flappy!

 

Will do it as soon as we get in from work

[clucky chicken]

Hi - only just seen this post - but can relate my experience....

 

We had to give Gerty a bath last Saturday - she's broody and sits underneath the roosting bars in our hen house - whereupon the other chooks pooped all over her!

 

I wrapped her in a warm towel and took her to the bathroom - ran the shower to a cool/warm temp and just showered her using baby shampoo to wash the poo off. We then took her downstairs and dried her with a hairdryer set on cool - all through this she was as good as gold and just sat there allowing us to do what we had to - and when we'd finished she looked just simply dashing!!! Afterwards we kept her in a cat box for a couple of hours just to make sure she was really dry before putting her back inside the run with the others for the night. She now sleeps in a little corner and avoids the poo!!!!

[jackieb]

I had to bath Daisy this morning, I can't begin to explain what she'd laid in last night and it got stuck to everywhere!! after some initial flapping about she settled in the large container I use to bath my dogs in which I'd placed inside our big bath and I managed to shampoo her with baby shampoo, then gave her a good rinse.

 

She loved the hairdryer and stood still for about 20 minutes while I dried her off.

 

I needed to have the bath water a bit deeper as getting the water to her nether regions was a bit difficult, lesson for the future me thinks.

[cluckingmad]

Most of our girls were quite happy in the water, but a good way to make them settle is to keep holding them gently (as if you were carryign them, so they rest on yuor arm)... we did that and all the girls relaxed happily

 

Best of luck x

[chick wiggle]

How did you get on? Hope your girls ok

[dippy bird]

I'm glad you guys have posted on this as my OH picked up Aggie yesterday and OMG she was mingin I dread to think what she's been rolling about in!!! Am defo gonna try and give her a bath - she is very timid and very flappy, I have never picked her up as I can't actually catch her , but hubby can, so wish us luck! Will probably get pecked to death!

[House MD 221B]

I'm glad you guys have posted on this as my OH picked up Aggie yesterday and OMG she was mingin I dread to think what she's been rolling about in!!! Am defo gonna try and give her a bath - she is very timid and very flappy, I have never picked her up as I can't actually catch her , but hubby can, so wish us luck! Will probably get pecked to death!

 

try putting a grape in a corner, or herding her towards a corner and then offer the grape and when she moved in for it... yoink Then give her the grape, and hopefully she will learn to associate the treat with being picked up.

[cluckingmad]

Dippy bird, how mingy are we talking here?! I believe for really mucky knickers (not knockers as I tried to type then ) pets at home do an aloe vera shampoo for small furries thats meant to make the hens smell luuuurvelly

[dippy bird]

Really mingin, like she's had a good roll on lots of poo!!!!

I'm going to the farm shop later to get my bits in for my ex bats so will have look their to see if they have anything..