Parrotlet bathing

[Gribouille]

I didn't see how! All I could imagine was you had a magic, voodoo secret.

Sorry, nope..

 

[Gribouille]

Bathing update. I thought I would film today's shower.
The cage is home made with bird netting and perches from the local wood, the white edge is made of plasticine that hardens in the oven.
The cage is perfect for transport of untame birds, I just hold it in front of the open cage door, they go inside (sometimes I have to push them a little with my hand through the other door of the cage), I turn the cage against my belly to close it under transport, put it upside down in the shower, then back to their cage, if I don't use the opportunity to take them in my hand and check them for injury, feel the keel bone and scratch them a little so they see it is not all that bad to be touched.

Here is Twitter demonstrating:

 

[LSA]

Thanks @Gribouille, that taught me alot! I didn't know what to do when he hid from misting and wouldn't stay on my shoulder or finger outside the birdroom. Chirps goes into his travel cage almost weekly. Maybe I should take advantage of that to bathe him.

The conures love the bowl on Daytona's cage for bathing. It's almost empty when I let Chirps out. He heads over to it to bathe but not nearly as often as them.

My p'let Chirps IS the Sworn Enemy of Budgiekind! He'll land on their cage and yell at them. They just look at him with curiosity but know not to get too close.

I made the mistake of opening the conure cages at the same time as his. Chirps, one at a time, picked a fight with each until I actually separated he and Daytona, SdC, and put him in his cage. I THOUGHT he'd learn after Sir Lancelot, GCC. I'd NEVER seen Duchess, BCC, fight before, but he did it! My scolding after Daytona, "She'll kill you! She's only about a million times as big as you!" seemed to rile Chirps up even more!

 

[Gribouille]

Thanks @Gribouille, that taught me alot! I didn't know what to do when he hid from misting and wouldn't stay on my shoulder or finger outside the birdroom. Chirps goes into his travel cage almost weekly. Maybe I should take advantage of that to bathe him.

They didn't like this cage either at the beginning, they were climbng around to try and find a way out but I am careful not to spray them if they show they hate it. I wait a little, sing calm songs and try again. sometimes I have to adjust the temperature too, or how strong the spray is. They seem to prefer soft rain and body temperature, and now thatthey are used to shower that way they seem to enjoy it most of the time.

Yeah, Twitter is not nice to my budgies either, he is sent to the kitchen in detention most of his fly time and would try to bite nova again as soon as he is out, so I don't think he will ever learn: he doesn't want to!!

 

[LSA]

They didn't like this cage either at the beginning, they were climbng around to try and find a way out but I am careful not to spray them if they show they hate it. I wait a little, sing calm songs and try again. sometimes I have to adjust the temperature too, or how strong the spray is. They seem to prefer soft rain and body temperature, and now thatthey are used to shower that way they seem to enjoy it most of the time.

Yeah, Twitter is not nice to my budgies either, he is sent to the kitchen in detention most of his fly time and would try to bite nova again as soon as he is out, so I don't think he will ever learn: he doesn't want to!!

Tommy, budgie, has figured out how to open Chirps' feed door and eat his food.

Hmm, maybe the mist water is too cold. I never really considered that. How long before Twitter started bathing? (Chirps is 4yo and his previous owner didn't think bathing him was necessary.)

 

[Gribouille]

Tommy, budgie, has figured out how to open Chirps' feed door and eat his food.

Hmm, maybe the mist water is too cold. I never really considered that. How long before Twitter started bathing? (Chirps is 4yo and his previous owner didn't think bathing him was necessary.)

I would lock that door so that Tomy can't open it. Too hazardous...

I don't think the water is too cold, and better too cold than too warm. Especially in a mist, the water tempers very quickly so it shouldn't be a problem, but maybe they feel attacked when touched by the water they didn't ask for.
Twitter started bathing in my hand under the spring and hated it, he was really scared. But he refused to climb in the bus-cage, as I call the one I showed you. So I saw no alternative then since he didn't bath on his own. He was about 8 months old when I found out I could catch him, cuddle with him until he relaxed enough (= stopped shivering, he knew he only got caught for shower time) and then I let him climb on the perch in the bus-cage. Once he was setted I started the shower, slowly, giving him a chance to move out of the spray if he didn't like it, then try again. Easiest is to shower their back first, it is like rain and they handle it pretty well. The belly they don't like that much but they use to agree after 2-3 respectful attempts. The point is to go slow and follow their rythm, not force them under water if they panick, give them time, then they'll get it. Even Merlin learned to shower, although he still doesn't like it and the showers are short, he stays put on the side when he is finished and waits for Nova, who likes long showers (I shower them together so they comfort each other, they pancik more if I separate them.)

 

[MauiWendy]

I've tried a bowl, she sat happily on the edge and when I dipped my fingers in the water she watched, but she didn't like droplets of water dripped on her... didnt investigate the water. The sound of running water seems to upset her, if I turn on the tap while she is on my arm she climbs away from the water... maybe it's something she has to get used to gradually...?

For a P’lets you only need a little bit of water just to cover the bottom of the dish. Make sure it’s a shallow dish. You can even use one of those dishes that goes under a plant when you water it. I would put it on top of her cage or where ever she is comfortable and let her explore up there and see what happens. If she doesn’t bath, try again the next day and the next day and so on.

 

[MauiWendy]

Bathing update... I tried gentle misting, over the cage not directly at her... She seemed to really like it, and now aheslets me spray mist her every few days now... perhaps she's a shower bird more than a bath bird? I will try the rubber ducky song, see if it helps!

That’s good she likes to be misted. My P’let hated it and if she even saw the spray or a spray bottle she would turn on her hissy fit button and hunt it down. Man she was a great bird..

 

[LSA]

For a P’lets you only need a little bit of water just to cover the bottom of the dish. Make sure it’s a shallow dish.

This dish is wide and shallow that I found at the thrift store. It's wide enough for Duchess then Daytona and Sir Lancelot to bathe in. By the time Chirps sees it, the bowl has very little water in the bottom. The last thing I want is a drowned baby! Chirps only bathes in the bowl every couple of weeks. Everybirdy else bathes daily to weekly.

Thanks @Gribouille for the "Tommy" advice. I watched closely and saw what Tommy was doing. I noticed the budgies were eating less and Chirps was eating more. Tommy seems to like seeds with his pellets (like Chirps) and JoJo likes a few pellets with his seeds. Any ideas?

 

[Hawkward]

Good topic! My p'let only likes to bathe in his freshly changed drinking water. Even though the bowl is too small to fit in lol. I even got him a shallow little bath that is nice and wide, which is what he drinks out of *facepalm*

He haaaaaates being misted, and is terrified of the sink so far. Everyday is an adventure with these little guys!

 

[Gribouille]

Thanks @Gribouille for the "Tommy" advice. I watched closely and saw what Tommy was doing. I noticed the budgies were eating less and Chirps was eating more. Tommy seems to like seeds with his pellets (like Chirps) and JoJo likes a few pellets with his seeds. Any ideas?

Today, Twitter managed to bite Nova through the net of the cage, and when I caught her to assess the damage, I saw the little had cut off a claw Poor little girl... She looks just like Merlin now then, since he was missing a claw too when I got him...
Be careful with p'lets and budgies guys, they aren't kidding...

As for the seeds and pellets.. On my bird-vet's advice, I use to give pellets in the morning (1 spoon/bird) and seeds (about the same amount, in another bowl than the pellets) when I come home in the afternoon/evening. So they usually have eaten the pellets up and seeds are just a snacks. I leave their bowl in the cage until the next afternoon so they can forage in there in search of forgotten seeds during the day.

 

[LSA]

Today, Twitter managed to bite Nova through the net of the cage, and when I caught her to assess the damage, I saw the little had cut off a claw Poor little girl... She looks just like Merlin now then, since he was missing a claw too when I got him...
Be careful with p'lets and budgies guys, they aren't kidding...

I'm sorry to hear about your baby!!! I can only imagine. I haven't had a budgie in almost 45 years, but I have had a p'let in that time. I bought some ss carabiners for my p'let's food, treat and water dishes. Chirps is only out alone since he hates the budgies and picked fights with all three conures. He'll probably try Sherman next (She moves faster than most think she can.) or go into Glenn's room. Chirps isn't the smartest but he thinks he's the toughest!

Tomorrow, a friend and I are going to the kennel/pet store and bowls will be in order.

Again, so sorry to hear about your baby's foot. That must have been so scary.

 

[Mark & Da Boyz]

Here is a photo of Streak "Soaking Wet"




Here's Riti and here Idea of "Soaking Wet"




Streak got sprayed and Riti hopped in her water bowl. I won't post a photo of Cheddar as someone would likely call the ASPA as they'd think I was trying to drown him.

 

[Gribouille]

Chirps is only out alone since he hates the budgies and picked fights with all three conures.

Thanks for your concern! The budgies' cage was open and Twitter went in, then out again, while Nova did the opposite, and he managed to bite her when she was inside while he was outside... It had happened before but nothing serious, and this time there was no blood (when he attacked Merlin there was blood everywhere, I really thought he had cut off the whole foot but there was only a scratch on the top of a finger...).
I caught her after 5 min, waiting for her to calm down and go inside the cage again -she had jumped out when I chased Twitter away, and I saw she was favoring one foot so I wanted to check. It really doesn't look dramatic, just a little spot with blood but still, Twitter is not coming out of the kitchen tonight... I want to avoid any stress to Nova while she is healing..

 

[LSA]

Here is a photo of Streak "Soaking Wet"

View attachment 292600


Here's Riti and here Idea of "Soaking Wet"

View attachment 292601


Streak got sprayed and Riti hopped in her water bowl. I won't post a photo of Cheddar as someone would likely call the ASPA as they'd think I was trying to drown him.

The pics are great! How often does Streak bathe (get sprayed )?

 

[Mark & Da Boyz]

Streak passed away about 2 years ago. He hated being wet when he took a bath in his bowl it not him that got wet but everything around him.

 

[LSA]

It had happened before but nothing serious, and this time there was no blood (when he attacked Merlin there was blood everywhere, I really thought he had cut off the whole foot but there was only a scratch on the top of a finger...).

Thankfully that was all... It really scared me and taught me a lesson!!! How'd you not totally freak? I'm worse than my birds! We're at the AV for the slightest.

 

[LSA]

Streak passed away about 2 years ago. He hated being wet when he took a bath in his bowl it not him that got wet but everything around him.

Sorry. My bad. I don't remember you mentioning Streak anywhere but here so should've known.

That's how my conures, especially Daytona, are. Water is on the floor is the FIRST clue Daytona has been bathing.

 

[Gribouille]

Thankfully that was all... It really scared me and taught me a lesson!!! How'd you not totally freak? I'm worse than my birds! We're at the AV for the slightest.

I am a very pragmatic person. What is done is done, I can't change it so there is no point in freaking out.

 

[Rain Bow]

I am a very pragmatic person. What is done is done, I can't change it so there is no point in freaking out.

I've been practicing this concept. It's been helping my daily panic attacks a ton! I wished someone had taught me how to be in this mindset a million years ago!
it's one thing to worry & think about how to change a situation. It's a whole other scenario to get sick with concern over stuff you cannot change.

Rain