It always amazes people when they find out you can bathe and groom a chicken. They laugh and say, "Why would I want to do that?" Just consider this. We bathe our horses, we bathe our dogs, we bathe our cows and other animals. Why not a chicken? When you watch a dog show or a horse show on television or attend one in person, are those animals covered with dirt, mud or worse? Don't you see the owners or the exhibitor primping, doing all they can to make that animal look it's best and feel its best before it goes in front of the judge? You sure do.

Why Bathe Your Birds?

Chickens, like dogs and cats, get external parasites, such as lice and mites, mosquito bites, sometimes a tick or a chigger bite. One way to make them comfortable is to give them a nice bath. Of course, another way is to dust or spray them on a regular basis to eliminate the problem before it begins, but not everyone does that either and that's a whole other article.

Of course, if you show your chickens you want them as clean as they can be to show off that fancy dress they wear year around. You should never, never, never take a dirty bird to a show, be it a chicken or a duck. Dirty birds don't win...they don't even get as far as Champion Row.

The next time you are at a show or a fair, take time to look at the birds. Stand back and really look at these birds. What do you see, what did the judge see? Why did he "place" one bird over the other? In some large shows, the placement can be very close and the difference between one bird being placed on Champion Row and one that is left in the cage will come down to it being clean and well groomed.

We're going to talk about bathing a chicken and we're going to relate it to preparing a chicken for show, since this is what most of our young youth members go through when they get ready to show their birds. The photos we are using are compliments of our youth program members, Makayla and Megan Kinard.

Getting your birds "show ready" is not a big secret that only the top breeders know. Not only is it easy to do, but your bird will actually enjoy its bath.

When bathing for a show, you should do it three to five days before the show. If you're not showing chickens just try it when you get some free time. If you bathe your birds a few days before a show this will allow plenty of time for the bird to dry completely and for it to work some of the natural oil back into the feathers. Grooming starts at bath time too. That includes trimming that over-long beak and toenails. The final, last minute touch-up takes place after your bird is in the show cage and just prior to judging.

Gather Your Supplies

Gather your supplies and place them within easy reach. This list is simple and basic. You will need: three wash tubs, shampoo, white vinegar, an old toothbrush, dog nail clippers or human toenail clippers, blow dryer, a small sponge or old washcloths, several clean bath towels and a clean cage for drying. Some extras that you might want to have on hand are an emery board for smoothing the beak and nail trims, and a blood stop in case you cut the nail too short. If you don't have blood stop available cornstarch works well as a substitute.

Start with the three tubs of warm water. The tubs should be large enough to give you plenty of water and plenty of room for a good bath. Don't try to bathe a large bird in a small plastic bucket because it just won't work! You can use laundry type tubs, large plastic buckets with rope handles, even the plastic storage tubs advertised to store blankets, etc. that you can purchase at any discount store. Just be sure it's deep enough to hold a goodly amount of water.

Make sure the water is comfortable enough for a baby and it'll be comfortable for your chickens. The first tub is used for the bath, the second tub is used for the first rinse and the third tub is used for the final rinse. In the second tub, put about 1/4 cup of white vinegar for every gallon of water to ensure you remove as much soap as you can from the birds feathers. In tub three you could put a very light dose of hair conditioner or a little Pyrethrum dip to kill any lice or mites that the soap bath didn't kill—being sure to follow the manufacturers instruction for dosage. (This dip is a fairly safe natural pesticide, a plant extract that's relatively non-toxic to humans and birds but it highly toxic to insects.) You can get this from most poultry suppliers and their website links can be found on the link page of the APA-ABA Youth Program: www.apa-abayouthprogramsite.org.

Let the Fun Begin

Now the fun begins. Holding your bird with its breast resting in the palm of one hand and the other hand over the back securing the wings with your fingers, lower it slowly into the first tub of water, allowing a few seconds for the bird to realize what is happening.

Most birds will relax after a few minutes and some will even go to sleep during the process of the bath. This really happens, so keep a watch on your bird so their head doesn't go under the water. If you hold him right, you can even let his head rest on the edge of the tub. Wet the bird with your hands or gently use a wet washcloth or sponge.

Once you have the bird pretty wet, start putting some shampoo on the dirtiest parts of the bird first. This is usually the vent area, the legs and feet. While these parts are soaking, shampoo the rest of the bird slowly and gently, being careful to go with the grain of the feathers and gently massaging the soap in towards the skin. If you go against the grain of the feather you are apt to break feathers or damage them in some other way. This just doesn't work if you are going to show that bird. Believe me, the judge can find them. Take your time, be very relaxed, and do a good job.

Next, remove the bird from the first tub by holding it firmly under its breast with one hand and one hand on top covering the wings with your thumb and little finger. This will make the bird feel secure and you won't get a flapping wing shower. Let him drip off a little, then place him in the second tub of vinegar rinse. Following the same steps of holding the bird move him to the third tub for his final rinse. Be sure to rinse, rinse, and rinse to get all of that soap out of the feathers. Make sure there is no shampoo left in the feathers because this makes them feel gluey when they dry and they look dirty all over again. (Think of drying your hair with shampoo in it).

Once you are quite sure you've rinsed the bird well, take him out of the tub and wrap him in a towel leaving his head out of one end and his feet out the other end. If he has lots of feathers and the first towel has soaked up lots of water you should rewrap him in a second dry towel. This will help dry the bird and keep it still so you can clean its head, legs and feet. While wrapped, you wash the face, wattles, and comb with a small cloth or sponge. Trim the top beak so that it is even with the bottom and use the emery board to smooth the edges.

Give 'Em a Pedicure

After a good bath and a good face washing, it's time for a good pedicure. Using an old, soft toothbrush, give the legs, feet and toenails a scrubbing. Make sure you remove any old "poo" that is under the nails as judges do notice. You may need to use a little soap to do a complete job. Rinse them well under running water. Now clip the nails. The nails are much easier to clip once they have been softened in the water and are clean. Be careful not to trim too short as they have a vein that runs down through the toe and into the toenail. Clipping this will cause them to bleed. This is usually not serious but it can get blood on the feathers.

It's fairly easy to see the vein on white nailed birds but on darker nails you might have to look under the nail to see the vein. If the nail is a dark nail, clip a little bit at a time, checking after each trim. If the nail does bleed, use blood stop and a cotton ball to control the bleeding.

Now your bird is ready to be put into its clean cage or carrier to dry. While all birds can be air-dried in a warm environment (not in the sun or in front of a heater), loose feathered birds such as Cochins, Silkies, Brahmas and Orpingtons will benefit from drying with a blow dryer. Birds with tight feathers such as Old English, Modern Games, Rhode Island Reds, and Wyandottes do better drying on their own. Like you, a wet bird hates drafts and can catch cold, so be sure you put them in a draft-free area.

At the Show

Don't forget, if you are showing those birds, taking a grooming box with you for some last minute touch ups after traveling in a confined travel box. You want them clean and picture perfect for judging.

A final note, remember never do anything to your bird or use anything on your bird that might harm it in any way. You can learn much from other breeders and you may want to try some of what you learn. As you attend more shows, you will see other breeders groom their birds and you will learn more techniques and see other products used on birds.

Now you can walk away knowing you have done a beautiful job and that your bird looks its best.

If you have been washing your backyard flock it's such fun to sit and watch the birds preen and show off in the sun. They look so pretty and you can see they are feeling so much better by their actions. They prance, dance and scratch, the roosters crow, the hens coo, and everyone joins in on the good clean fun.

For more information, visit the APA-ABA Youth Program website at: www.apa-abayouthprogramsite.org or contact: Doris Robinson, National Director/Coordinator APA-ABA Youth Program, 810 Sweetwater Rd., Philadelphia, TN 37846. Phone: 865-717-6270; e-mail: nanamamabrahma@att.net