do you need to wash the baby chicks?

[Jeanette]

My daughter thinks the barely in our house for 1 week baby chicks need to be given a bath. As previously stated, one has lost quite a bit of feathers, they all get pine shavings on them, they get damp when they spill their water onto the pine shavings in the box. I don't think my grandma was washing the chicks on their farm. My daughter thinks we should be gently wiping them down. I think this is an attempt to get her mom on Youtube or something... what do you think?

[Jeanette]

We moved the baby chicks into the guest room. We also got a digital thermometer which proved we do indeed have a garage that is too hot. We won't wash them, didn't wash them, but one person in the house (daughter) was entertaining that idea. We moved their water up a bit.I spent qute a bit of time (3 popsicles worth) watching them without doing anything else and the one that had lost feathers was getting pecked by two of the others. Not really pecked, pecked, like Alfred Hitchcock, but more like when daughter and son were small (quit touching me!).

I had no idea baby chicks were going to be this level of emotional involvement. I think social work is much less taxing!

Thanks for the ideas & comments.

[Rachel]

Yikes yikes yikes!! I know you have already received an answer here, but just for the sake of extra confirmation-- do NOT bathe your chick, or allow her to be bathed ;). Like Janet said, I think it might be a good idea to raise up their waterer. You can put it on some scrap 2X4 or a little box, really anything that will lift it two inches or so. Keep us posted on the progress of the birds especially the one with the missing down/feathers.

[Janet]

Well, one-week old chicks don't have real feathers yet. It's just kind of a fuzzy down. They actually start to look ugly for a while as they start growing feathers.

No. I would never wash a chick (especially a chick), pullet or even a full-grown chicken. When older, given the proper environment with a dust bathing area (they will make their own), they will preen, dust bathe and groom themselves as nature intended. Maybe explain to your daughter that animals in nature are clean, groom themselves and are never "given a bath."

You know how sometimes domestic dogs have that "dog" odor? I've never noticed that with any of my hens even up close. They have a neutral, non-odor because they keep themselves clean unless they're ill.

Maybe you could think of a creative way to position the waterer so it doesn't get shavings in it and/or spill out so much. Perhaps elevate it and/or put a slightly larger tray underneath it to catch water. Add a thicker layer of pine shavings and maybe a larger box.