Friday, June 22, 2012

Adventures in hen bathing




Aloha Friday, Hen Mommies and Friends of Hens!!

So I have been watching the hens very closely these past several days through the 90 degree heat, and I noticed that Buff and Fannie Mae have become increasingly messy in their....err...hindquarters.  And this afternoon, I looked at the caked poo and dirt on their bum feathers and couldn't stand it anymore.  Natalie--bless her heart--held Buff first as I took the garden hose and gently tried to wash her.  We did the same with Fannie Mae.  But then it looked like they had wet sticks (feathers) around their bums, and how long would THAT stay clean??  I realized I should have Googled this first.  I checked a couple of different places for hen bath instructions (they get bathed for ag shows and such) and learned that washing them could possibly damage their feathers--we should have filled a small tub with warm water and a bit of soap and soaked their nether regions until the water dissolved the dirt.  Oops.  However, next Natalie cuddled Buff and Fannie Mae once again while I held the family hair dryer and gently blew their ass feathers dry.  I'm telling y'all, we lived the life today.  And thank goodness we chose hens based on their laying ability AND their docile temperments!!  Anyway, the feathers got poofier as they dried, and so I think all is well.  Of course, as I write this, I see that Buff is taking a super-intense dirt bath in my flower bed.  Well....at least it's just soft dirt (normal) and not caked dirt and poo.  I hope.

After we washed our own hands for 10 min or so, Nat and I rewarded ourselves with a bit of chocolate.  The docile hens got sunflower seeds :)  And that's all the news from Eastway Backyard Farm for now!!  Hope you got a giggle from this, just as we did!

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