Muddy Silkies

[Suechooks]

Rescued these 3 little guys from a neighbours plot after a fox or cat took the remaining 5. He's now given them to me. However they are quite caked in sticky mud and although they have dried out I can't brush the mud off. Can I bath them? I'll obviously take them home to do it and dry off with a hairdryer and keep them wam overnight until thoroughly dry before returning them to the allotment. Never had Silkies before so would be grateful for any advice!

[Polly Fouracre]

Kept on a clean piece of ground, preferably grass, they will soon clean up by themselves.If you bath them at this time of year you will have to keep them in for a good while 'til there feathers become conditioned again.
They are dear little things and well done you for rescuing them.

[Hilary B]

It might be an occasion for straw. Sheepdogs that get muddy working seem to come remarkably clean after a night in a kennel with lots of straw! (my neighbours when I had the sheep farm had a dog which got clean this way, just as the more experienced neighbour said would happen. I didn't believe it until I saw!)
If you want to try this, you might confine them in a big box, with light getting in, and room to move about in the straw, for a couple of hours. If there is also some grain in the box, to encourage them to 'rootle about', it might do the trick.

PS, shavings might work just as well.....

[lindyloo]

i always keep mine on straw- even the outside run always has a good thick layer of straw, which they love to root around in, and it keeps them clean. it stops all of the muddy leg feathers. i would not bathe yours, espec. at this time of year. the straw will get rid of all of the mud for you

[lindyloo]

ps. ; i also always keep the top of run covered with poly. sheet throughout the wet monthes, to cut down on mud. the feathers on thier feet can get really clogged up with mud balls in just a very short time, if they are kept in wet muddy conditions.

[Suechooks]

Thanks everyone! At the moment they are confined in the quarantine ark with a layer of wood chippings on the wire floor then straw on top. It is under the covered run anyway and the ark run is partly covered(the side that faces outwards). Have also put straw inside the ark as well as hemcore.
Most of the mud is on their wings and backs and their top-knots so I'm not sure it will come off however much they root about. Feet and legs are looking better just by drying out. Too soon to stress them by more moving and handling anyway but just wondered if they'd be more comfortable and warmer if their feathers were fluffy instead of matted.
They seem nice little things and the first night they put themselves to bed! I'll try and integrate them in with my pretty girls in a while when they've got over their trauma! The adult is still laying by the way!

[Suechooks]

Forgot to say - there were 14 eggs in the nest after I picked the Silkies up so they are now in my incubator! Not sure how long they'd been there but all tested fresh in water so thought I'd take a chance - Day 4 today.

[Scarlet]

I agree with the others - best left, the mud should clean off! A friend had some silkies this year and one fell in their pond last month and didn't survive even after a warm up with the hair dryer. A little mud should do them no harm.
Good luck on the eggs, keep us posted- a bit of excitement this late in the year is what we all need..

[lettucegrow!]

This is really exciting! Rescued some silkies and incubating their eggs.....you lucky thing. They are on my chicken wish list!!!

[motherhen]

Silkies are what is classified as a soft feather and can get very wet and bedragled, I used to keep mine in a house off the ground with cover to keep them dry and deep shavings or I would use hemcore now, they need a little bit more TLC, I would not wash at this time of year and let the mud wear off if they are happier and not mud covered they will preen and clean it off for themselves. They are brilliant little Mum's and go broody at the drop of a hat.

[Suechooks]

Well they're looking a bit less bedraggled but they're not doing much preening yet. They finish their worming tomorrow so will let them out where there is a decent dust bath area to get stuck into! I'm not sure that the eggs will come to fruition but there does seem to be some development in a few of them so fingers crossed.

[Snadger]

My allotment neighbours have four silkies and they are now billeted in there greenhouse for the winter with a couple of bales of straw!

I've just stripped my toms out and shall be doing the same with my Minorcas and LS for the winter!

It means the chooks are kept warm and dry and the manure benefits the toms in the summer!

[Suechooks]

Getting cleaner and egg update

Well the 3 silkies are now free in the covered run with half a bale of straw to rootle about in. They were so thrilled to be out of the ark and chuntered around all afternoon scratting about in it.
Candled the eggs today. 13 look as if they're developing, the other one had a bacterial ring so discarded that. Also discarded another one as I could smell something unpleasant when I opened the incy and it was coming from that egg so out it went too!
I'm not sure whether one of the hens who were killed wasn't actually sitting on these eggs so they could be further on than the 7 days!
Roll on next 2 weeks! I'm getting excited now!

[lindyloo]

they will get the mud off thier top knots while they are chaff- diving in the straw

[jessmorris]

They look gorgeous - well done you for taking them on!