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Bathing Habits

expressmailtome

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This is a question that I have had for many years, but as I only have one macaw cannot answer it myself. I have asked a few people that I know with macaws that have seen the same behavior, but I was wondering how common that it truly is. Michael will not bathe himself no matter what setup that I have tried over the years, so I use a spray bottle which he does greatly enjoy. My question is does anyone else have a macaw who gets sprayed/misted and then, and only then, decides to jump into their water bowl while being misted?
 

Shezbug

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Burt will not or has not bathed on his own no matter what I have set up for him so far.
He will happily have a drink and swirl the water a bit before lifting and turning over the dish or pushing the dish to the edge of the table to see it crash and splash on the floor, if I put the water dish for bathing on the floor he will not go near it.
When he is happy to be misted he expects me to mist him till he and the room is drenched.
 

Toy

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My previous B&G showered in the tub & her water dish both. My CAG showers in the tub & water dish. My U2 has a water bottle, so she just showers in the tub. My current B&G Macaw showers in the tub. My hands won't hold up to using a spray bottle, so they go to the tub for showers. I use a hand held shower. I acted silly, splashed water, etc when they were younger, so they'd see a shower as fun.
 

expressmailtome

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My hands won't hold up to using a spray bottle, so they go to the tub for showers.
Mine do not hold up as long as Michael wants either, although he is soaked by the end of it. I have been looking into the sprayers that are battery powered. Drs. Foster & Smith used to sell a nice one (someone I know had one), but they went out of business, and I have not found it again. The closest that I can find are the ones for plants such as these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B42ML58M/ref?th=1 or https://www.amazon.com/airchr-Automatic-Electric-Watering-Adjustable/dp/B088HDVRZT/ref=?th=1 .
 

Shezbug

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You could get a pump pack sprayer to use instead of a trigger bottle. They’re much easier on the hands.
 

expressmailtome

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You could get a pump pack sprayer to use instead of a trigger bottle. They’re much easier on the hands.
I thought of that, but as he will not wear a harness, despite my best efforts, and I do not have an aviary, I was unsure about using one in the house due to the force at which they expel the water, and the close proximity to Michael that I would have to stand so as not to soak my house!
 

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When I shower my birds..."I shower them". There's no way I could spray them (5 hand surgeries/neuropathy), nor do I want my cages, carpets & furniture soaked. Ever since I got them I've showered them in the tub. It goes like this....my U2 & CAG both (not at same time) sit on a table perch in the tub. I spray them with a handheld shower. I lift & spread wings, do under tail, back, chest, under crest, etc. They shake it off in the tub. JaKhu B&G Macaw sets in the tub, no perch. I rinse her off beak to tail, under spread wings, under tail, etc. & then let the shower head hang down, so she can run back & forth. She flaps her wings, jabbers a lot, & plays for as long as I let her. Usually 10 minutes. JaKhu will even lay on her back. Bird is crazy, LOL. With each one I towel off a little, so they aren't dripping wet & then they go back to cages. They love a good soaking shower.

JaJaBinks, previous macaw, would hide behind the shower curtains & pop out saying peek-a-boo.

So my birds basically get showered. I had to teach them showers were fun. Took a while, but slapping water, singing & acting silly eventually got them liking to get a good soaking. Each one has their preferred water temp. U2/warm; CAG/cool, Macaw/room temp.

Now the 2 that have water dishes will stick their feet in, when the vacuum is runnning, and sling water. So dishes get removed before the vaccum gets turned on.

The part I find weird is they hate to get rained on. If they are outside in the aviary (has a roof) & a storm would blow in before we could can them in, they'll hang from the ceiling until it's over.
 

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Frankie likes both bottle spray and his showers, then runs rampant flapping and hanging on anything untl he gets dry.
 

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Amazon sells several varieties of hand held misters. Some battery operated, some you pump up the pressure. Look under reptile spray bottles. Some are actually plant misters but would work as well for parrots.
 

BrianB

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Mine want nothing to do with bathing when they are at home. If I take one of them to the store I can mist them with a bottle and they seem to enjoy it. Christopher bathes in her water dish, but only when someone is running the vacuum. I think she's trying to cram herself in the dish and disappear.
 
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