[Care] Bath Time

[eleeo]

I have a question about bathing my budgie...

He seems to love it. He likes to play in a dish of water while getting sprayed by the sink sprayer (warm water.)

What I'm wondering about is after the bath. Does he need to be dried? Or will he just shake himself dry? Can they get cold?

Some after bath advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Kalvin]

he'll be fine just left to dry himself as long as he's away from draughts and in a warm place. if it's quite cold a slight towel dry (to get most the water off) would be advisable.

[desert penguin1337]

Our budgie doesn't like it at all! She doesn't like to be misted, and if we give her a bowl or a budgie tub she's all freaked out and won't touch it. What's weird is that she's all confidence OUT of the cage, but totally timid inside. How do we get her clean?

[birdpalace]

I'd suggest trying out different bathing techniques. My budgie hates bathing too, but he has to get clean somehow. What I do is pop the bars off his travel cage and fill it with warm water. He'll perch on the edge of it and let me splash it on his back, and then I'll scoop him up in my hands and hold him gently in the water to get his tummy wet. He's sorta funny when he bathes because when i first place him in the water he'll jump out a waddle all over and get everything wet! Sorta like a little kid .

Another ritual to make it up to him that I got him wet is I'll wrap him up in a towel and cuddle with him for awhile until he's dry. He usually doesn't like to be cuddled, but when he's wet he loves to get all wrapped up and get his back rubbed.

Just thought I'd share some cute memories!!!

[desert penguin1337]

Those are all nice, but how do you bathe them before they're hand tamed? We have a lot going on and although we pay attention to her, we can't put everything aside and have her tame in a week like some of you guys have. We're not dedicated enough!!!! *sniff, sniff* so now that I've finished my tirade, I ask, will we just have to be more consistent with the bowl, or just make him mad because he's gotta be clean?

[eleeo]

My budgie isn't tame yet, I just got him yesterday and gave him his first bath today. I put him in the sink in a shallow pan of water and used the dish sprayer on low water pressure to sprinkle over the top of him. I mostly let him walk in and out of the water stream, but I squirt him a few times just to make sure he got good and wet. He seemed to love it. Chirped and fluffed up his feather and flapped his wings around in the pan of water.
My bird's wings are clipped so I wasn't worried about him flying out of the sink, and when I was done I carefully scooped him up with both hands (sort of caged) and set him back in the cage.

Maybe you could try that... or use the bath tub if you don't want to use the kitchen sink. I would make sure I washed out any sink really well before placing a bird in there.

[featherjinxer]

Just place a bowl of water on the bottom of his cage He will probably try it!
1/2 -1 inch deep, start shallow, and as he gains confidence, increase to 1 inch.

[featherjinxer]

Bird place: Without a bath, birds will NOT start to mutalate their feathers.

Baths are good to mantain clean, healthy feathers. Have you ever watched the puddles int he spring/summer? The birds are ALWAYS bathing in them! Most birds LOVE baths, and will hold theith wings out, and begin to look like drowned rats by the time they are through!

There are two meathods:
Bath: place a bowl of 1/2 inch of lukewarm water onthe cage of their floor, or out while you play with them. You may want to put a bead, or piece of fruit in it to attract their attention. Most will be hesitant at first, but will soon enjoyit!
Mist: Buy a mister from a store (or use one you know have NOT chemicals/pesticides/etc. in it. Lightly mist the bird- don't point straight at him until you know he likes it; try putting on his playguym, or somekind of bar, and spray so the water fall down on him. You may also want to do this while it is raining outside the first few times.

Oh, and of course, be sure there are no drafts, and that the room is not really cold. Placing them in some sunlight on their playguym is usually best
Again, NEVER leave birds in a cage indirect sunlight, it can easily become too hot.

[The Matrix DVD]

Well I will get them a little bowl that they can bathe in. But what I'm wondering is this.

I live in Florida which is warm most of the year. So that is good. But we have central AC which keeps our house at 75 degrees. IF the budgies get wet in the AC I wonder if the could make them possibly sick?

[featherjinxer]

I would dbout it- I keep my room about that, too, but I sit them in the sun when they bathe (I used to take them outside, but now with the West Nile...), and they are fine. Just be sure they will ahve adequate time to dry before night, if they really get soaking, you could towel them, though they may be grumpy for the next few days .

[96ghia]

Hi there.
I find that my boy doesn't like dishes of water, (no matter how shallow) and HATES misting, (freaks him out)

You know what he DOES like? (in fact LOVE!) The shower! Yes you heard correctly.

Boyd followed me into the Bathroom one day, as I was about to have a shower. He started chirping and fluffing his feathers out while I was under the water, so I called him to hop down to my finger, then flattened out my Hand under the water, (with part of my hands not being sprayed) and he just jumped right in, and started splashing about and rolling around! Now he joins me pretty much every morning. (before I use any soaps or shampoo of course!)
He doesn't get in a bathe every time, (in fact a lot of the time he just sits on top of the Recess chirping dancing and Headbanging at me) But when he want to join in, he comes himself.
Just thought I'd share my birds experience with you!

I think it might just be individual for each bird.
He usually only does this on hot days, (Although Hot days is when he is most active, and playful)

[Alexander]

One thing that I've always wondered about when I hear about birds in the shower is what do you do about the temperature of the water? I don't know about most people but I enjoy the hot water -- water hot enough not to scold but when I step out of the shower and look in the mirror above the sink through the steam I look like some sort of reddish-pink freak-thing. So how do you do it with the shower? Take one of your own, then turn down the tap to lukewarm?

[96ghia]

If I give Boyd a shower, (particularly currently as in Sydney it has been up to 45°C, thats (113°F) I find that if the water is any warmer than tepid he isn't interested. He also does not like Standing water, but flowing water. By the same token, if its too cold, he isn't interested either.

[cakeybabe]

This might be a silly question, but is newspaper a bad idea when they're bathing? Casey loves newspaper as a liner (he won't go to the bottom if I use anything else) and I bought him a little birdie tub for his cage. Should I worry about the inks getting on his wet feathers and try to use something else, like paper towel?

(This all seemed so much easier when I was 8 and Mom & Dad were the ones to worry about all this!!)

[Also.Spooky]

What is a good way to get your burdgie used to taking baths? My little guy seems to refuse what I try!

[jt_80]

Try big wet piece of lettuce and a shallow plate of water up to the height of their stomach. Once he get uses to bathing you can increase the level of water depending on your budgie. Mine refuses to bath in water deeper then their feet.

[BuuZbee]

This might be a silly question, but is newspaper a bad idea when they're bathing? Casey loves newspaper as a liner (he won't go to the bottom if I use anything else) and I bought him a little birdie tub for his cage. Should I worry about the inks getting on his wet feathers and try to use something else, like paper towel?

(This all seemed so much easier when I was 8 and Mom & Dad were the ones to worry about all this!!)

i wouldnt worry, ink in the papers are made from soy now

[sweetytweety]

oh by the way ..lots of the show people drench their birds right before a show and the birds preen like mad

some claim they have won trophies this way ..lol

but then they go to lengths like dipping tails in a combo of brown sugar and warm water to make them glossy and straight....hair gel for birdies lol lol lol!
elvis lives!

[clifff123]

[sweetytweety]

i get them into a shallow plastic plate..its the bottom part of one of those 'cake keepers' that u take on picnics
its a brillian orange lol and very kitsch but the birds love it
cos it has a little edge they can perch on and the water is only up to their ankles..
mine dont go scuba diving..they push their chest and bellies and flap their wings like old english couples down at brighton lol..(.hey no offense to old couples anywhere..im hoping we will become an old couple too one day and be able get down to the waters edge lol lol)

so dont force the birdies..they follow each other like lemmings ( and i think that theory's been whacked on the head too hasnt it!)

if u want to spray them go ahead but dont aim for the nostrils and allow about an hour before sunset so its still warm enough for them to dry naturally

[pauleys_mom]

i have a bath with a mirror in it they love looking at their selves. the like the mist sr will puff his feathers out & pauley will sit in the tub sometimes . they like to get in it when my son is near them because they will splash him

[NickNack]

My birds were hesitant about bathing at first. I ended up placing a shallow dish with 2 inches of water in it, on top of the play center where they hang out all day. Then I placed lots of lettuce & parsley on top of the water. The birds jumped right in. They loved the water & they nibbled & played on the greens. Wet veggies in a dish will make them rub all over & wash also. Each time just add more water. Before they got into bathing in the dish, I use to wet fresh basil, or carrot tops & hang them up in the cage next to their perches. They would rub all over it & then spend hours preening themselves. Good clean fun & it helps cool them on those hot summer days.