Bathing your bird!

[Sapphire]

Bathing is very important to your bird’s physical and emotional health. In the wild, birds will bathe anytime it rains, and they also bathe frequently in small pools and puddles. Water helps to keep their skin from being dry and itchy, which can lead to feather picking. The activity of bathing also gives the bird some exercise and mental stimulation, and can help to cut down on the amount of dust your bird produces.

You would think that bathing is a fun activity for all birds. However, some birds who haven’t bathed before are absolutely terrified of water! Here are a few things you can do to help entice your bird to have fun in the water:

• Use a small bowl. Try placing a shallow bowl of tepid water in a place that your bird hangs out frequently, like at the bottom of a play stand, or on top of his cage. You might just have to let it sit there for a while before the bird decides to go over and investigate. You can try putting one of his favorite toys in the water to see if he’ll go over after it. Play around with the temperature, too. Some birds like water a bit warmer, and in the summer many bird enjoy cool water.

• Use food! Get some greens (like collard or kale) really wet and then weave them into the bird’s cage bars. Smaller birds like budgies really enjoy rolling around in wet greens. Placing them on top of the cage will allow them to really get into it.

• Use a mister. Use a small plant mister filled with tepid water. Gently spray your bird from overhead a little and see how he reacts. Some birds just love being “rained on” and will relish in the warm spray, but other birds react as if they’re being doused with battery acid! Don’t force your bird to bathe if she seems frightened. Just back off and try another method. You can also try using the sprayer on your sink or a shower head with the water turned on low.

• Take your bird in the shower. Get a shower perch and take your bird into the shower with you! Place the perch out of the direct stream of water, but in a spot where she can get sprayed lightly. See how she reacts to this. At the very least, the steam and humidity from the shower will benefit your bird even if she doesn’t want to get wet.

• Use the sink. Fill up your sink with about an inch or so of water (depending on the size of your bird – you’ll want the water to come up just over her feet) and see if she’ll explore this pool.

• Don't bathe in the evening. If your bird does love to bathe, be sure to bathe her at least once per week in warmer weather. A good soak down to the skin is wonderful for birds! Just be sure to bathe your bird early in the day so that she will be dry by night. A wet bird at night is just asking for trouble!

• Keep your bird warm. Use a heat lamp or other source of heat in the cage for after your bird bathes in cooler months. Your bird may appear to be shivering after a bath, but she probably isn’t. With the feathers all wet, you can see the chest moving much better. Birds breathe very fast, and this is just the bird breathing.

Don’t:

• Use manufactured “bird bath” sprays. Birds don’t need anything more than clean water to bathe. Additional ingredients aren’t necessarily good for your bird.
• Use any other soaps like baby shampoo. Water is all that is needed unless your vet tells you otherwise.
• Force your bird to bathe. He might be bathing when you’re not looking!


Do:

• Go at your bird’s pace. Not all birds take to bathing that quickly. You may have to try for months or even years until your bird is comfortable bathing!
• Keep your bird warm during and after bathing.
• Bathe your bird during the day, not at night.

[Sondra]

Using a spray bottle to mist anything but a small bird is painful. To mist a medium to extra large bird use a pump sprayer. You can buy a pump sprayer at places that sell garden supplies.

To get a bird used to taking a bath or shower put on a T-shirt and pair of shorts and climb into an empty tub with your bird and his favorite toy and play with him. When he's used to playing in a dry tub (may take several days or weeks to get him comfortable in there) add an inch of water, and climb in with him, when he's comfortable with an inch of water add a bit more - maybe another inch. 
For a shower buy a hand held, adjustable shower head, make sure it has a "mist" setting. Now that your bird is used to playing in a tub with water in it put on your shorts and T-shirt, add the water, climb in with your bird and his toys and get the hand held shower head in your hand, adjust the water to luke warm, & the light spray, aim the water at your birds feet. (At this point your bird will most likely have climbed onto your arm/hand) As your bird becomes comfortable with having his feet sprayed slowly aim the spray higher. OR You can just turn on the mist setting while you are in the tub playing with your bird (Use warm water when the mist setting is on as it cools quickly on this setting), as long as your bird accepts this sit and enjoy & next time just put him in the tub with this setting.

PLEASE DO NOT USE SUCTION CUP SHOWER PERCHES WITH YOUR BIRDS as they can get injured if the cup falls & then you will have a bird who is afraid to get into a shower. You can buy stands to put into tubs or showers or you can make your own. ALYAYS wrap any PVC perches in vet wrap that you use in the shower as they become slippery and your bird may fall.

[Sapphire]

Using a spray bottle to mist anything but a small bird is painful. To mist a medium to extra large bird use a pump sprayer. You can buy a pump sprayer at places that sell garden supplies.

I'm not sure I agree with a spray mist bottle being painful to medium or large birds! I have a normal spray bottle for Codie. He spreads his wings out and turns round and round getting very annoyed when I stop  He would have me doing this all day if he had his way. lol. He is a very timid bird  and he would make no bones about letting me know if something I was doing was causing him pain 

[grey782163]

not painful to the birds, painful to human hands... particularly arthritic hands

[Sapphire]

Yes, I can see how a spray bottle would be painful for someone with arthritic hands due to the length of time you have to hold and spray 

Sorry, if I misread what you were saying, Sondra!

[Sondra]

Oh, yeah! You misread that! LOL! Us old people with OLD hands find misting with a spray bottle any medium to large bird quite painful. My favorite way to mist is to take them out on their cages and use the garden hose with a spray head on mist! I kill 2 birds with one stone, clean bird & clean cage!!

[Sapphire]

That would be a great idea on misting with the garden hose! It would be much easier for me if Codie would go in the shower, but, he is terrified of it