Anyone ever bathed a chicken?

[serenity]

My light sussex is insisting sleeping under the roosting bars at night. I do keep going down at night and putting her up there but she must get back down as she is covered in chicken poop. After 3 days of this she is looking pretty nasty so I was wondering if it would be ok to give her a bath.

[shirlthegirl43]

I have never personally bathed a chicken but know that show birds are washed before a big event. Think they have special warm air thingies to dry them though - or maybe they use hairdryers on a low power/heat setting.

I would have thought a sponge down with warm water and a sponge would be safest so you don't get her too wet at this time of year.

Do you have a ramp up to the roost bar? Or maybe put a lower bar out from under the other birds - she could be bottom of the pecking order and being forced off the perch.

[bubblewrap]

My light sussex is insisting sleeping under the roosting bars at night. I do keep going down at night and putting her up there but she must get back down as she is covered in chicken poop. After 3 days of this she is looking pretty nasty so I was wondering if it would be ok to give her a bath.

Try leaving some dry sand or earth on the cage floor ,some birds like a dust bath.

[serenity]

I do have a litter tray full of chinchilla sand but none of the girls seem to show any interest in it

[Lesley Jay]

I have bathed plenty of budgies for shows and in this cold weather you would need to put the chicken in a cage indoors (in your house) whilst it dried off.

[Poledragon]

Not much help here - but if you do bath her, take some photos and post them!

[Nicos]

Not much help here - but if you do bath her, take some photos and post them!

That would be so funny!!!!!

[madderbat]

Problem is though, if you spruce her up and put her back in't coop, won't the others beat six bells out of her for being prettier than they are???!!

[serenity]

probably just poop on her again

[beefy]

Bath my chooks all the time serenity. Butter and garlic well rubbed in and dry at gas mark 7 until the juice runs clear.

[Crazy Chickie]

One of my young birds gets pooped on all the time, but it rains so much here she gets a bath every day I don't know if it would be worth giving you girl a bath as she'll just get dirty again the next day. Think Shirl has the right idea putting in another roosting bar.