cure for post-shower chills?

[hnb]

So I've been taking Joey in the shower with me every other day and I'm in the midwest so it's getting pretty chilly here. I turn the heat up but it can only do so much and Joey likes to soak himself to the bone! He's afraid of towels and hair dryers. I was thinking heat lamp for drying? Could you guys the recommend the best way of setting this up? Should I do it on his playstand or cage? I feel like I should supervise him whenever it's on so playstand is probably more realistic.

Any help would be lovely! Thanks guys.

 

[plumsmum2005]

Think this is one for SailBoat really but please, please be very careful a chill is one thing a burn is another.

See if you can get him used to a snuggle in a towel, (from behind) if you wrap him in it and bring him in for some cuddle time?

 

[LordTriggs]

Think this is one for SailBoat really but please, please be very careful a chill is one thing a burn is another.

See if you can get him used to a snuggle in a towel, (from behind) if you wrap him in it and bring him in for some cuddle time?

also try just having him on your lap with the towel on your lap, then gently dab him dry with the corner of the towel all slow movements and calm quiet talking to him which should help him feel a bit calmer

 

[T00tsyd]

LOL this struck my funny bone because every time Syd is soaked he heads up to the back of my neck and stays until he's nice and warm and dry. He doesn't even look back at the water! The result is that I am soaked!

I have introduced a teatowel around my neck so I can carry on with chores while he snuggles and chirrups away happily. He seems to have registered the time to bathe is when I look as though I'm around for drying time!

Just a few minutes ago he was against my neck and bit just a little too hard. Ow! I said and he came back with 'I'm sorry' as clear as a bell. He's from another planet!

 

[SailBoat]

Think this is one for SailBoat really but please, please be very careful a chill is one thing a burn is another.

See if you can get him used to a snuggle in a towel, (from behind) if you wrap him in it and bring him in for some cuddle time?

Living in the Upper Mid-West of the USA and Southern Mid-West of Canada presents several challenges depending on the time of year.

During the Winter months, the low humidity levels will be drawing off the moisture quickly and although your Parrot will dry quickly, the rapid evaporation will chill your Parrot! So, during the Winter months my preference is to have my Amazon on my hand or bare arm so as to transfer heat from my arm or hand into the Parrots feet (claws). In addition, they are not as greatly subjected to drafts as we are large heatsinks (heat source). Anytime, you can get your Parrot (Wet or Dry) near a Window that faces South, they can and do enjoy being in the Sunshine! Take care not to place them in a draft or too near the Window that may offset the heat of the Sunshine with the drafting of the cold glass surface of the Window. We commonly place our Amazon's perch about 1 meter (around 39 - 40") from the window.

During the Summer months, it depends on the temperature of the home and whether you have the Air Conditioning ON! Once again, anytime you can get your Parrot into a South window and the Sunshine is great! Also, your bare arm or hand will work year around.

If none of this is available, we assure that our Amazon is sitting on a 'Cloth' Surface as cloth will not steal heat from the feet (claws) and they will feel and be warmer.

Hope this helps!


FYI: Fully Flighted Parrot may surfer from a fear of not being able to fly when soaked. It becomes important to assure that they are in a safe place while they are water logged.

Also: It is not uncommon for your Parrot to take longer to dry in the Summer months when the humidity is much higher.

 

[hnb]

That's really helpful!! He's not flighted yet but he's in the middle of a molt, I'm hoping his flight feathers start growing in, I'd like to teach him how to fly. I have access to a large field house once he learns to fly and recall. I'm expecting it to take a long time.

 

[SailBoat]

That's really helpful!! He's not flighted yet but he's in the middle of a molt, I'm hoping his flight feathers start growing in, I'd like to teach him how to fly. I have access to a large field house once he learns to fly and recall. I'm expecting it to take a long time.

A couple of points;

- Parrots also actively shake and flutter their feathers when wet to both create body heat and, to lift and open their feathers to increase the rate of evaporation thus drying of their feathers.

- Commonly, a very young Parrot will fledge (learn to fly) with its base (first) set of feathers. So unless someone cut their first set of feathers, you should be very close to have a flyer. If your Parrot is older, the when will heavily depend on how extensively the Wing Feathers had been trimmed and how long ago.

- If you are working with an Adult Parrot, you may need to provide some training. See, the Amazon Forum and the Sticky Thread Titled: I Love Amazons - ... Within that huge Thread is a Segment on Reflighting an Older Amazon. The method is the same whether you are reflighting an Amazon or any other Parrot. Please take the time to review that Thread for other Segments that will support a long and healthy life with your Parrot.

 

[hnb]

Thank you!! I will definitely review it. He is 17 years old, and apparently used to know how to fly but after an incident where he flew away they started clipping. I am going to train him by first having him step up a short distance and then slowly (over a long period of time) Start seperating the distance a bit further so he has to jump and then fly.

I'll read that sticky

 

[LordTriggs]

there is a point I will also say in regards to this. Some shaking is to be expected, I took a look into it after the first couple times showering my conure, can't remember word for word but essentially what I read said that parrots shake a bit to generate heat.

Of course drying off with you is probably one of the nicest ways as it adds to your bond, should allow a little more handling and get them used to towels which IMO is important in a bird's life

 

[clark_conure]

in the winter I sit next to my gas fireplace with the blower on and rotate myself quite a bit so he won't be overheated in any one spot.


During the summer he can drip dry, it's warm enough and he seems to like cooler water for some reason...also if he gets cold he just puts his wet body against my neck because he's an A-hole....

 

[LordTriggs]

in the winter I sit next to my gas fireplace with the blower on and rotate myself quite a bit so he won't be overheated in any one spot.


During the summer he can drip dry, it's warm enough and he seems to like cooler water for some reason...also if he gets cold he just puts his wet body against my neck because he's an A-hole....

try having a beard. Your neck becomes not just a space heater it also becomes a nest

 

[clark_conure]

lol when I grow out to much he pulls out the whiskers...I have too shave at least every few days

 

[hnb]

Very thankful I'm a girl atm...

 

[GaleriaGila]

I have used a blow-dryer (low, warm setting) on the Rb since he was a baby. I hold it out at arm's length and he walks from my shoulder about half way down my bicep and just seems ecstatic. This may well be too skin-drying for most species, but he's a Patagonian and evolved on the arid steppes of Patagonia, so he may be better-prepared for the dryer.

I'm not recommending this for everybody, maybe especially for pluckers, but I wanted to put it out there. He absolutely growl-purrs and lifts his wings and closes his eyes and leans into the warm air.

 

[hnb]

Thank you for the advice! Joey is an over preener, and he seems nervous by the blow dryer. It's supposed to be in the 80s today thankfully, so I'll let him air dry And then for the rest of winter just blast the heat I guess before and during a shower in the house and put a towel in my lap and let him use me as a personal heater

 

[Birdman666]

I use a blow dryer, but keep it about an arms length from the bird. After one or two times they should accept it. Most parrots are nervous around anything new. They have to get used to it. Don't give up too soon.

 

[Kiwibird]

If it's chilly, we run a small space heater in the bathroom to warm it up and let Kiwi stay in the bathroom until he's mostly dry. It helps to let him shower first them put him up on the shower curtain rod to drip dry a bit while we shower.

 

[Kiwibird]

try having a beard. Your neck becomes not just a space heater it also becomes a nest

Sorry, couldn't resist

 

[LordTriggs]

try having a beard. Your neck becomes not just a space heater it also becomes a nest

Sorry, couldn't resist

yeah that's how it got for me. My profile picture was the last time I trimmed my beard up until last night (got some blood from a cut stuck on it)