Bathing Your Bird

A Guide to Great Grooming

As with the different methods of bathing, how often a bird needs to be bathed often boils down to each bird's unique preference. While a good rule of thumb is to offer your bird a bath once a week, many birds will desire the opportunity to clean up more or less frequently. Consider the following points when deciding on a grooming schedule for your bird:

• Do you notice your bird bathing in his drinking water? When a bird decides that it's time to bathe, he will bathe in any manner that is available to him. For captive birds, this is most often means a dip in a drinking dish. If you notice your bird doing this fairly often, you can take it as an indication that more frequent bathing would be appreciated.
  
  
• Does your bird's species require more humidity than others? Birds that originate from tropical areas and rain forests are acclimated to daily rain showers and extra humid conditions. More frequent baths for birds of this type would likely improve feather condition as well as overall health and happiness.
  
  
• Is your bird going through a molt? When birds molt, new feathers push their way through the skin, dislodging old feathers on the way. These new feathers are covered with a sheath of keratin that sometimes needs to be softened so that the feather inside can break free. Bathing your bird more frequently during a molt can help release these new feathers and soothe itchy skin. Baths also encourage preening, which will help your bird shed the old molted feathers.

By building a grooming routine around your bird's natural preferences, you will make bath time a smoother and much more enjoyable experience for your pet. Pay attention to your bird's reaction to various bathing techniques, and stick with the ones that work best for both of you. Enjoy the time that you spend grooming your pet, and make it obvious to your bird that you view bathing as a positive experience. The end result will be a happy, healthy, squeaky clean, and beautiful companion -- and what bird owner could ask for anything more?

Photo (c) 2006 Alyson Burgess licensed to About.com, Inc.