Betrisher
Well-known member
- Jun 3, 2013
- 4,253
- 177
- Parrots
- Dominic: Galah(RIP: 1981-2018); The Lovies: Four Blue Masked Lovebirds; Barney and Madge (The Beaks): Alexandrines; Miss Rosetta Stone: Little Corella
Aren't birds supposed to bathe every day?
Dominic, my Galah, was brought up in an awful environment where he only had a cup of water every day, so he doesn't bathe. He does stick his head in his water though (he has a large dish nowadays, big enough to bathe in) and shakes and fluffs his feathers as if he'd just had a bath.
The lovebirds bathe every morning and afternoon. They're so funny! They go down in pairs and one keeps watch while the other goes for full immersion and then a great show of fluffing and preening afterward. Then they reverse roles.
The Beaks, though, hadn't bathed at all since I've had them. Their previous owner had one of those in-the-door budgie baths on their cage, so I'm assuming they've never learned to take a full bath.
Since I've had them, they've had a large-sized glass dish with plenty of bathing water. They just haven't used it. I wonder why? Well, one thing I had noticed is that if I happen to get a glass of water while the Beaks are out, they can't get to my glass quick enough. They'll sit on the rim and dip their beaks right into the water, then the retreat up my shoulder and bow and fluff exactly as though they had just bathed. So funny!
This morning, I had a thought. I turned the tap on to a thin stream and gently dipped Madge under it. She was electrified! She fluffed up all her feathers and began biting at the stream of water. She wanted desperately to get wet but didn't seem to know what to do. If I put her beneath the stream, she'd squawk and fly away. Barney was interested, but being shyer than Madge, he held right back from all this.
I had an idea. I took the birds into the bathroom with me and detached the shower spray from the wall. Again, I offered the wetness to the birds, but they flew away, afraid of the sound the shower head made. They kept coming back, though and fluffing out their feathers, extending their wings and bobbing their heads low as if bathing.
So! I got a squishy bottle and sprayed them with it.
I have never seen anything so funny in my life! Both birds went mad, turning themselves into pretzels, trying to get as wet as possible in the shortest possible time. Each time I stopped spraying, they'd squawk and bite the squishy bottle. It took about two litres of water to bathe the birds to their satisfaction. They were bedraggled-looking vagabonds by the time I'd finished, but they were *extremely* happy and flew and flew around and around.
Next, it occurred to me to try the blow-dryer. Madge was a huge fan, turning round and round and allowing me to dry her feathers on the cool setting. Barney was *not* a fan. He sat with his feathers clamped to his body and an expression on his face that can only be described as 'pissed off'. The shower seemed to have invigorated both birds, as demonstrated by their great excitement and pleasure, both in bathing and then in flying and squawking great raucous flock calls.
The kids and I enjoyed all this hugely and will certainly do it again. However, my question is: why don't the Beaks bathe in their perfectly adequate bath in the cage? Oh, and how often should I shower them in the absence of bathing?
Dominic, my Galah, was brought up in an awful environment where he only had a cup of water every day, so he doesn't bathe. He does stick his head in his water though (he has a large dish nowadays, big enough to bathe in) and shakes and fluffs his feathers as if he'd just had a bath.
The lovebirds bathe every morning and afternoon. They're so funny! They go down in pairs and one keeps watch while the other goes for full immersion and then a great show of fluffing and preening afterward. Then they reverse roles.
The Beaks, though, hadn't bathed at all since I've had them. Their previous owner had one of those in-the-door budgie baths on their cage, so I'm assuming they've never learned to take a full bath.
Since I've had them, they've had a large-sized glass dish with plenty of bathing water. They just haven't used it. I wonder why? Well, one thing I had noticed is that if I happen to get a glass of water while the Beaks are out, they can't get to my glass quick enough. They'll sit on the rim and dip their beaks right into the water, then the retreat up my shoulder and bow and fluff exactly as though they had just bathed. So funny!
This morning, I had a thought. I turned the tap on to a thin stream and gently dipped Madge under it. She was electrified! She fluffed up all her feathers and began biting at the stream of water. She wanted desperately to get wet but didn't seem to know what to do. If I put her beneath the stream, she'd squawk and fly away. Barney was interested, but being shyer than Madge, he held right back from all this.
I had an idea. I took the birds into the bathroom with me and detached the shower spray from the wall. Again, I offered the wetness to the birds, but they flew away, afraid of the sound the shower head made. They kept coming back, though and fluffing out their feathers, extending their wings and bobbing their heads low as if bathing.
So! I got a squishy bottle and sprayed them with it.
I have never seen anything so funny in my life! Both birds went mad, turning themselves into pretzels, trying to get as wet as possible in the shortest possible time. Each time I stopped spraying, they'd squawk and bite the squishy bottle. It took about two litres of water to bathe the birds to their satisfaction. They were bedraggled-looking vagabonds by the time I'd finished, but they were *extremely* happy and flew and flew around and around.
Next, it occurred to me to try the blow-dryer. Madge was a huge fan, turning round and round and allowing me to dry her feathers on the cool setting. Barney was *not* a fan. He sat with his feathers clamped to his body and an expression on his face that can only be described as 'pissed off'. The shower seemed to have invigorated both birds, as demonstrated by their great excitement and pleasure, both in bathing and then in flying and squawking great raucous flock calls.
The kids and I enjoyed all this hugely and will certainly do it again. However, my question is: why don't the Beaks bathe in their perfectly adequate bath in the cage? Oh, and how often should I shower them in the absence of bathing?
