I know – trying to blow-dry a chicken is not something I’d attempt, either. But that would never discourage my wife Linda if she thinks it’s going to help.
Basically, the problem was…chicken poo. Our one remaining chicken, Beebop – now of great age, for a chicken, and way beyond egg-laying – seemed to be having a slight, well, feather problem around the poo zone. Specifically, not all the feathers were avoiding the poo. To put it another way, not all the poo was avoiding the feathers. So Linda decided to 1) bathe Beebop, and 2) blow-dry her, as it’s still pretty cold here.
Please note: DO NOT blow dry chickens, or any other animal, on a high-heat setting. Use a COOL setting ONLY. Anything else, and it’s cruelty to animals – or birds. That’s really important. As you can see from the pictures, Beebop was completely calm throughout the whole thing. If she’d been at all uncomfortable, she has ways of letting us know!
The pictures, below, speak the thousand words. All I did was stand by with the camera, suitably amazed. I’ve never, ever seen a chicken blow-dried before, and I doubt if I ever will again.
Beebop loved it, incidentally.
1) Place bird in trug, preferably a blue one. Add cool, but not cold, water as needed.
2) Commence rinsing the needful. Gently.
3) Remove bird from trug and place on absorbent surface.
4) Begin to gently blow-dry affected wet bits.
5) Keep going until bird is completely dry.
6) A final check of those difficult-to-reach feathers
7) And done.
Well, I guess I can strike that off my things-I-never-thought-I’d-see list. Nothing about you surprises me any more!
Why, thank you kindly. For my next trick… how to fix everything and rule the world! It’s all right there in the Conservative Party manifesto.
Hi
I have 2 lovely chickens – Sunday Roast is a Polish and her daughter – Scrambled Egg – a cross between Polish and a Jungle Fowl. I had to give Sunday a bath once as she managed to get covered in paint (don’t ask). A soggy chicken is a sorry sight!
I have eight chickens and bantums all who enjoy regular baths and blow drys.followed by nail clipping and a little vaseline on the legs and upper feet. My husband and kids think i am mad, but i dont care and the girls love it. The neighbours watch over the fench with great intrest.
Linda your a star. Thats made my day ive got a grin like a Cheshire cat. Well done to you.
Regards
Martin.
A freshly bathed pekin bantam fully pouffled and blow dried is a sight to behold, they seem to bathe in the warm air and roll around, legs akimbo, to ensure complete coverage. They especially like it in winter when it is a great excuse to get into the house for some extra warmth and a bit of bran mash.