Cockatoo is brown

Hi everyone

So I'm blessed to have a very cute cockatoo that I bought bright white!!!

BUT I'm also blessed with 5 kids and dirty hands :30: so now poor snowflake is brownflake. And all I want to do is take a scrubbing brush and clean her which I wouldn't but I am OCD so I need some help. My 3 year old told me the washing machine would help, but I forsee a problem with that too......

Hi,
What type of cockatoo do you have?

How are the children handling her? What areas do they touch.

Naturally, without regular bathing, spending time in a cage can cause remnants of food and waste to get on your bird. If you are not doing so already, I recommend regular misting (2-3x a week). If your bird is not afraid, a full shower with room temperature water is just fine!

Its a ducorp ocokatoo.

Kids are handling her fine, but her body is basically brown now from dirty hands.

Can I use soap at all?

DO NOT use soap, shampoo or anything else besides plain water to bathe your cockatoo! The best you can do is use warm water in a spritz bottle (baby bath temperature) to use a gentle mist to spray her down (bathing in the shower or under the sink is also acceptable if she likes it but you can be more certain to spritz all areas of the bird with a bottle). Buy a brand new spray bottle that has never and will never contain anything but plain water (do not reuse any old cleaners spray bottles no matter how well they are washed out). If you use the whole bottle, it'll get her pretty clean. Parrots can be bathed several times a week if they like it, and should be bathed at minimum once a week even if they dislike it (though if that's the case, you should be working to help make it a more enjoyable experience). You also may want to make it a rule the children must wash their hands thoroughly with plain soap and water before handling the bird if their dirty hands are the issue. It is easier and safer for a child to wash their dirty hands with soap and water than a bird to wash it's feathers of the dirt. At the end of the day though, you will have to accept to an extent a white bird will "show dirt" if she is being frequently handled and petted. Call it a sign she is much loved

Cockatoos can take a normal bath in a sink or a shower, I've seen it in stories....no I've seen it on youtube.

There are some bird soaps, but I don't really no anything about them so.....I'd hang out some cockatoo bathing and soap expert will probably pop on sometime today. Don't use any human products no matter how much your OCD gets to you. The washing machine might be an option, as you suspect the bird will be very clean, however the bird will definitely be well...you know...in a shoebox next.

Or do what I do, take a shower with the bird or.....wait till your filling ice trays and have your cockatoo crawl down, stand in the middle of the ice tray and bathe while you shake your head why? please why? I don't recommend the second one....

Welcome to you and your menagerie!

I have a similar situation minus the kids. Several of my cockatoos are a bit tinged due to profuse handling. Frequent misting on warm days is helpful, as is keeping hands as clean as possible. Over time, the problem is self-correcting as the old feathers drop and molting produces a beautiful new look.... for a time!

Thanks everyone for your comments, makes me feel sooooooooooooooo much better:

When Jonesy lived with Amy and I, I purchased on line,from "Dr. Foster's" a 32 oz spray bottle of "Bird Bath". "Plumage and Skin Conditioner"

It is made of.."Aloe Vera and Natural Preen Oil"..."All Natural Herbal Ingredients".."Natra Pet birdbath Spray for caged birds"

I got it to clean/bathe him..He DID NOT groove on baths/showers! It is also used to "help relieve dry,itchy skin...remove scales..prevents excessive molting"

It can be used daily. It was rather "pricey" also I think I paid thirty-something for a 32 oz bottle. I believe they also sell a smaller one.


Jim