How to Bathe a Chicken

Today I received seven more bantam (mini) chickens from a friend who could no longer care for them. They aren’t fully grown yet, and are quite small. There are two Rhode Island Red bantam pullets (pullets are young hens under a year old), one Partridge Cochin pullet, one Barred Cochin cockerel (cockerels are young roosters under a year old), and three Porcelain Bearded D’uccle pullets. I’m very excited!

Whenever I bring home new birds from friends, I always bathe them prior to placing them in the coop, even if I still plan to quarantine them. I have several reasons for doing this. One, it gets rid of most external parasites, such as chicken mites. Two, it washes the droppings of any other potentially sick birds from the chicken's feet. And three, it gives me a chance to better inspect the bird for infections such as abscesses or other health issues.

It is especially important to bathe birds before a show, such as the fair, because you want your birds to look their best. Judges not only judge how well the chicken fits into its breed standard, but also how well the owner has groomed it and it's overall health and appearance. Bathing is a surefire way to impress not only the judges, but the public as well.

In this post, I’ll teach you how to bathe a chicken.

You will need:

·         Dawn dish soap
·         A utility sink or a plastic tub
·         A clean toothbrush (optional)
·          Towels
·         A hair dryer
·         A warm spot (preferably indoors) with a heat lamp, food and water for the bird to recover.

Here is our bird before the bath:

Step one:

In a plastic tub or utility sink, run a bath of lukewarm water and add some dish soap. (Dawn is the best brand for this.)

Step two:

Gently place the bird in the water, holding onto it the whole time. Swish the feathers around until the bird is completely wet. Try to avoid getting water or soap into the bird’s eyes and nostrils.

Step three:

Work the bubbles into the bird’s feathers. This includes the body, wings, neck, and any feathers on the feet. Also, if you have one, use a clean toothbrush and extra dish soap to gently scrub the bird’s legs.

Step four:

Drain the sink or tub and rinse the bird in lukewarm water. 

As you can see, the bird is completely soaked.

Step five:

Towel-dry the bird as best you can.

Step six:

Move the bird to an area lined with clean towels. Get out your hair dryer and put it on the lowest setting, then blow-dry the bird until it is completely dry.

The bird is now dry.

Step seven:

Move the bird to a warm place (preferably indoors) with a heat lamp, some food, and water to recover. Within about half an hour, it should be over the initial stress of being bathed and can be moved to the main coop.

Good luck!