How can I get Jenday to bathe?

[Robert Gift]

Liang Zai, "pretty boy", has never had a real bath.
He will bathe in his three-inch diameter stainless steel water bowl, but has never had the pleasure of a real bath in something larger.
(The bowl is held in a bracket right at the corner of the cage, so he cannot spread his wings there.

I took him to our bathroom's oval bathtub, but he always flew back to my shoulder or flew back to his cage.

During hot, sunny weather last summer, I took him outside in the back yard but he refused to use a shallow clay flower pot holder filled with water. (Flew up into a tree and I had to climb up to get him down. I'm a chimney sweep, so am good at that. He would sidestep on the branch to my outstretched two fingers and I would perch him on my shoulder for my climb down.)

Any suggestions?

Thank you.

Robert

 

[Spiritbird]

Try to keep him near you but not inside the shower stall when you are bathing. Let him hear you having fun!! If you do this several times he should be curious. If you get a shower perch then try sitting him on the perch with the water not running to be comfortable. After he is used to the perch and the sound of the water try showing together.

 

[Crazy4Birds]

Nicky enjoys bathing in the sink. He tends to like lukewarm water. If it is too warm he won't go in. Make sure the water is not running too fast. I cup my hands under the running water and he goes right in! Sometimes he'll test it by licking it for a while. Give him lots of praise while he's in there!

If this doesn't work (some birds prefer baths rather than showers) then you can put in a shallow but wide Tupperware container filled with water in the bottom of the cage whenever you see him trying to bathe in his water. Splash it a bit with your fingers to catch his interest and see if he goes over to it. If not then you can try having him step up onto it. I do this for Gracie because she is terrified of going in the sink.

Some birds also prefer to be misted like when I had my cockatiel (may she rest in peace). I would put her on the tile floor (easy to clean up the water) and mist her with a spray bottle about a foot away. But make sure the bottle has a nozzle that can be turned to a mist setting.

I hope this helps. Let us know what seems to work out for Liang Zai!

 

[Adz]

I've found that by holding Loco on my hand near a slow running tap it will start to drink, then move it's head, then if it's really in the mood want to hop off my fingers into the sink. It's looooves the plug hole as it's quite deep. There is lots of wing flapping and splashing! It's pretty cute

Loco's isn't a fan of the shower. The sink works well but only if it's in the mood for a bath.

 

[Robert Gift]

Thank you, all.

I'm afraid to take Liang Zai outside because he may fly to where I cannot rescue him.

I wonder if I can manually perch him on the shower rod and he can watch as I shower.
If uninterested, he can fly out the small bathroom and down the short hallway and back to his cage.

I'll keep trying to get him to use the large oval bathtub.
It is wide open area before a large window where he could stretch his wings and have a ball with no restriction and making no mess.

 

[Adz]

I tried the shower the other night. I just perched Loco on top of the shower frame and washed away. Eventually I put my finger up for her to jump onto and then held her just near the spray. She started drinking a little then slowly worked her way in.

This doesn't always work though same as the sink, only if she's in the mood. Just be patient and what ever you do don't force it, they'll remember!