Ask Lafeber

Bathing parrots

How often should the birds be sprayed for a bath and is there a way to train them to take a “bath” if they have been sprayed all their lives?

We are sorry for the delay in replying to your questions from the Webinar What Should I Feed? Nutritionally Balanced Diets are For the Birds! Presented by Kara Burns. There was a death in Kara’s family and she understandably needed some personal time.

Hi Eileen,

Bathing is important for the proper maintenance of feathers. To have healthy feathers and skin, birds should get wet. Bathing encourages birds to preen or groom their feathers. It keeps feathers free of dirt and helps preserve their wonderful, natural luster. The dry air in our homes created by central heating and air conditioning is not conducive to the maintenance of healthy feathers and skin, so pet birds should be encouraged to bathe every day.

Birds should be offered a bath daily. Or if they are accustomed to being sprayed, they should be sprayed at least twice a week – once a day would be even better. Whether they opt to bathe every day depends on the bird. Many birds enjoy bathing every day. Their feathers and skin will look healthier if they bathe frequently. Start by offering a bath to your bird once or twice weekly. You may notice that your bird has a preference about the time of day it likes to bathe. Try to offer the bath or bring your bird into the shower at the time of day it chooses to bathe. When spraying – use a clean spray bottle, to gently mist your bird, simulating rain. They get excited thinking it is rain and some will even turn frequently to catch as much of this ‘rain’ as possible.

Thank you,

Kara Burns