Bathing??

[Starlit_Night]

How do you get your birds to bathe?

I have a perch in my shower, and Aleta will sit on it when I shower, but she has no interest in being anywhere near the water. She hightails it out of my sight when she sees the spray bottle. I have a shallow bowl with water and a fountain (budgies love to play in there) and she could care less. Ignores the water dish in her cage. Only one tiny little water dish will she play in, and it is the most inconvenient place for her to want to splash. It just happens to be her perch upstairs on my solid wood dining table. Sigh! Thats what plastic table cloths are for, I guess.

It is not very often she will bathe, so how do you encourage a bird to want to bathe? (Preferably in a different location than current!) I would like to find another way or place to get her to enjoy water. I just don't know what is so attractive about this one and only place - other than perhaps to find the once place that would annoy Mom the most.

She is going through her first moult, and I know the bathing helps, but I just don't know how to convince her.

Anyone got a suggestion??

Thanks!!

 

[thekarens]

My sennie doesn't like to bathe, but once a week I get out the spray bottle and I spray above her and let the water fall on her. She doesn't love it, but will tolerate it. If I spray her directly she runs.

 

[Birdman666]

Four out of my five, all you have to do is turn on the water.

The fifth may argue a bit, but he goes in anyway.

Seriously, with my macaws and zons, it's harder to get them OUT of the water than in it.

 

[Terry57]

I mist mine while running the vacuum. They all love it and twist around every which way so I don't miss anywhere.

 

[lquan]

With my Lily, I found that whenever she spent time under the sun, she is more likely to take a bath that day. I think sunlight simulates oil glands to coat their feathers. Oil make them feel dirty and wanting to take bath more often.

My Lily takes a bath every other day on her own term. She would go to her empty bathing dish and bob her head up and down with her beak knocking the bottom of the dish, or if the dish is not there at its usual place (refrigerator top), she would pace back and forth there to tell us. She takes bath regardless of the weather. I would not force her to take bath. Birds take bath when they feel healthy. If they are feeling a bit down, force bathing can make them sick easily. When they are feeling down, they must conserve all of the body heat they have.

 

[Caesar]

Yeah my ekkie isn't to fond of bathing yet. I Spray him with a light mist when I give the other birds their daily bath. I also take nim into the bath room when I have a show and close the door and the steam seams to be enough.
MY IRNs though they go crazy over a spray.

 

[Calace]

Ollie was unsure when I got a large, shallow container out the other day (he usually showers, all be it reluctantly!) However, after 5 minutes of me splashing my hands around in the water saying, "Oh look, Im having so much much. Yay, this is great!" and generally making an idiot of myself laughing and pretending I was having a ball, he couldn't resist and jumped on in and LOVED it!
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/39054-ollie-s-first-bath.html

 

[Kalidasa]

I've found it helps tremendously if it happens the same time every morning. At first she might be resistant to it, but if you stick with it the same time every day it becomes a routine like any other, and will come to expect it in no time

 

[kiwiS]

Like you, I was concerned about Kiwi taking a bath regularly and I tried all kinds of things - shower perch, luring her into a bathtub, placing her favorite toys in the shallow water, spray bottle etc. She'd get her feet wet, maybe drink a little, but when I chose the time and method, she would rarely get really into it. She HATED being sprayed, so I stopped all that actually and left her alone.

One day while I was washing her dish out, she climbed down my shoulder and started to interact with the stream of water. I figured out later on that's her telling me "I want a bath". I will then turn the water to cold/room temp (She loves cold water), on a very light flow, cup my hands and she will curl in my hands, spread her wings and splash around for about five to ten minutes.

When she's done she will climb back up my shoulder where she would then give ME a bath >.<

My best advice would be to not stress about it and instead provide her opportunities to bath and figure out the puzzle bit by bit. At some point she will let you know how she'd like to take her bath and when.

yes..they train us..not the other way around! haha

 

[Starlit_Night]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I guess the key is to be super excited and keep at it.

I wasn't worried, just more a sudden pondering.

 

[Starlit_Night]

http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/39054-ollie-s-first-bath.html

OMG that is so cute!! Looks like Ollie had a blast!

 

[kq_fan]

Most of the time, I get a shallow bowl and put it in the sink and turn it to light shower and she has lots of fun and I get her little bell ball and she just has a blast!

 

[JosephN79]

I have 2 gcc. When they hear me turn the tub faucet on them get excited and shart chirping and screeching. I sit them on the shower curtain rod while im showering. One is more outgoing than the other, so he will sometimes jump onto my head and play with the water. Or hell be on my shoulders. The other will let me hold her on my finger... shell stay outside the spray, while drinkkng and shaking her head in it. Other times theyll just sit on the rod and talk to me and enjoy the sauna. They play in their water bowls in the cage all the time. Also if i run a small trickle an kitchen sink.. theyll play inthat as well ....

We have clean birds!

 

[gizzygirl]

I've just always taken them into the shower with me. They've been fine and now they all love showers and can take them on their own as well. :-D

 

[JosephN79]

They get really loud and go crazy when i turn the water on. At first i wondered if it scared them... but the hop around and bob their heads up and down so i guess theyre having fun.. lol

 

[Oopisy]

with Sylvarie i just take him in to the shower with me and he will sometimes get wet on his own others i have to put him in but after the first few times he takes it with a squak and a kiss and even plays as i give the bunny a shower.

 

[Vettechjamie]

First time zon owner and ive started to introduce him to the bath.. Ive read different things and wanted some opinion. I was told the bird should never be completely soaked. Is this true! I have a ladder that sits across the tub well. My zon has a club foot so has a hard time sitting on perches and does well with the ladder. Ive tried a few things and all seem too stress him out and I get concerned. Ive tried the spray bottle but he growls and squaks at the bottle. Ive tried putting a inch or so of water in the tub and he stands there just flapping his wings and starts breathing heavy. Ive tried sitting him on the ladder and letting a fine mist spray him. He does the same as with the water bottle. My main concern is how stressed he gets and his heavy breathing and flapping after.

I dont want to stress my bird out and would like any tips? He is a 35 year old zon so im not sure how much bath time he has had.

 

[MikeyTN]

Have you tried taking him in the shower???

 

[Vettechjamie]

Not a full shower spray I sprayed the wall and let the mist hit him. I read that he shouldnt get fully wet not sure if thats true but didnt wanna risk it :/

 

[Peeko]

Peeko will only bathe in the metal food/water cups you buy at a pet store. I've tried shallow pans, dishes, larger bowls, spray bottles, faucets, the shower, everything. Anything else except for the metal water dishes is obviously out to eat him, though!
I keep multiple water dishes in his cage (changed and cleaned frequently) so that he has water to bathe in all day long, and he just chooses when he feels like taking a bath.