It is that time of year again, time to prepare my chickens for the Puyallup Fair. I entered 4 of my bantams in the open poultry show. My white Bantam Frizzled Cochins need baths to be their very best sparkling white. This is Mrs. White. She and her rooster are getting baths today.
I have a a bucket filled with warm water in which I swished around some pet / animal bluing shampoo that is gentle enough to not strip the natural oils of her shiny feathers, but will clean them. The bluing helps rid her feathers of any yellowing , I want her sparkling white!
I rub shampoo in carefully and check all her feathers, rubbing more shampoo into any stubborn stains or yellowing. I also worked on her feathered feet, gently removing clumps of dirt stuck in the feathers between her toes.After I am satisfied she is as clean as I can get her I will place her into the next bucket of warm water for rinsing.
Surprisingly, once chickens are gently placed in warm water they relax completely and are very easy to handle. They seem to enjoy being washed, and why not? A massage in warm soapy water sounds pretty good to me too!
A final rinse into a big tub of clean warm water and we're almost done.
I spread out her wing feathers and make sure they are clean and well rinsed. Look at these beautiful feathers, they remind me of angel wings.
Mrs. White is now bundled into a big warm towel and I pat her dry, then wrap her up again in the towel and place her in a clean crate filled with fresh cedar shavings. I kept the crates with the drying chickens in the house over night so the chickens would not get chilled. I covered the crates with towels so they were dark inside, helping the chickens stay calm.
I brought the crates outside and let the sunshine warm Mr. & Mrs. White. The poultry show is next week, but you should bathe your chickens a few days before the show. I will change the shavings in their crate every day to keep them very clean.
She might not win anything at all, but as far as I'm concerned, she is a winner and a prize all by herself! Later on I will bathe my 2 little Bantam Barred Cochins. Wish us well at the fair. Better yet, visit them at the Puyallup Fair. It starts next week.
It is that time of year again, time to prepare my chickens for the Puyallup Fair. I entered 4 of my bantams in the open poultry show. My white Bantam Frizzled Cochins need baths to be their very best sparkling white. This is Mrs. White. She and her rooster are getting baths today.
I have a a bucket filled with warm water in which I swished around some pet / animal bluing shampoo that is gentle enough to not strip the natural oils of her shiny feathers, but will clean them. The bluing helps rid her feathers of any yellowing , I want her sparkling white!
I rub shampoo in carefully and check all her feathers, rubbing more shampoo into any stubborn stains or yellowing. I also worked on her feathered feet, gently removing clumps of dirt stuck in the feathers between her toes.After I am satisfied she is as clean as I can get her I will place her into the next bucket of warm water for rinsing.
Surprisingly, once chickens are gently placed in warm water they relax completely and are very easy to handle. They seem to enjoy being washed, and why not? A massage in warm soapy water sounds pretty good to me too!
A final rinse into a big tub of clean warm water and we're almost done.
I spread out her wing feathers and make sure they are clean and well rinsed. Look at these beautiful feathers, they remind me of angel wings.
Mrs. White is now bundled into a big warm towel and I pat her dry, then wrap her up again in the towel and place her in a clean crate filled with fresh cedar shavings. I kept the crates with the drying chickens in the house over night so the chickens would not get chilled. I covered the crates with towels so they were dark inside, helping the chickens stay calm.
I brought the crates outside and let the sunshine warm Mr. & Mrs. White. The poultry show is next week, but you should bathe your chickens a few days before the show. I will change the shavings in their crate every day to keep them very clean.
She might not win anything at all, but as far as I'm concerned, she is a winner and a prize all by herself! Later on I will bathe my 2 little Bantam Barred Cochins. Wish us well at the fair. Better yet, visit them at the Puyallup Fair. It starts next week.
20 comments:
Oh, I haven't thought about bathing a chicken for many years. Since your youngest son bathed one I believe. LOL.
I enjoyed this post very much. Mrs. White looks so pretty all nice and clean. I imagine that warm water and your gentle touch made her feel very pampered. Best wishes at the fair. I can't wait for you to share photos with us. Hope you and your family have a great Labor Day weekend Kathy.
Joni, I thought about him and the poor chicken as I was bathing Mrs. White!Poor Daniel, he'll never live this down.
Mildred, thank-you. I am getting excited about the fair, and this great autumn weather really helps motivate me.
I do believe Daniel had his 15 minutes of fame when it comes to bathing chickens. that is the fist thing I thought of when I read your post. Your chickens look like winners to me but I am not a judge.
Well Kathy this is a first for me. I've never seen anyone bathe chickens before.
She looks like one big cotton ball with feet.
Hope you win!
What a cute post, Kathy! I never knew chickens got baths. Your chickens are really white and the feathers are fluffy, so pretty!...Christine
What beauties! Good luck at the fair!
Good luck at the fair. That is the whitest, cleanest chicken I've ever seen. Have fun!
Dear Kathy,
She's a beautiful chicken. I did not know that chickens were bathed. I'm such a dumb city girl!
Enjoy your week-end,
d
Wow! I enjoyed this posting so much. The chicken sure is pretty and white. I sure hope you win a lot of ribbons for your chickens at the fair.
Chickens take baths????
Who knew?
Good luck at the fair! Your chicken looks all clean and fluffy now. I've never thought about any one bathing a chicken before. Always good to learn something new. :D Have a great weekend!
Oh my goodness..... I've never thought about a chicken having a bath. The results are amazing.... she looks so fluffy and pretty!
Best wishes at the fair..... HAPPY WEEKEND!
LOL...that is the cutest thing I have seen! In fact I have never seen a chicken have a bath like this before! :D
Angela and I really enjoyed your cochin blog; really pretty poultry!
You're right-trophy or not-they are already winners!
LOL, looks like fun!
Amy
This is a great post. I never knew chickens had to be bathed but it does make sense. It doesn't look like they mind very much or is it that you have a secure hold?
Oh my~ this was too cute! I never knew being the city dweller I am that you could bathe a chicken...she looks great! Hope you have a wonderful time~
Blessings,
Vikki
Thank you so much for the chicken washing tutorial :) Maybe now I will have enough confidence to wash my chickens and show them at our county fair next year! Good luck at Puyallup! They look like winners to me.
How cute . I didn't know that you bathed chickens to show them . In fact I didn't know you could give a chicken a bath, LOL
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