Bath Time?!?!?

Ok guys this isn't really a problem question just a what's your suggestion question.

So most of you know I took in a baby Scarlet Macaw who was being mistreated and was very afraid of everything and anything. So he is now 7 months old and I feel that we can finally tackle bath time! My question is do you have any suggestions on how to introduce him to the water without have a freak out session. I've filled a water dish with water in his cage and he seems to love dipping his beak in and spraying water everywhere LOL

Just wondering if the bathtub is the best or the sink or a bowl in his cage or a bowl on the floor.

Any suggestions fire em my way please!

Do you already use a mist bottle on him?

No I haven't done anything with water yet. Up till now I've been more focused in getting him social and not to bite me

Bathing should be enjoyed however the bird loves it! Some take to water naturally, while others have to warm up to the idea of it....

Here's some bathing techniques you can try....

• Try luke-warm water
• Try cold water
• Try ice-cold water
• Try a spray bottle
• Try a plant mister
• Try in the sink with the water running or just some water in the bottom
• Try in the sink with the sprayer
• Try in the tub with some water in the bottom
• Try a casserole dish or similar with some water
• Try the dish with ice
• Try the dish with foot toys
• Try the dish with some leafy greens like endive or other types of lettuces that may create a "natural" bowl
• Try the dish with a vacuum cleaner
• Try in the shower with you - watching you having a blast getting wet!
• Try dancing the bird into the shower with the water already going
• Try spritzing yourself, and have fun doing it! Then spritz the bird
• Try outside in an empty cage large enough to spread wings during a nice rain shower
• Try outside in an empty cage using the hose with a mist/shower attachment

And it might help to go to YouTube and find videos of macaws bathing.

I'd first try the mist bottle (plant sprayer) with warm water set to a fine mist spray. See if he likes that. If he does then perhaps experiment a bit with the sink and/or the tub. I'm not so sure ice is the best idea :33: although my Zaf really adores cold water.

i introduce all my birds to bath time with a dish in their cage at first and the i take them in the shower with me with the warm water and just put them on the shower rod they love it and eventually after a couple of times of that i take them down on my arm to the water and let the water come off my hand to them (its to powerful for them to just go under the shower hear so my hand/arm is like a way to slow it down before it goes on them) good luck!

Maybe Macaws are different, but I thought I'd share how bath time is for our Chattering Lory.

After an initial rambunctious bathing time in the bathroom sink and water everywhere, I decided the tub was a better place. So the next time she wanted to bathe, I put her in the tub, plugged the drain and turned on the water slightly. I put a toy in there and she ran around shrieking with delight, tossing her toy around, getting herself wet, splashing like crazy. I only let the water get about 1.5 inches. I would check on her and ask "Ready?". And she would shake herself, and then jump back in and splash some more. After about three times of that, she would yell "READY!!" I would take her out and to her perch in her cage, with a half orange on a skewer, and she uses the orange peel to preen her feathers as she dries herself. Soon she's smelling like a sweet orange.

We let her decided when she wants a bath, she will run over to the tub and let us know, getting into it herself if the door is open.

I take all my birds to the shower with me except one, Java, he HATES the shower but loves mist bottle. That is the only time he enjoys water is being misted. It's becoming a game to him to get misted that he dances while being misted. And there's the little ones that I don't take them into the shower, the finches does it on their own with the water dish, same with parakeets...Cockatiels I do take them into the shower or mist bottle, they like it either way. Actually all my birds likes the mist bottle, they're all used to it....That's when I'm too busy to take everyone, one by one into the tub with me, it's a lot of showers....lol....

All my boys LOVED to shower with us. Everyday when I shower and when Lupe showed a parrot was taken into the bathroom to join us. Only ONE parrot at a time though. I had not showed alone in about 20 years. After Mihijo my noble macaw passed this past October for the first time in all that time I had to shower alone.

Valentino a RFM was not due to come until December so when the subject of how my baby likes to get clean Wendy told me. "He loves to jump in the sink when the water is running and take a shower that way. I can't do dishes when he is out." She was not lying because this is what I experienced with Valentino week 3 of being in my home.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxvJTixrtOg"]Valentino taking bath - YouTube[/ame]

It was during week one I took Valentino into the shower with me. I just perched him on the shower door handle and he ended up.....falling asleep. With his face and chest shoved up against the glass. I had gently wake him up and perch him on my hand and put him under the spray. LOL. Sleepy parrot. Valentino is way more animated and enjoys...the sink baths.

Unlike your scarlet macaw Valentino is a very confident parrot. In all my years of getting a just weaned baby parrot Valentino was by far the most confident parrot I ever had. Nothing seemed to frightened him but I exposed him to new situations with care keeping mind he is still a baby. I tried misting him when he would pace and play on the grill of the cage but he never really liked misting and I didn't want him to think I was punishing him with that so I next tried taking him in my shower with me. His favorite way to bath is by rolling around in my kitchen sink with the water running or fall asleep in my shower.

I would slowly try different things. Your scarlet will let you know what they like and don't like. It seems you already have established a bond and trust with your scarlet so I think slowly introducing to new ways of bathing is the way to go.

All three of mine prefer me taking them into a lukewarm shower with me or being held out into the shower on my arm. My Scarlet really gets into his shower with wing flapping. We always do this first thing in the morning so they have plenty of time to dry durring the day in a nice warm room. Some people even blow dry them under low heat.

Macaws are rain bathers. My Conure dove into the bathing setup we had but my Macaw wont go near anything like it. He splashes around in a tiny water cup on his table stand while I shower, basically getting his beak.

But when he wants a good soaking I take him in the shower with me and make it rain on him by detaching the shower head and arcing it onto him. If he wants more I use the spray bottle.

Try putting him on your arm and taking him into the shower room with you. Take him into the shower area without the water spraying first and get him used to the area with a treat. He might like the area better. We use a shower perch for ours and once they are perched we start a "light" spray pointed away from them and slowly move the spray toward them so they aren't frightened. They now just love it. One of our macaws doesn't like the shower so we use a very fine mister. After leaving the mister by her cage for a week and getting used to seeing it and testing the spray away from her first, she is now OK with getting wet with the spray. We shower or spray our birds once a week so they keep heathy feathers.

So many pieces of advice, thanks a lot guys!!

So far the majority is taking them into the shower with you so I think that's what I till try. Right now we're working with having a towel thrown over us, his old owners used to punish him that way, throw a towel over him and literally smack him around. We're getting better at it and only bite the towel when it first gets puts on him.

After he gets used to the towel it's going to be shower time!

Doves1 said:

his old owners used to punish him that way, throw a towel over him and literally smack him around.

Click to expand...

That poor baby!!! Why would anyone ever consider doing such a horrible thing? Especially to a baby bird! People like that absolutely enrage me

when i had my ekkies, they always were in the shower. they loved showers so much i started to think they were ducks! the warmer the water the better for them and they had to sit on top of my head to be right under the shower head, i guess they also liked as much water pressure as possible. we had shower perches too but they felt more better with me holding them. when i first started them with showers i would cup my hand over their heads so they didn't have water in their noses so to speak. i took extra care when it came to getting their heads washed so they didn't have water going in their ear holes and their nostrils. but i never restrained their heads in the shower. it was just to guard them from unexpected water to the face. eventually shower time became a very independent thing for them and all i had to do was stand under the shower and let them do their thing. lol then when they got blow dried i would pat dry with a towel the make kinda like a nest with it so they could sit in the towel while i dried their tops this helped me out, because while they were sitting there having a spa treatment i could blow dry, and preen them at the same time having both hands free. they loved it. you could try the nest technique and see how it works out, to get your macaw used to the towel. it's heart breaking to know people are capable of such cruel acts. but i think by turning a towel into something soothing like a nest, might help him over come his fear of them. it's worth a shot!

He actually doing very well with the towel now. I think he trusts me I'm able to completely wrap him in a towel and even cover his head, he still has to be able to see me though.

I know the family he was with was charged by the SPCA and they are no longer allowed to have any type of pet...EVER So justice was served and I know how the baby bird and he is so precious to me! He defiantly has a forever home now.

The above members have given you excellent info, pertaining to bath time

Mishka hates being sprayed with a bottle, thank goodness he loves showering.

Below is a video of Mishka enjoying his shower

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7-PRntjuS4"]BEST TALKING PARROT IN THE WORLD MISHKA - Showering & Being Feather Dried - YouTube[/ame]

Doves1 said:

He actually doing very well with the towel now. I think he trusts me I'm able to completely wrap him in a towel and even cover his head, he still has to be able to see me though.

I know the family he was with was charged by the SPCA and they are no longer allowed to have any type of pet...EVER So justice was served and I know how the baby bird and he is so precious to me! He defiantly has a forever home now.

Click to expand...

I'm glad to hear about the consequences for the family. There is no excuse for their behavior!

You're a special person and Phoenix is a very lucky bird to have come your way

Hello, since there is already this thread, I will post it here:

Our bathing does not go according to my expectations 100%, but it is quite OK I would say for now. I only took her to shower few times (like 6 maybe). The bathing session goes like this: I put her on her shower perch, turn on the shower and then I shower her with the handle. At start she is not very happy, and she wants to go away, but then she just stands there and let me shower her. I mean, she is not liking it, nor disliking it. She just stands there and waits untill it is over :-3 . I guess I will try to spray her with fine mist next time, but maybe if she is not freaking out because of the water, I should continue with shower? And in some time, she will be used to it? (she is only 4 mths old)

Thanks for your opinions

Johnny my situation was EXACTLY like that.. Fargo would step onto his shower perch and just wait until it was over.. he wasnt happy, or unhappy...

3 MONTHS LATER...... HE LOVES IT!!
Flaps about, wags his tail

He just took a while to see it as a fun activity
Fargo HATED misting from the word go, but now loves his showers !