Advice on bathing please

[alpeters]

As most of you know i have just got my first baby grey (Popeye) and he as really sttled in well its like having a new born child i even get up min the middle of the night to check on him.

 

Anyway i am coping with most things thanks to this fantastic forum and the people on it i cant thank you all enlough.

 

I am really confused on the correct method of bathing you grey i have been misting him with a garden sprayer once a week but i am unsure on how much to spray him i have been dpoing it from the top of the cage so it falls naturally like rainfall is this correct as i have said he doesnt mind being sprayed abd i dont want to distress him so would like to keep this method.

 

I know there are post on this forum but theres so many different ways people do this so if its ok i would like to ask a few questions

 

1 how many time do i spray my grey per week

 

2 is it best to do it in morning or night

 

3 is there anything i can add to water that will be a benifit to grey.

 

4 i use luke warm water is this correct ?.

 

Many thanks in advance for replies. <br><br>Post edited by: alpeters, at: 2009/05/04 13:31

[Tycos_mom]

How old is your baby he's very cute are you hand feeding him. Thats a good way to bath him and youshould bath him in the morning so thhat he has lots of time to dry you don't want to put him to bed wet. you can add aloe vera juice to the water if you like it helps with dry skin. Twice a week is adverage to bath your grey. You could also try a dish of water in his cage some greys like to bath in a dish some like to shower with their owners it all depends on the bird.

[Tycos_mom]

How old is your baby he's very cute are you hand feeding him. Thats a good way to bath him and youshould bath him in the morning so thhat he has lots of time to dry you don't want to put him to bed wet. you can add aloe vera juice to the water if you like it helps with dry skin. Twice a week is adverage to bath your grey. You could also try a dish of water in his cage some greys like to bath in a dish some like to shower with their owners it all depends on the bird.

[BaxtersMom]

You are right, there are so many different methods and each person has their own way of doing it. It sounds like your baby is already enjoying the benefits of the bathing and is taking to it well. That is great!!! You don't want to stress him out or he will be frightened later and it sounds like you also have that in check:)

 

As for your questions, here is my opinion.

 

1. I take my grey in the shower once or twice a week, spraying is just as good, but they need to get soaked down to the skin. They have dry skin and it helps with the dander/flaking & itchiness of the skin.

 

2. I like to bathe mine during the day time but that is just my preference. When I have bathed mine at night I get worried b/c it takes Baxter so long to dry, (several hours) and I wonder if he gets cold or if he can sleep with damp or wet feathers:dry: I am probably just an overprotective mom on that one though;)

 

3. You can use 100% Aloe Vera Juice. This moisturizes the skin and makes their feathers look nice, too. Some people use it full strength in a spray bottle and some dilute it with water. You can get this at most pharmacies or Walmarts. Mine came in a 1 gal. jug and costs about $10 and lasts a long time (atleast for me)

 

4. I take Baxter in the shower and he gets a nice warm shower at the temp I take (but not hot) and use the Aloe Vera with the mist bottle when he gets dry flaking skin. Some people use warm water which is my preference but others use cold water as well.

 

I hope this helps you out. It sounds like you are doing a pretty good job of it so far.

[Luvparrots]

Hi AlPeters, Popeye is a real cutie. You're right there are different ways to bathe your grey. I bathe Ana Grey (8 months) in the sink and use the faucet as a light waterfall on her back. I never get her head, nostrils or ears wet. She enjoys her bath this way twice a week. On the other days I mist her with Aloe Vera juice and water. She loves the baths and misting. She always jabbers away while preening and primping. I always bathe or mist her in the morning so she will fluff and dry completely before night. I wouldn't want her to get a chill. Her bath is lukewarm and her misting is room temperature. Keep us posted on how Popeye likes his bath!!

[judygram]

I bathe Josey about twice a week and usually in the afternoons so she has plenty of time to dry completely before retiring for the night. Use lukewarm to even cold water for their baths as some like cooler or even cold water to bathe in.

 

A lot of us use aloe vera juice for bathing or as an after bath spray down, it helps make the feathers soft and makes the skin more supple, especially helpful when they are going thru a molt.

 

If he is tolerating the spraying like rain falling on him then that is great, some like to be taken into the shower or the tub.

[Raposa]

I love that picture, Popeye is absolutely adorable!!!

 

As far as bathing, it sounds like you are doing great with mising above so it falls down on him. I am currently bathing Jenna daily at the advice of the vet because she did some feather barbering a while back and we are trying to get her feathers to come in better now; before that I was bathing her about 3x a week. When she is in the mood, she bathes by joining me in the shower, she has a great shower perch. When she is not in the mood to come out for that, I spray her down with aloe juice mixed with water. She always bathes in the morning so she has plenty of time to get dry again.

 

One thing I started with Jenna when she first came home was to wrap her in a towel after bathing, and use that time for cuddling and telling her how fabulous she is. That way she got comfortable with being wrapped in a towel, so if she ever needs to be toweled to keep her safe for any reason, she won't be frightened by the towel. The vet also suggested continuing to occasionally feed her from a syringe even as an adult so that if I ever need to give her medicine she will take it easily. Just a couple of thoughts . ..

 

Congrats on your gorgeous baby, may you have a life time of joy and companionship together

[alpeters]

Thanks to all for the help and advice and of course the support great crowd<br><br>Post edited by: alpeters, at: 2009/05/04 13:30