Washing a chicken!

It's been a mucky old winter and my two Light Sussex chickens are looking very grey and muddy. Today I finally decided to start doing something about the 'Ava not laying eggs' situation by getting up close and personal. She's a wily little hen, so she wasn't easy to catch, and when I did she amazed me at how heavy she is! I've never dispatched a hen in order to eat them, and I don't know if eating hens is advisable (it's usually cockerels that are eaten), so I need to look into it as she would make a fabulous Sunday lunch.

Anyway, once I'd caught her and had a cursory look over her, I decided to try and get some of the winter grime out of her coat. I tried what I did last time, which was to use a gentle animal insecticidal shampoo in the sink and gently work it through the feathers. She wasn't having any of it - and neither was her grime. I think she needs a good wash and rinse in the washing machine with a laundry whitener!

This is how it should be done: http://www.wikihow.com/Wash-a-Chicken

I think I'll be investing in three cheap garden trugs for the next time I try, and it'll be outside and on a nice sunny day. Honestly, it's rare that anything turns out to be more simple than you thought it would with damn chickens, but if I'm going to put the hens through the trauma of a good wash, it makes sense to do it properly.

Now I keep finding random Ava feathers round the house!

UPDATE: 13th February 2011

So I tried the method above, and on a white chicken it only shifted about half of the muck. Borax? Flipping useless on my chickens! Eventually, and with a disgruntled Grace getting angrier by the minute, I eventually soaked her in Ariel with Actilift (clothes washing liquid) and a laundry whitener. That actually did the trick really well, and I wished I done that in the first place! I could have had the muck out in a quarter of the time and had a far less distressed chicken.

The blow dry was immense. It took approximately an hour and neither of us really enjoyed it. I found it helpful to sit in front of a mirror so I could see all round Grace and to ensure I got into all her crevices. She looks lovely now, although it may take her a while to forgive and forget.

Whilst I was blow-drying her I found some pretty large wounds from George's mating. My next job tomorrow is to get hold of him and cut those massive claws back. I had no idea he was doing so much damage!

I finished her grooming by putting some petroleum jelly on her comb, wattle and legs. It give them a nice sheen and, in the case of her legs, helps to get rid of any scaly mites - although I couldn't see any.

 

14th February 2011

This morning the sun is shining and bouncing off her whiteness - she looks like a fantastic advert for washing liquid and is making Ava look seriously gray!