# Cleaning poop from feathers



## TJsGirls (Apr 6, 2013)

My BR must have taken a dust bath in a pile because this morning I picked her up and found poop caked under her wing, coating the base of the flight feathers and some of the fluff under the wing. She left me hold her and clean it off as best I could with a cloth and warm water, but the fluffy feathers seem a bit matted. Will preening take care of this or do I need to do something more for her? Thanks!


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## JC17 (Apr 4, 2013)

When they get REALLY dirty I give my chickens a bath in warm water with a drop of baby soap. Make sure they get dry, and stay nice and warm before they go outside.


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## Lissa (Oct 23, 2012)

I just washed mine in vinegar, warm water and Dawn soap because of this same problem and I saw a bug (Ewww). I used a blow dryer on them because it was kinda chilly outside and they loved it (well, they cooperated and sat there).


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## TJsGirls (Apr 6, 2013)

Excellent. Thank you both. I'll check this matted feathers at the end of the day. It was nice and warm today and she went out only slightly damp. If she's mucky still I'll try a bit of baby soap, and a blow dry. Lol, oh the things we do for chickens!


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## mjs500doo (May 6, 2013)

I almost would expect lice from your description of the feathers and matting. Give her a good dunk and dry!


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

TJsGirls said:


> Excellent. Thank you both. I'll check this matted feathers at the end of the day. It was nice and warm today and she went out only slightly damp. If she's mucky still I'll try a bit of baby soap, and a blow dry. Lol, oh the things we do for chickens!


Crazy isn't it.  Only fellow chicken lovers really understand. I was in a fit of panic leaving my girls into the complete care of my hubby once a week for 7 weeks while I was gone clinics for school. He'd forget the simple stuff like making sure they had fresh water even though I'd have a bucket ready to go along with a bucket of feed with a note on them, on the door he goes out, AND on the kitchen table. He'd never pick up the eggs either so I'd have a pile of 2 days worth of eggs. Not very good with Josie being broody and laying for hours on unfertile eggs. Nobody cares for them like mom does here .


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## TJsGirls (Apr 6, 2013)

mjs500doo said:


> I almost would expect lice from your description of the feathers and matting. Give her a good dunk and dry!


Thanks for the heads up. Everything looks good today, we must have cleaned her up well enough. The matting was just caked on poop I believe, but it's all nice and fluffy again. I don't know the signs of lice so I'm glad you mentioned this. I have them all the once over and aside from that flaky, feather shaft shedding stuff, there were no bugs and the skin looked healthy. Thanks for teaching me!


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## mjs500doo (May 6, 2013)

Awesome! A heavily infested bird will have almost cotton swab looking things at the base of the feathers, along with adult bugs crawling around on them. Yuck!


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