Allow your parrot to swim, parrot bath Many Psittacidae enjoys bathing or showering, which helps them to refresh and cleanse and smooth their plumage.
The frequency of the baths is to adapt to the bird but it is important to propose a bowl of water or a shower by misting at least once a week.
Some parrots will prefer the bath (sometimes using their own bowl of water) but others will even like to go under the shower of their owner with large water. After each bath, it must be ensured that the bird can dry away from drafts.
The bath (without soap or other products) is, therefore, an essential element for the well-being of the bird and can participate in the establishment of a link between the parrot and its owner.
Do parakeet need bath
In birds, there are two ways to wash: in quick mode by replacing the feathers with the beak or by taking a good bath/shower.
Our wild cousins only have to wait for the rain or find a natural swimming pool (puddle, river, lakeside …) to wash, but we, pet parrots need your help, you human, for that, especially for those of us living exclusively indoors.
And what right do parrots not have the right to shower? You, humans, are doing it well! Word of parrot, I tell you that we have a real need to wash, these are 3 good reasons that prove it to you.
How to Bathe Your Bird 11 Ways!
SOURCE:Love of Pets
Good reason n °1 for a parrot to wash
Parrots don’t have webbed feet but we like to see water, even we love it: it makes us clean.
The action of water allows us to cleanse our skin and our feathers of dust (surrounding and the powder left by the feathers), the oil in excess on our feathers, the particles of dead feathers, parasites, and many other undesirable elements…
Good reason n ° 2 A Zen ritual
The bath is a Zen moment for us too (on the other hand for us no need for candles and a bubble bath!). It’s a great way to relax and relieve tension.
Washing is part of our daily ritual. And like any ritual, it must be applied in a certain order. Short description for bipeds of your uninitiated type:
– We usually start by taking a sip of water, just to take the temperature!
– We shake the tip of the spout and the head so that the water is distributed everywhere
– Then we jump on foot together (well, if it’s a bath!)
– And we vigorously shake the wings and rump alternately to moisten all the feathers and send water everywhere (parrots are sharers !!!)
– Once finished, we “wring” the feathers by shaking the butt a little and keeping the wings a little open. The sun is great for helping with drying, on the other hand, the hairdryer we don’t like too much … so please avoid it (risk of burns).
– Then we reorganize the feathers (we replace them, we drop the dead feathers, we crumble the keratin tubes of the molting feathers …) all using the beak
– We also clean the legs and the beak (by rubbing it on the perch)
Good reason n ° 3: long-term occupation
Grooming, a solution to pecking? In terms of behavior, we say that grooming is a so-called comfort occupation. The latter is extremely time-consuming for a bird.
Washing your parrot (with its will, of course …) is a great way to fight against pecking simply because a simple shower of a few minutes can occupy a parrot for a long time.
After the shower, he spends a lot of time drying himself, replacing his feathers, opening his keratin tubes, etc. He, therefore, takes care of his feathers but wisely!
Bathing parrots
SOURCE:wingsNpaws
Several strategies to wash your parrot?
There are different techniques, the most common are:
- The bath (in a cup, in the sink, in the bathtub …)
- A bathtub in the cage
- Shower, possibility to put suction cup perch
- The spray
- Wet leaves or grass
- The rain
If your parrot is showering on its own, always keep an eye on it.
African grey bird bath
SOURCE:wingsNpaws
Bathing Options For Your Bird
What should the water temperature be for a parrot?
What we like is lukewarm water or water with a cool tendency (especially on beautiful summer days). Hot water can really be dangerous for us and damage our epidermis or plumage.
Just aim!
If you are the one who is spraying us, please refrain from watering us in the head, it is not at all pleasant.
The areas we highly appreciate are, in order of preference:
- The back
- The inside of the wings when open
- The belly
The toilet and its options for parrot
birds showering
According to my sources, the shower (whether in the bathroom or in fine watering via a spray, a jet of water …) is our preferred means of the toilet, all species combined.
Then comes the bath and finally the rain. All this is obviously a matter of taste, and each parrot must be able to decide on its mode of grooming. Human, it’s up to you too to find what works best for us!
But we also have other ways to take care of ourselves:
- dust baths (it’s more a chicken thing than parrots, it must be admitted …)
- fumigation. Some birds can make “baths” of smoke, for example on a chimney. Parrots are not much concerned with this mode of grooming.
- sunbathing
A personal note for cosmetic salespeople: a parrot only needs water to wash. No soap or other product, would destroy the “protective film” of the feathers, and could cause itching of the skin and go to pecking.
baths for parrots
When to shower your parrot?
The bath ritual must be done in broad daylight on the one hand so that we have time to dry before going to bed. Count a minimum of 2 hours before bedtime
In terms of frequency, each of us has our preferences: more or less often. It’s up to you to find what fits your comforter!
An average of 2 showers/baths per week is a good average. In the molting period, do not hesitate to offer us more regular access to water as this will facilitate the regrowth of our new feathers.
Baths for parrots
SOURCE:MARLENE MC’COHEN
My parrot refuses to wash
For most of us, we don’t need encouragement to go to the bathroom. If you come across a somewhat reluctant parrot, accompany it gently and encourage it the first few times. If you come across a parrot totally reluctant to this idea, it is important to find a non-traumatic way to wash it for the good health of their feather and their skin. Forcing him to take a shower is useless
African grey bird bath
Here are some simple solutions for anti-shower parrots:
– Place a tuft of grass, a leafy branch, and a salad well watered beforehand, and the parrot will be happy to rub on it.
– In light rain, take the cage outside. A few minutes will suffice. (Idea to forget during a thunderstorm, obviously …).
