Bath Time

[eubankclare]

Hello

I have read on alot of posts about people bathing their parrots, can you please tell me how you do this? I have not got an african gray yet and am doing my research ready to get one in about a year i think.

Anyway i have seen people taking about taking them into to shower with them or bathing in a sink?

Also can anyone recomend a good book for me to read?

Thanks

Clare

[PrimusDCE]

I am new myself, but I know you can also use a spray bottle. I would recommend one that makes a fine mist instead of a stream. I actually gave my new Grey it's first shower this morning while he was on top of his cage and he didn't seem to mind, but I have heard other owners say that it upsets their bird.

 

Another idea I read was to fill a clean paint pan with shallow water and have the bird bathe itself.

 

Like you said you can also take it in the shower with you, but this might be a process. I am eventually going to try and train mine to do this once it trusts me a bit more.

 

Ultimately I think it will depend on your bird's preferences, but those are a few things to try.

[eubankclare]

Thanks for replying

I didnt think spraying would be enough as their feathers are waterproof so how does it reach the skin?

Also witht he shower does the bird attually sit in the shower or just get the steam/mist? (You might all think im realy stupid now LOL)

[Brittany]

Some people use the spray bottle..i've even seen people sit their grey in a sink and wash it.

 

But I personally let my grey sit on the top of the shower, then I will get him to step-up and put him under the running shower and wa la. He doesn't necessarily hate or love it, but I never get bitten because of it. Unless you try to pick him up immediately after the shower LOLL

[Tricky]

My grey doesn't like bath time at all... What I've been doing lately is spraying him with a spray bottle while we're sitting outside and he is in his travel cage (nowhere to escape, hehe)

 

It's hard to soak them with a spray bottle but you'd be surprised to see how well it works once you've been spraying for a minute. Letting them get the steam from the shower is good for them as well, although I don't know if that really counts as a bath.

[Elvenking]

I would recommend one that makes a fine mist instead of a stream.

 

A very good point indeed!

 

I have had difficult times with getting Issac wet, I still take him under the shower head and he gives little grunts of annoyance, but I get him wet. I would only recommend to be gentle, try some of the things suggested and go with the one that is of least resistance. Reading all the posts on here about bathing, I have come to see that many get bathed but will always put up a little fuss. Others have total luck, and I have seen videos of greys totally under the shower head with no isses at all.

[esknomoe]

I've worked with Brutus with a spray bottle. He gets mildly annoyed if I spray a mist straight up in the air and let it fall on him like rain. He absolutely hates having it sprayed directly at him. I have a bottle of that EZ Care Bathtime stuff, and he goes nuts at the mere sight of the bottle. He will violently attack it on a table. Occasionally he will bathe himself in his water bowl in his cage or on his play stand.

[eubankclare]

aw thanks for that, i love reading about how they all have their own little personalities, im making myself a book up of things id like to do when i get my gray. That way i will always have a quick reference and not have to trail back through posts

Does anyone have any goos books on grays?

[esknomoe]

Annette Wolter's book, "African Gray Parrots" is pretty popular. There are also several books about parrots in general that have chapters about Greys.

[Jayd]

Hi, more info to store, You should soak your baby to the skin at least 1 time a week, then soak them with Aloe Vere Juice once a week, it helps keep the skin from drying out.I do it every 3 days, 1st water, 3 days later, Aloe, Ask Jilly nd Pearllyn what to get where your at. I feel the best reading is Maggie Wright's: African Gery Parrots.http://www.maggiewright.net/ this is a excellent site, http://www.africangreys.com/ and one more http://www.alexfoundation.org/ Jayd

Edited May 21, 2010 by Jayd

[Lambert58]

i'll preface this by saying that our conures are water bugs... they LOVE getting soaked. But. Our Greys. LOL. No. Water is evil.

 

So what to do? Well, we did our homework before we even got our greys, so we knew this was going to be a challenge. Since they were 8 weeks old we've been bringing them into the shower and letting them perch on top of the (towel covered) shower curtain.

 

We have a morning ritual which involves both greys coming in to perch on the shower curtain rod. Sometimes they get wet, sometimes they don't. I like to keep 'em guessing :cool:

[justalady721]

I am still pretty new Houdini is only a year old. but I gave him a bath in the sink first then we worked up to the shower I would put him in the tub and turn on the shower and now he follows me into the shower and sits either on my shoulder or my head while I shower then I get him to step up on my hand and run him under neith the running water and he just sits on my hand he isnt scared and doesnt make a noise. he will try to drink some of the water comming down. Our first bath in the sink he did let me know he wasnt real fond of. i think it is like everyone else said you just have to find a way that is good for you and your grey they are all different. Good luck to you getting a grey was the best purchase I have ever made in my life. I love him so much he is like one of my children.

[Jayd]

Here's a good post by Dave007...http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?189746-Aloe-Vera-juice&p=195565#post195565 Jayd

[judygram]

Josey tries to bathe herself in her water bowl but I usually take her into the shower and try to get her wet, she doesn't much care for it but tolerates it, I also use the aloe vera juice on her.

Another good book on greys is "For the Love of Greys" by Bobbi Brinker, a good read but I must admit that this forum has been more helpful than any grey book I have read, nothing beats personal experiences.

[JillyBeanz]

Aloe vera juice is available in all health shops and all bigger Asda's - not sure about the other supermarkets though, but it's about £10 a litre. I know it sounds a lot - but it does go a long way if you dilute it

[eubankclare]

Thanks for this - im adding it to my book for what i need when getting my gray LOL