Giving my bird baths

[William]

How often should I bathe my quaker parrot? Should I put him in the sink with a little water in the bottom, or use a mist bottle? Or should I buy one of those shower perches and put her in the shower with me when I take mine? What's the best? Thanks!

[Dave & Karen]

It depends on what the bird likes best... you can try each method to find out. With out quaker I tried the shower first and he wasn't so sure about that but he seemed to like it after he felt the warm water, but I really didn't want to subject him to it if he was scared of it until he got wet, he still enjoys a shower from time to time but what he really liked best was running the water in the sink at luke warm then holding him under it, the first time I did this he was unsure but no where near as nervous, then after I got him out and he was dry enough to fly again, he flew into the bathroom and landed in the sink. I ruled it out that he just ended up in there but he kept going back and got all excited when I turned the faucet on.
He'll also take a spray mist bath but he likes the sink best by far.
To get him dry I just put on an old shirt and let him sit on my chest and cover him with a dry wash cloth to keep him warm, he enjoys this cuddle time too and knows how to grab my hand and place it over his wings to keep him warm. I use the wash cloth to help him dry quicker but I don't wipe him dry, it's just a mini blanket so he stays warm and doesnt shiver.

[Aloysius]

My quaker doesn't generally like the shower, I suppose because it's too much water at one time. She likes to have a dish of water that she can splash around in while I spray her with a spray bottle. I never thought about just putting her in the sink. I'll have to try that one out and see how it goes.

[Pajarita]

The only way you can allow a parrot to bathe with you in the shower is if you enjoy cold showers because a bird should never be bathed with hot or warm water, it leeches the natural oils off his skin and plumage. My quakers bathe on their own in a stainless steel cake pan. It took a while for them to do it and a bit of trial and error because you need to figure out what type of container they like: small and deep, large and shallow, small and shallow, etc, some of them don't like metal, some don't like plastic, etc. Putting a couple of clean pebbles at the bottom seems to invite them in...

[Raque]

After seeing my use her water bowl to try and bathe in, I tried many things to help her. She got very angry with the spray bottle and yelled "NO! NO! NO!" at me (I think her previous owner used a spray bottle to punish her). I tried taking her in the shower and she really didn't like it and was panicked. I set up a special area with a large baking dish and she wouldn't go near it, no surprise here, she is a gray and is naturally scared of new things.

What I have found is that I really can't force her to bathe without her freaking out (I probably can't force her to do anything, fortunately I rarely ever have to try since she is usually cooperative... unless it involves water, her harness, or new parrot toys/perches).

My recent solution that worked:
I put out that large baking dish again, but this time on a table she normally plays on and surrounded table with towels on the floor. She ignores it at first. She wont go near it when I try and encourage her. Skawks at me when I splash her. Eventually she will go there on her own, throw out the toys I put in it to entice her, and then spend the next 2 hours dancing, singing, and splashing her way to a fun time making a complete mess and getting water everywhere.

[cml]

Or should I buy one of those shower perches and put her in the shower with me when I take mine?

Both my parrots shower a few times a week, and they have their own shower perch. It's great, but you do need to turn the heat down when showering them, and make sure it isnt warm. I use a shower nozzle that has a mist function, that makes the water cold about 2-3 feet away from the nozzle, but at a few inches away its warm enough that I dont freeze my arse off. Works great. You can also alternate with cold water for them, and warm for you.

The only way you can allow a parrot to bathe with you in the shower is if you enjoy cold showers because a bird should never be bathed with hot or warm water, it leeches the natural oils off his skin and plumage.

Pajarita is both right and wrong.
She is correct in that the parrot shouldnt be showered with warm water, but its completely wrong that you cant shower with them unless you love freezing water. Just make sure to shower THEM with coldish water (room temp or so, like a tropic rain), and alternate with warm water for YOU and you are more than fine - both my parrots love it and sing in the shower.

[William]

Thanks everyone for the help!!