Bathing

[NewQuakerMom]

So my little guy happily DRINKS water but wants nothing to do with a bath. I've tried spritzing with a bottle so it falls like rain, and he tolerates* it, but that's the best I can get. How often should I be spritzing him? And - once I can get him to step up, what's a good way to get him interested in bathing for real? I read that getting a little water on him is super super important, so I'm trying to do this at least every few days but I don't know if those little beads of water are even making a difference, lol!

*Tolerates - He doesn't slick down and freak out as he would if I put in a new toy. He moves away from where the water droplets are falling, but not in a huge rush. Like - he doesn't particularly love it, but it's not really really awful.

 

[Laurasea]

It's early days. Bird know and feel vulnerable when wet. They can't fly wet. If you give him more time he wil bathe.

To encourage tho, water sounds, like have faucet running, splash your hand in a wide shallow dish , I use serving dish or casserole dishes with an inch or two if water.

 

[NewQuakerMom]

Oh, good idea! This will all be so much easier when we can get him to step up. I think I say that 100 times a day, haah!!!

 

[Laurasea]

On step up. I'd start with a hand held perch. Abd break it down to tiny micro steps.
A treat to look at the hand held perch, repeat. A treat to take a step towards a treat to stand by it a treat to lean over it, a treat to touch it a treat to step up, those steps can days or hours depending on how he does.
After h steps up good on the perch, u shorten by moving your hand slightly closer to the time be giving him less to step on,go slow repeat often, then you keep moving you hand closer to the end u til he just stepped up on hand, each step repeat and praise.

 

[Amsterdam]

hmm my budgies dont like to get sprayed so i placed a big shower in theyre cages and they now use it almost everyday idk if that would solve your problem

 

[NewQuakerMom]

hmm my budgies dont like to get sprayed so i placed a big shower in theyre cages and they now use it almost everyday idk if that would solve your problem

How did you get a shower in the cage? What kind of a shower? That sounds really neat!

 

[NewQuakerMom]

On step up. I'd start with a hand held perch. Abd break it down to tiny micro steps.
A treat to look at the hand held perch, repeat. A treat to take a step towards a treat to stand by it a treat to lean over it, a treat to touch it a treat to step up, those steps can days or hours depending on how he does.
After h steps up good on the perch, u shorten by moving your hand slightly closer to the time be giving him less to step on,go slow repeat often, then you keep moving you hand closer to the end u til he just stepped up on hand, each step repeat and praise.

Good idea! He feels the same abt hand-held perches as he does about hands, so maybe I could just skip the perch? He's not afraid of hands, he lets me pet him and touch his beak, and he eats from my hand - either if I put food in the palm of my hand, or from my fingers if I hold it out. He just isn't having any of stepping up. And gets really upset when we even say 'step up' so we're trying to think of an alternate phrase to use with him. Those are great steps to follow though!!! He's really clever about the touch clicker training, I bet we can get him to our hand really quickly by following that!

 

[Amsterdam]

https://ibb.co/NVtF1Vb

this is where al my budgies bathe in!! and they love it it is bigger then it looks

EDIT SORRY I SAID I HAD A SHOWER IN MY FIRST POST WHAT I MENT WAS THIS BAD SORRY!!

 

[NewQuakerMom]

https://ibb.co/NVtF1Vb

this is where al my budgies bathe in!! and they love it it is bigger then it looks

EDIT SORRY I SAID I HAD A SHOWER IN MY FIRST POST WHAT I MENT WAS THIS BAD SORRY!!

No problem! That is super cute! Thank you!

 

[bluebirdlady]

I've has success with letting my bird bathe in a 9x9 pyrex dish. I fill it with some water and if he is in the mood he will bathe. He only bathes every 2ish weeks or so. He HATES being sprayed with the spray bottle. It really freaks him out. I've also had success with a shower perch that suction cups to the wall of the shower.

 

[NewQuakerMom]

I've has success with letting my bird bathe in a 9x9 pyrex dish. I fill it with some water and if he is in the mood he will bathe. He only bathes every 2ish weeks or so. He HATES being sprayed with the spray bottle. It really freaks him out. I've also had success with a shower perch that suction cups to the wall of the shower.

That sounds like a good idea!! I want to try a shower perch too - once I can get him to the step-up phase, lol.

 

[NewQuakerMom]

LOL would you believe he spent about 15 very happy minutes today dipping his head and trying to fit his whole body into his water bowl? I've got a much larger bowl on order, this one is only abt 4 inches, and he couldn't do much more than wet his little belly, lol, but he was having fun!

 

[NewQuakerMom]

Clamp-on stainless steel dog dish came in the mail today. Washed it, put it in, and within 2 minutes, he was all over it. He's been rolling around in there and playing for 5 minutes now. This is so awesome!!