Wet, muddy chicken

[Se7en]

We had a heavy rain today and the dust bath is now a partial mud bath. When I checked on my girls, Speedy is muddy and wet. She doesn't want me to bother with her and she is walking around eating and so forth. I did have a tarp on the sides of the run for the freeze but not where the dust bath is. Is there anything I should do with Speedy or just let her be? We are going to move the dust bath and add fresh, dry dirt once the rain ends. I am more concerned with Speedy not getting ill from being wet. I didn't know where else to post this so I am sorry if it's in the wrong place.

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

We had a heavy rain today and the dust bath is now a partial mud bath. When I checked on my girls, Speedy is muddy and wet. She doesn't want me to bother with her and she is walking around eating and so forth. I did have a tarp on the sides of the run for the freeze but not where the dust bath is. Is there anything I should do with Speedy or just let her be? We are going to move the dust bath and add fresh, dry dirt once the rain ends. I am more concerned with Speedy not getting ill from being wet. I didn't know where else to post this so I am sorry if it's in the wrong place.

If the night temps are still near freezing I would bring her inside to wipe off the mud and dry her off with towel and blow dryer. Or if she's difficult or you don't have the time you could let her dry out inside over night. Cold but above freezing temps are a judgement call... I tend to err on the side of caution, but plenty of people take a much more hands off approach with their chickens who *usually* do just fine on their own.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Depending on how mud-covered her feathers are, she may not be able to preen the mud off, meaning she won't be able to fluff her feathers to guard against cold temperatures. Even if your temps are not freezing, she could still easily get hypothermia. I've learned to "err" on the side of caution and bring a hen inside for a warm bath and blow-dry when I find one caked with mud. It's obvious by their body language how much hens enjoyed and appreciated my help.

 

[Se7en]

Thank you everyone for the guidance. We brought Speedy in last night and rinsed her really well and gave her a blow dry. She seemed to appreciate the grooming. Once dry, we set her back on her perch since it was dark and this morning she is like new. Who knew chickens enjoy being groomed, lol.

 

[Meri Maura]

If there's a lot of mud on her, I personally would give her a warm bath in the sink with animal approved soap, such as Dawn, and blow dry her. Then let her hang out on/in a towel until she's dry. It would be best to put her back outside during the warmest part if the day.

 

[Coops Dad]

I'd stay away from Dawn detergent unless you're cleaning oil off an animal. It will strip the natural oils off a chicken's feathers and leave it vulnerable to rain and dew until it can replenish the oil and preen it back into its feathers.

 

[Meri Maura]

I'd stay away from Dawn detergent unless you're cleaning oil off an animal. It will strip the natural oils off a chicken's feathers and leave it vulnerable to rain and dew until it can replenish the oil and preen it back into its feathers.

Good point! Which soaps could one use?

 

[Coops Dad]

On a muddy or dirty chicken, I'd use plain warm water. Most soaps, detergents and shampoos are designed to emulsify oils and grease. If I HAD to use something, I'd try to find a product intended for washing birds at a pet shop or online.

Full disclosure- I've never washed a chicken except for one Cornish X that I found in a field adjacent to a processing plant. He was crusted with dried mud, and I stuck him in a washtub of warm water and soaked him until he was fairly clean. Then I towelled him off a bit and let him air dry. It was warm enough that he wasn't at risk of chilling.

 

[Meri Maura]

On a muddy or dirty chicken, I'd use plain warm water. Most soaps, detergents and shampoos are designed to emulsify oils and grease. If I HAD to use something, I'd try to find a product intended for washing birds at a pet shop or online.

Full disclosure- I've never washed a chicken except for one Cornish X that I found in a field adjacent to a processing plant. He was crusted with dried mud, and I stuck him in a washtub of warm water and soaked him until he was fairly clean. Then I towelled him off a bit and let him air dry. It was warm enough that he wasn't at risk of chilling.

I used to bathe my house polish every few days. I used normal softsoap and a little dawn and Epsom salt in the water, and her coat was always nice

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you everyone for the guidance. We brought Speedy in last night and rinsed her really well and gave her a blow dry. She seemed to appreciate the grooming. Once dry, we set her back on her perch since it was dark and this morning she is like new. Who knew chickens enjoy being groomed, lol.

Thank you for the update!

I'm glad you were able to clean her up and all is well this morning!