• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

How to train my bird not to take a bath in it's water bowl

flyzipper

Rollerblading along the road
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/28/20
Messages
2,591
Location
Canada
Real Name
Steve
I would suggest focusing entirely on finding a way they will bathe when you have them outside the cage (rather than, "How to train my bird not to take a bath in it's water bowl").

You will need to...
  • try multiple approaches... a bowl, the sink, the edge of the sink under running water, a mister, the shower, etc, etc (because they won't like all of them)
    - you know she likes her stainless steel water bowl, so I'd start there... just place it, or one like it, outside of the cage
  • offer the opportunity every day (they probably wont want to bathe every day, but it ensures they bathe outside their cage on the days they do)
  • offer the opportunity at different times of day (start by observing when they choose to bathe in their dishes)
  • observe their body language (my GCC will excitedly watch me wash the dishes, and I know she's interested in a sink-side bath when I'm done)
  • never force them to bathe in a way you want, rely on them choosing.
Even when you find their preferred day/time/approach that won't guarantee they'll stop bathing in their water bowls, but will probably reduce the occurrence.

Regarding their water bowls... is there a way you could locate them in the central part of their enclosure, away from the edges, so splashing is contained?
 

LostStoner

Meeting neighbors
Joined
11/30/20
Messages
39
Yea, so you would use one large plastic mat instead of the puppy pads. Then push the cage off and tip debris in the bin, then mop the mat to clean.You wouldn´t have to buy any more things then, just clean your one seethrough mat down. And as it´s transparent it won´t be as much an eye sore, you would just see something shiny on the floor.
Just cut the mat large enough so that it goes out far enough to catch all the flung stuff, poops and splashed water.
The one you linked to had the spikes though I didn't see any option to change to a smooth or flat one? Did I miss something?
 

Shezbug

ASK ME FOR PICTURES OF MY MACAW!
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/28/18
Messages
25,837
Location
Vic, Australia
Real Name
Shez
The one you linked to had the spikes though I didn't see any option to change to a smooth or flat one? Did I miss something?
I think it was just used as an example of the sorts of protective things that are readily available for covering up flooring of different types. They make the same sort of stuff without the spikes and you can also get some non slip stuff to put under the corners so it stays put on the smooth floor. My uncle had them in his shop so it was easy to clean up the engine grease that accidentally got walked through by workers.
 

LostStoner

Meeting neighbors
Joined
11/30/20
Messages
39
I would suggest focusing entirely on finding a way they will bathe when you have them outside the cage (rather than, "How to train my bird not to take a bath in it's water bowl").

You will need to...
  • try multiple approaches... a bowl, the sink, the edge of the sink under running water, a mister, the shower, etc, etc (because they won't like all of them)
    - you know she likes her stainless steel water bowl, so I'd start there... just place it, or one like it, outside of the cage
  • offer the opportunity every day (they probably wont want to bathe every day, but it ensures they bathe outside their cage on the days they do)
  • offer the opportunity at different times of day (start by observing when they choose to bathe in their dishes)
  • observe their body language (my GCC will excitedly watch me wash the dishes, and I know she's interested in a sink-side bath when I'm done)
  • never force them to bathe in a way you want, rely on them choosing.
Even when you find their preferred day/time/approach that won't guarantee they'll stop bathing in their water bowls, but will probably reduce the occurrence.

Regarding their water bowls... is there a way you could locate them in the central part of their enclosure, away from the edges, so splashing is contained?
Thanks for the info!

Yeah I suppose I could move them they are not stuck in position like some cages do, I have the Prevue Hendryx flight cage for each of them, so I bought the bolt on water bowls that can be moved. Where I have them now is in either side of the food. Since the food is towards the front of the can't on the right side I have one immediately to the left of it, and one around on the inside front to the right of the food, and there is a ladder going down from the food to it.

As for all the different approaches to trying to bath I have tried a couple, I'm not sure what you mean when you say "the sink, the edge of the sink under running water" isn't that kinda the same or what do you mean that's different?

I have tried leaving the water running in a low little stream in the sink, they didn't like that.
I also tried putting a plug in the sink so it would make a little pool of water with the water still lightly running, they didn't like that.
I've tried just water in the sink without water running, they didn't like that.
I've tried using the sprayer on the sink, but with the water down low so that it's not so intense and is more like a rain shower, they didn't like that. I've also tried a bowl in the sink with and without water running into it, they didn't like that.

So I'm not sure what else there is that I'm not thinking of. I saw a woman on youtube who would out a towle down in her sink, and turn the water on low, and then her bird would hop in, but that seems excessive to me, especially since they like washing their hair in stainless steel bowls and my sink is also stainless steel.

I've also tried a ceramic pie pan, a stainless steel pie pan, a big wide rimmed cup, a bowl as well, and they didn't either one want any of those either.

So the only thing left out of your list really is the shower. However I have been kinda leary of doing that because I'm not sure how to get it down to a low enough pressure where it will keep spraying out if my shower head, because if there isn't enough pressure, then it just starts coming out into the tub instead.
 

flyzipper

Rollerblading along the road
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/28/20
Messages
2,591
Location
Canada
Real Name
Steve
So the only thing left out of your list...
I wasn't intending to be prescriptive with my suggestions, it was simply to encourage you to try anything and everything in order to determine what your flock enjoys.

What temperature of water do you use?
In the above video, and in the misting bottle I use for my macaws, the water is cold.
In the winter, I take the edge off by mixing a small amount of hot, so it's not so bone-chilling.

I'll add that my conure is the only one of my birds who actually asks for a shower; my other two need to be offered the opportunity.
 

Sparkles!

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
12/9/20
Messages
1,890
So the only thing left out of your list really is the shower. However I have been kinda leary of doing that because I'm not sure how to get it down to a low enough pressure where it will keep spraying out if my shower head, because if there isn't enough pressure, then it just starts coming out into the tub instead.
Never, ever....ever stick a bird under a stream of pressurized water.

There are many bird parents who shower with their birds, I’m one of them. The bird is on a shower perch, located out of direct water contact. Often enough, the residual splashing of water from our bodies getting wet is enough for the birds, especially little beaks, to get a bath in. Just being in the high humidity is also a reason why some bring their birds into the shower. Bigger birds can take a trickle or small stream on them during a shower, and some people even have the bird on a perch in the shower stall but mist from a sprayer bottle simply because the shower stall is water proof and can contain the mess.

Bathing needs to be a choice. You really want your birds to bathe how *you* want them too, but in the end sometimes it’s just the plight of a bird parent that we allow them choice to make healthy decisions and just clean up the mess later.
 

LostStoner

Meeting neighbors
Joined
11/30/20
Messages
39
I know it's been a while since I last posted to this thread, but I thought I'd update it anyway.

So I've tried everything except placing them in the shower with me because I don't take short showers, and also use a chemical called Hibiclens as my body wash as recommended by a dermatologist and I'm not sure if it would be safe to use around them while I'm in there.

I also didn't do the bowl in the bottom of the cage because to me that is the same or worse than taking a bath in their water bowls.

Not only are they not taking a real full bath to bathe everything including their wings, wing pits, tail feathers, back, and cloaca, they only wash their head in their water bowls, but those water bowls are full of food that they have been dunking in it since the last time I changed it which I do two to three times a day because if all this.

Since they dunk their food in their water they end up with a soup of sorts, and then they wash only their face and head in that soupy mix, to get it smeared all over their feathers and stuff, and that's just gross, especially if they do it in the one they have been dunking their freeze dried fruit and veggies in, double yuck.

If you put a bowl of water in the bottom of the cage, they are just gonna poop in it, and then climb in and try to take a bath and end up covered with their own poop just like they do with the food, unless they eat the poop first instead which is the nastiest thing ever.

So I've decided next time I go to the store I'm getting silo waterers for them, and that will be what they use from now on so they can't dunk their head in it anymore, I may give them one of these bowled on days I give them the freeze dried fruits and veg, and that would only be for a short while.

hopefully not being able to take a bath in their water bowls will make them be more open and receptive to taking a normal bath, in clean water to wash their entire bodies.

thats the only thing I can come up with that isn't nasty, dosent cost a small fortune, and gets them to stop washing their heads in their homemade soup.
 

Rain Bow

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
5/3/17
Messages
4,727
@JLcribber
Carries a bathing deck


Sometimes you are able to work directly w/ him if you need modifications to be made to mount or change, John's items. He's all about, the way a bird function's so if your idea will not work for dome reason, he'll more than likely be able to give you his 10¢. I've even known him to work w/ owners of severely handicapped birds. He's all in the know, & we :heart:that he's graced us w/ his knowledge blessings.
 

NorthernGannet

Sprinting down the street
Joined
6/1/19
Messages
333
Location
Missouri
I don't have much to add here, lots of suggestions! Recently I had to downsize from the standard SS bowl in my cage to a bolt-on 5 oz SS dish for the water. Mostly I did it because one of my birds decided the molded ring/dish was a good perch and would poop in the water multiple times a day. The smaller dish is located in the corner and is not an inviting perch spot. And neither of them will bathe in it! So two thumbs up for the small dish even though it seems so puny. One of them is a pellet dunker and continues to do so, so I guess it won't solve the food part. If you find the water silos are getting gunked up from food in them, you could try a small sized dish and see if it solves the bathing issue at least. I also do not fill it more than halfway. I mist my guys with a squirt bottle for bathing.
 

cement

Meeting neighbors
Joined
1/31/23
Messages
23
Real Name
mason
I know it's been a while since I last posted to this thread, but I thought I'd update it anyway.

So I've tried everything except placing them in the shower with me because I don't take short showers, and also use a chemical called Hibiclens as my body wash as recommended by a dermatologist and I'm not sure if it would be safe to use around them while I'm in there.

I also didn't do the bowl in the bottom of the cage because to me that is the same or worse than taking a bath in their water bowls.

Not only are they not taking a real full bath to bathe everything including their wings, wing pits, tail feathers, back, and cloaca, they only wash their head in their water bowls, but those water bowls are full of food that they have been dunking in it since the last time I changed it which I do two to three times a day because if all this.

Since they dunk their food in their water they end up with a soup of sorts, and then they wash only their face and head in that soupy mix, to get it smeared all over their feathers and stuff, and that's just gross, especially if they do it in the one they have been dunking their freeze dried fruit and veggies in, double yuck.

If you put a bowl of water in the bottom of the cage, they are just gonna poop in it, and then climb in and try to take a bath and end up covered with their own poop just like they do with the food, unless they eat the poop first instead which is the nastiest thing ever.

So I've decided next time I go to the store I'm getting silo waterers for them, and that will be what they use from now on so they can't dunk their head in it anymore, I may give them one of these bowled on days I give them the freeze dried fruits and veg, and that would only be for a short while.

hopefully not being able to take a bath in their water bowls will make them be more open and receptive to taking a normal bath, in clean water to wash their entire bodies.

thats the only thing I can come up with that isn't nasty, dosent cost a small fortune, and gets them to stop washing their heads in their homemade soup.
im aware this thread is rlly old but eh.
yeah mine do the same thing. its rlly annoying when giving them fresh water and they hop on in to immediatley dirty it, without even drinking it first. they do however have a big plastic bowl ontop their cage for bathing, and they use it, but as soon as they were back IN the cage they ran straight to the ss bowl.. still wet from the proper bath, istg.
i think ill do the same as you and just gonna get the silo waterers
 
Top