Cleaning a baby cockatoo?

[Bear]

Hi everyone,

If you saw my previous posts I brought home a baby U2 two days ago. She is very sweet and lovely however she was very dirty when I got her. She has a lot of dried porridge on her neck and chest from her breeding feeding her, and generally needs a clean. It is however far too cold to bathe her now as its winter here. So I wondered if anyone has any tricks of the trade or any suggestions of how I can clean all this porridge off which is matting her without bathing her?

Thanks so much.

 

[Mel]

Congrats on your new baby... she's a stunner!! I'm having the same problem with my newly adopted 'too. She's pretty dirty, she isn't keen on the shower, it's winter here as well and she's still developing her trust with me so don't want to do anything that'll put us back. I've been wiping her down with a warm wash cloth which she's happy for me to do, it's not as thorough as the shower but it's a start.

 

[greycloud]

The only way to get it off is with diligent soaking in warm water. As I posted in your original thread, use a very wet warm washcloth and hold it against the dirty area. After it is wet start to gently wipe the area, The hard, crusted food needs to soften and breakup to come off the feathers. Since there is abuildup it is going to take a couple times to get this area clean.

 

[Spiritbird]

GC is right on with this suggestion. Good thing it is not BP oil. Can you imagine how difficult it is to wash that stuff off of bird feathers. They said on the news today it is thick like pudding.

Hey, I thought of something we could use. How about birdie bibs?

 

[greycloud]

LOL! Spiritbird, actually when I handfeed I wrap a papertowel unger the babies neck around the crop. I anchor with my fingers as I hold the babies head and feed. Works great!

 

[Bear]

thanks for the repsonses, haha I considered a bib but we have it mastered now, no spillages past the beak Unfortunately she arrived with all the encrusted stuff. We tried the cloth thing today but I think it's going to take time

 

[Bear]

Thanks a bunch We managed to get it off with baby shampoo, warm water and a spray bottle and she is lovely now. Still a few little bits around her mouth but our CAG is kindly removing them for her

 

[dmkaura]

I have a 10 month old who seems to really dislike the water no matter what method I try. Tried the sprinkler, shower, water bottle, shallow dish....... Her feathers look "stained" from the oil on our hands when we pet her. Also her tail feathers look ragged as she plays she seems to beat them up a lot and doesn't appear to adequately groom herself. I really would like her to look clean and healthy but she is so unhappy with a bath. I would welcome any suggestions

 

[MaraWentz]

Thanks a bunch We managed to get it off with baby shampoo, warm water and a spray bottle and she is lovely now. Still a few little bits around her mouth but our CAG is kindly removing them for her

They have shampoo for about $7 made especially for U2s to help maintain their oils and ph level as well as keep their dander in control. I know bird paradise sells it

 

[MonicaMc]

Just because it's coming on winter doesn't mean you can't give your birds a bath... some birds intentionally enjoy taking a bath even when it's cold, and as long as they can dry off and it's not cold in your home, they'll be fine!

dmkaura, my cockatiel, Casey, was the same way! When she was young, she had no interest in bathing! And her tail feathers were always a mess! After she matured and learned how to "steer" her tail better, she started enjoying bathes! I honestly don't know what changed because I kind of gave up trying to bathe her for a while... and then one day, I tried, and she did the "cockatiel rain dance"!

In short, some young birds love to bathe frequently! Others just need time to mature and 'grow up' before they'll enjoy bathing! So for now, don't fret it!

 

[dmkaura]

Thank you Monica.... I'm relieved that she may grow out of it