#bath ask

[flock-talk]

Is it weird that my bird will ONLY bathe in her water dish lol. I've tried fountains, sinks, my shower, I've tried offering larger dishes but nope. Only the water dish.

Not at all! It’s a pretty common problem, some birds are just super picky about where they bathe!

For some birds they won’t bathe unless:

The tub is in the exact right location

The water is just the right temperature

The tub is high enough from the ground

The tub is in direct sunlight/ UV

The tub has the right water depth

They’re comfortable enough in the space

There’s toy parts/ lettuce leaves in the water or hanging up moistened

Someone else is flicking the water around (either bird or human)

The sound of water running is present

They can just be pretty picky bathers!

[flock-talk]

I know you shared in the past, but I can't find the info. What sort of bath/waterer are you using for your birds? It looks like a good size for my little guys. I think you said once it was a modified cat/dog waterer?

The one I use now isn’t modified at all! It’s the Pioneer Pet Swan Drinking Fountain, googling that name shows lots of different retailers they can be ordered from.

I used to use a modified one called the Catit Fresh and Clear Fountain but it cost the same amount and I had to add a new pump + tubing to make it bird-compatible plus a splash guard cause the design was not exceptionally intuitive for Newts intense baths. So not really cost effective and honestly it was a hassle in comparison to the Pioneer Pet one!

[flock-talk]

In what way do you most often bathe your beebs? Do you use a spray bottle, or let them have a little fun in a small dish of water?

Usually just a bowl/dish of cool water although Mia has been demanding that she bathe in the tree leaves recently.  During the colder seasons or times when they need to bathe but haven’t I’ll pop them in the shower so they at least get some steam to prevent their skin from getting dry/ itchy.

[flock-talk]

This doesn't have much to do with your birds, but I've heard from a cockatiel owner that he used ecotrition bird bath spray for his cockatiel, and the poor beeb's feathers ended up looking like they were coated in oil, and hardened, so the tiel has to go to the vet so they can see what can be done. So, just thought I'd mention that. So if you or someone you know contemplates that type of bird bath spray, I suppose be wary.

Yeah, I’d never use any sort of spray or ‘bath’ on birds other than just plain water, they don’t use soaps in the wild and certainly don’t need them on their feathers.  Companies who sell those usually know very little about birds and either have unsafe contents or leave invisible residues which cause birds to pluck their feathers in an attempt to remove the residues.  Stay away from gimmicky ‘bath’ products!

[the-booty-of-gardios]

‡ (for baby val)

Send me ‡ for my muse's reaction to yours climbing in the tub with mine.

Hey you, didn't you have a bath with daddy Peo earlier?

[the-booty-of-gardios]

‡

Send me ‡ for my muse's reaction to yours climbing in the tub with mine.

It's a good thing this tub is large enough, isn't it?

[the-booty-of-gardios]

‡

Send me ‡ for my muse's reaction to yours climbing in the tub with mine.

"Well....to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit~?"