How to Wash Your 4H Chicken's Feet

Your chicken's feet should be clean and shiny for the show.

If you're planning on showing your chicken in a 4H show, you need to that your bird has clean feet to impress the judges. Clean legs and feet indicate health and proper care. A well-groomed, inferior chicken may have a better chance at winning first place than a poorly-groomed, superior chicken. If you want your chicken to have its best chance at winning, appearance can really help. Cleaning the feet also includes the toes and toenails of the chicken.

Things You'll Need

• Bath towel
• 2 5-gallon plastic tubs
• Warm water
• Mild dish soap
• Soft-bristled toothbrush
• Rubber gloves

Instructions

1. Wrap your chicken in a bath towel to keep its wings close to its body. The chicken's head should be sticking out one end of the towel and its legs should be sticking out the other end.

2. Soak your chicken's feet in a tub of warm, soapy water for about five minutes. During the soak, gently rub the legs and feet of the chicken with your thumb and pointer finger. Rub to remove any crusted manure or dirt from the scales on the legs, feet, toes and toenails.

3. Move the chicken's legs to a tub of warm water without soap to rinse the soap away. Gently brush the legs, feet, toes and toenails with a soft-bristle toothbrush to remove any remaining manure or soil. Be sure to scrub around the toenails and along the bottom of each toe. If you can't get the feet clean, set them back in the soapy water and scrub with the toothbrush. Rinse the feet when finished.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your chicken in a cage with clean straw or pine shavings before the show.

• Wear a pair of rubber gloves while cleaning feces.

• Never allow the towel to cover the head of the chicken or it could smother.

References

• Highlands County Fair: Bathing and Grooming your Chicken