1st Bath

[PineappleMom21502]

I have put down a big bowl of water & tried to spray him but he hasn't been interested in either. So today or tomorrow is going to be Mango's first bath even if I have to slightly water him. He needs some cleaning. Any Suggestions. I don't want to make it traumatic but it needs done.

 

[itzjbean]

If all else fails, assuming he is tame you can just get a wash cloth really wet and put that on him, wipe off what needs cleaned and you can soak the feathers just a bit before releasing him to clean himself off.

 

[EllenD]

Does he ever show interest in bathing in his water dish/bowl? My Green Cheek is a nut for baths, but especially when I change his water bowl. As soon as I put a fresh bowl of water in his cage, he's right in it immediately, almost every day, to the point where he literally soaks himself head to toe! He just loves it. But he's not keen on bathing outside of his cage very often...So maybe try a small bowl/dish of water inside of his cage...it seems that the smaller the dish of water, the more they want to get inside it, lol.

 

[Rozalka]

My GCC likes to bathe in the running water. Also you can try this, a stream of water can be more interesting. Zenek's (my GCC) bath looks like this:
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM81s4paBio"]Zenek w umywalce - YouTube[/ame]

 

[SassiBird]

If they're tame and trusting of you splash in the bowl with you fingers. Try having the sound of tricking water nearby. Sometimes it is the container itself the're hesitant about.
Sassi is such a "chicken little" I had to hold the dish up to my chest at first for her to trust it. I was soaked.

 

[BoomBoom]

Try many diffirent bathing styles. Birds have their own preferences. Try these approaches:

Shallow containers. My conure at first would only bath on a hand held mirror which I put under a slow running faucet

Put toy or a floating veggie leaf. Play with them with your face and hands while he watches. Splash water so a little bit gets on him, but don't look obvious that your trying to get him wet.

Let him watch you take a shower. Buy a shower perch for this but don't force him under the water.

I always say, the first introduction is crucial in making sure he views this as a positive experience. Best of luck!

 

[Squeekmouse]

When I first got Yoda I was so intent on "helping" him bathe that I ended up making him afraid of sinks and water for a while. In time, he chose his own methods. First, by attempting to bathe in any water we were drinking... so when he tried to bathe in our drinking glasses we would hold it over the sink... and then gradually we could put the glass down in the sink as he bathed... and nowadays we put the glass in the sink and let the faucet run on low filling the sink as he is bathing in the glass, and then he moves from the glass to the sinkwater and even runs under the faucet water.



In other words, let your bird choose his own method of bathing and then you can try to coax that choice closer to what YOU would choose.

 

[Aratingettar]

My GCC likes to bathe in the running water. Also you can try this, a stream of water can be more interesting. Zenek's (my GCC) bath looks like this:

Zenek seems a curious conure. How hillarious was his peek at the drainage!


To the OP:
With my Cytrynka, I keep the hands together forming a cavity. I put my hands under running water so the water fills the cavity. Cytrynka goes down from my shoulder, probes the water with her beak and if she finds it OK, she sits there and splashes the water around herself. She loves taking a shower, too. She could spend probably hours there, she relaxes soo deeply under the shower she almost falls asleep.


But don't rush your conure, let his curiosity lead his actions.

 

[WakaWaka]

We tried the shower and spray bottle with Arika and she was not happy at all with that.


Here is something that may be worth a try for you.


After seeing Arika playing in her water bowl one day, we decided to try a little water in a flat tray. We placed a few towels on the floor, added about a half inch of water to the tray and turned her loose. She loved it!!!


Since then we purchased a large plastic restaurant tray, fill it with about an inch of warm water and she has a blast. We take a paper towel and use it to drizzle the water over her and she has even tried to roll over in the water a few times. We watch her very carefully but this works so this is the way she likes to take her bath.


Good luck and please let us know what works !

 

[LordTriggs]

BoomBoom suggested first but simply, let him have a look at you in the shower!

Bath time for birds is a family event so jump on in and let him observe you, offer a finger for him to perch on and get a little splish splash (bit of reassurance through contact with your skin) and also make some fun noises, make shower time a game!

 

[PineappleMom21502]

Thank you everyone. These are all good suggestions that I will try this weekend. I did see for the first time this morning Mango climbed into his water bowl for like 2 secs. At least it's a start

 

[PineappleMom21502]

Well I decided to first try a bowl at the bottom of his cage. I wanted to see if he would do it himself & he immediately had an interest & got in. I then took a spray bottle & got the top of him. Thank you everyone!! He already looks so much better & he only stayed for a few seconds.

 

[condobirds]

The bird will decide his style of bathing so try different things. My green cheek hated going in the shower with me. But I have a tupperware type container that is about 4" deep and as long as he is, I fill it 1/2 way and he gets in and wiggles around and loves it. He bathes almost every day.