Do you know how to bathe your bird? There are several ways to offer bathing independently as well as helping them figure it out. Not all birds enjoy bathing the same way and it takes time to find what is right for each bird. We want it to be a positive experience. It is great if you can provide your bird with a fresh bowl of water to bathe on their own, but by bathing them yourself you can often get them wetter and more thoroughly clean. You can bathe them in a sink or tub, but there should never be standing water more than covers their feet. We at SBF mostly use a sink and the sprayer attachment. It is best if they get bathed 1-2 times a week. To bathe your bird you simply place them into the sink or tub and lightly spray over them with lukewarm water, making sure to get them wet down to their skin. You can start on their tail and back, then work on their wings and don't forget under their wings, too! Go lightly but quickly go over their head while trying not to get too much water in their nose and then do their chest and near their vent.
You can even use a little bit of coconut oil on their beak and feet when you're done to complete the spa experience. You don't need to use any soaps for their baths. Often times soaps and shampoos will strip the natural oils your bird produces to protect their feathers. Shampoos and soaps are only necessary when your bird has gotten into something that needs to be washed off. When bathing your bird, try to do it early in the day so they have all day to preen their feathers back into place and to be dry by bed time. Bathing is a great physical activity, too. If your bird is bored or on a screaming binge, sometimes a bath will help give them a positive activity to do. Lastly, we really suggest avoiding using a hair dryer on your bird unless it is sick or has other health issues that you would worry about it catching a chill. The warm air feels good on them, but it will dry out their skin and reverse the moisture you just added thru the bath. Also, some hair dryers can have non-stick coating on it and cause issues if it gets too hot.
Not sure how to start? Check out this video and remember, we do offer bathing thru our grooming appointments and we can bathe any kind of bird. We are also happy to have you watch us while we do it and give you pointers on tackling it at home!
-Brittany