Flock Talk
Grooming Necessities
by Ana Hotaling
We’ve all gotten a chuckle or two out of watching our chickens enjoy leisurely dust baths and spend hours preening their feathers. We may have even gotten a few photographs to share with our families and fellow poultry enthusiasts. These routine behaviors aren’t only endearing, they’re also hygienic. Dustbathing and preening are a chicken’s way of keeping itself clean.
For the most part, that’s all the beautifying our birds will ever need.
Like everything in life, however, there are always exceptions. Breeders who raise exhibition poultry — or who just want to show their birds at the local fair —groom their chickens prior to arriving at the exhibition hall or fairgrounds. Owners of show-business birds risk losing jobs if their birds are dirty.
Once you arrive at a show, do some final grooming.
And it goes without saying that those who keep house chickens as pets stay on top of their chickens’ cleanliness.
While I was very active in my state’s show circuit, I actually learned how to beautify a bird via a different route. One of my white Silkies, Altaria, had discovered the dubitable pleasures of hopping up and down in a puddle.