she dons`t like water

[sako]

Hi People summer time here and i would like to give sako baths ,but any time i have tried to introduce her to water eg,Fine mist spray so it lands on her like rain she freaks right out,even had her on my shoulder and took her out in a fine rain but she seems to freak out as soon as she feels moisture on her.
She is doing a little bit of feather plucking,and trying to help her with that as changing her diet and stuff.
My ? is how do i give her baths if she freaks out every time she feels water.or do i need not worry about her getting bathed.
Pluse still trying to convert her to Harrison bird food but no luck so far,and she dosnt not like veggies ether,prevues owner never gave her anything but Zupreem fruit blend,and trying to get her off this.any suggestion on how to help with this to.or should I just give her it.she is 3 year old and I have only had her for 2 months now and i feel she needs better nutrition?
Thank you for any help on these issues.

 

[riddick07]

Will she take a bath by herself if you offer her a bowl of water?

Folger, my cockatoo, will not touch water and freaks if it gets on him. He is a plucker/mutilator so he needs baths to encourage natural grooming. I put a small travel cage in the bath tub and then him inside of the cage and use the detachable shower head to rinse him off. He just sits there and doesn't try to run for it or freak out. He was freaking out so much when I tried to do it any other way that I was afraid he would hurt himself!

 

[MonicaMc]

Here's some bathing techniques you can try....

• Try luke-warm water
• Try cold water
• Try ice-cold water
• Try a spray bottle
• Try a plant mister
• Try in the sink with the water running or just some water in the bottom
• Try in the sink with the sprayer
• Try in the tub with some water in the bottom
• Try a casserole dish or similar with some water
• Try the dish with ice
• Try the dish with foot toys
• Try the dish with some leafy greens like endive or other types of lettuces that may create a "natural" bowl
• Try the dish with a vacuum cleaner
• Try in the shower with you - watching you having a blast getting wet!
• Try dancing the bird into the shower with the water already going
• Try spritzing yourself, and have fun doing it! Then spritz the bird
• Try outside in an empty cage large enough to spread wings during a nice rain shower
• Try outside in an empty cage using the hose with a mist/shower attachment

Most of all, try to make bathing a fun experience!

 

[lquan]

I did what riddick07 did. Put my conure in a small cage in the shower and rinse her with a shower head for the first few times. She just stood still on the perch and wait for it to be over. After the first few times of getting to know water, she is now taking bath on her own. She bath from a water dish on her own now. When giving her shower or bath, make sure the water is cold. Warm water will strip off too much oil on feathers and render them dry and brittle; not good for the bird.

 

[sako]

K thanks everyone I well keep trying different ways with her.
So by the sounds of it bathing her some how is something that needs to be done then on a regular basses?

 

[riddick07]

If she is starting to pluck then baths will help her focus on preening instead of plucking. Too many may stress her even more if she hates water so it is more of a balancing act. Folger gets baths once a week or less now but mostly because I have a collar on him and I figured thats enough stress.

Part of the plucking issue could be diet or she could be bored. Greys are known to become easily bored and pluck. You could try trick training her for some focus and distraction. Does she know how to forage and play with toys? You could also try distracting her when she goes to pluck. My mothers cockatoo twisted her feathers under her wing. So when she would go to that area we would shove a toy under her beak or a napkin before she touched her feathers. Many of our birds are strangely fascinated by tearing up napkins.... forget the 10 dollar toys the cheap napkins work apparently...

If she will only eat Zupreem fruit you could try the Natural Zupreem. She might switch to that easier. Then, you might be able to try pellets of that color. You could also try Roudybush, TOPs, Pepper Harrison, Golden Obles, and Higgins. She just might not like the regular harrisons not all birds like them.

For fresh food offer a chop. You could do pasta, zucchini, carrots, crushed red pepper, red palm oil, and apple. This is close to what I fed at the shelter the last time I was there and the greys seemed to like it a lot.

 

[sako]

Thanks riddick07 I am trying pretty bird species specific,as it is the same color as the Zupreem,but she not biting at that,I think she is addicted to the sugar in that other,didn't know there was a Natural Zupreem,she wont touch the harrision,I just introduced millet to her and know after 5 days of looking at it she devours it,how much of that is to much.she also loves almonds and grapes ,how much of that is to much? I give her lots of different veggis to try as I am a vegetarian but from what i read you want 70% to come from a good pellet source,Correct? She is only 3 has a bit of a plucking thing going on on neck only,and she has been brought up on Zupreem fruit blend with natural flavers, I want to try to help with nutrition part,to see if it helps with plucking, I put her old food in forging dish to make her work for it and leave other easy accsess,but I notice she doesnt touch it, as for the water thing she just hates to touch water so I just try all different things to get her wet ,but I dont want to stress her to much. I thank you again for your help and any more suggestion you might have for me.Is it just a waiting game and a slow winning thing for the food? be well out there all my bird brothers and sisters.and I wish you all peace beyond all understanding

 

[miki]

Adding 2-3 tablespoons of human-grade Aloe Vere juice to the mist-spray water is also good, because it helps keep the skin moist and cuts down on the powder production in African Greys, which is also good.

 

[lorid]

Hi Monica: You responded to a forum about showers for parrots, and one of the lists of ways to get your parrot to shower you said: "Try the dish with a vacuum cleaner". This caught my eye because I notice my Eleanora cockatoo, who hates water and showers, perhaps because she has bald spots from plucking, gets right in her water dish and splashes around when, and only when, I am running the vacuum near her cage. What did you mean by that suggestion? When she does this, I am thinking she is rebelling because she hates the sound of the vacuum cleaner. I wish I could get her to take showers or baths on a regular basis. I haven't tried baths much with her, only showers. My other cockatoo loves showers. She hates them so bad that she shudders and tries desperately to get away. I feel bad forcing her to get wet when she looks so go after she dries. So I don't bathe her very often at all because I hate torturing her. Maybe I should ty with the casserole dish with a little water in it, also one of your suggestions. I was just so shocked to see the vacuum cleaner mentioned, so let me know what you meant by that. Thanks. Lori

 

[Birdman666]

lMy CAG hates showers too.

He takes them anyway. Does his poofy bird dance to try and keep me from giving him one. Gives me the stink eye when it's happening. But it keeps his feather condition in good shape, and keeps the dander down.

All my birds get weekly soakings.

Except the macaws who tend to LOVE water, and become rather insistent on playing in it more than once a week.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Hi Monica: You responded to a forum about showers for parrots, and one of the lists of ways to get your parrot to shower you said: "Try the dish with a vacuum cleaner". This caught my eye because I notice my Eleanora cockatoo, who hates water and showers, perhaps because she has bald spots from plucking, gets right in her water dish and splashes around when, and only when, I am running the vacuum near her cage. What did you mean by that suggestion? When she does this, I am thinking she is rebelling because she hates the sound of the vacuum cleaner. I wish I could get her to take showers or baths on a regular basis. I haven't tried baths much with her, only showers. My other cockatoo loves showers. She hates them so bad that she shudders and tries desperately to get away. I feel bad forcing her to get wet when she looks so go after she dries. So I don't bathe her very often at all because I hate torturing her. Maybe I should ty with the casserole dish with a little water in it, also one of your suggestions. I was just so shocked to see the vacuum cleaner mentioned, so let me know what you meant by that. Thanks. Lori

I'll say here on the open forum what I've told you via my PM for all to see.

As for using the vacuum cleaner, I highly doubt your bird is 'rebelling'. My GW Macaw regularly empties his water dish while I'm vacuuming the house. He's not overly fond of getting bathed either (in the shower, on a shower perch), but the sound of the vacuum gets him going all on his own.

All my birds get a bath at least once a week. It's important to bath them, whether they enjoy it or not.

 

[mh434]

As soon as the vacuum comes on in our house, all 9 parrots (from Lovies up to CAG & Zon) start bathing. They keep bathing as long as the vacuum is running. I have NO idea why, but it ALWAYS works in our house! We always have to ensure that every bird has lots of clean water, before starting up the vacuum...