Difference between revisions of "Give Your Budgie a Bath"

Most budgies love taking a bath. It's pretty easy to do, as your budgie will do most of the work by fluffing up her feathers to let the water down near her skin.<ref name="rf1">http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-diet-and-health/bird-grooming/know-when-to-bath-bird.aspx</ref> You should give your budgie a chance to take a bath a couple of times a week, especially if your home is dry.<ref name="rf2">http://cfhs.ca/athome/budgerigars/</ref> A bath encourages your bird to preen, and it also helps remove dirt and other debris from your bird's feathers.<ref>http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-diet-and-health/bird-grooming/know-when-to-bath-bird.aspx</reF>

#Fill a shallow bowl with lukewarm water. Water should only be an inch or two deep. It shouldn't be too cold, as budgies are susceptible to cold.<ref name="rf3">http://www.hartz.com/Birds/Grooming/how_to_bathe_your_bird.aspx</ref>

#* If you find your bird doesn't like the bowl of water, you can also try wet grass or greens at the bottom of a (clean) cage. Your bird will enjoy rolling in them as a way of bathing.<ref name="rf1" />

#* You don't need to use soap.<ref name="rf3" />

#Place the bowl in the bottom of the cage. Set the bath in the bottom of the cage where your budgie can jump in. Make sure it's on a level surface.<ref name="rf3" />

#* If you prefer, you can also fill up your sink with a small amount of water. Take the budgie in there, and close the door so she can't fly away. However, make sure your sink is clean first.<ref name="rf3" />

#Let the budgie play.  Budgies will splash and flutter in the water. The splashing is the budgie giving themself a bath. Most budgies enjoy the process immensely.<ref name="rf2" />

#* If you're budgie doesn't jump in immediately, give her a chance to get used to it. If she still doesn't hop in, you may want to move on to the next method.<ref name="rf4">http://www.lisashea.com/petinfo/articles/bird_bath.html</ref>

#Let your bird dry off. Your bird will shake herself to get the water off. However, make sure that the area she's drying off in isn't breezy or cool. You might want to cover her cage with a towel to help.<ref name="rf4" />

#Clean out the bath. After you bath your bird, take the bowl or bath out of the cage. Make sure to wash it out thoroughly and wash your hands when you're done.<ref name="rf3" />

#Find or buy a spray bottle. You can often find these in the hair care section of a drug store or superstore. You can also often find them in the gardening section of a home improvement store.<ref name="rf3" />

#* An alternative to a spray bottle is a perch you can place in your own shower, which you can usually find at pet stores. Just place your shower head on a gentle spray, and turn the water on lukewarm.<ref name="rf3" />

#Fill the spray with lukewarm to warm water. Once again, you don't want the water to be too cold. Budgies and other small birds are susceptible to cold.<ref name="rf3" />

#Turn the spray head to "mist." Most spray bottles have several settings for the bottle. You don't want a thin stream of water; you need a fine mist for your bird's bath.<ref name="rf5">http://www.petland.ca/pages/caring-for-your-budgie</ref>

#Spray the water over your bird. You want to create a gentle mist that showers down over your bird. Don't spray her right in the face, as most birds will not like that.<ref name="rf5" />

#Let your bird dry off. Your bird will dry herself off. Just make sure the area where she's drying off is warm and free of cool breezes.<ref name="rf3" />