Bathing feels better in open space

Photo © We Love Budgies on tumblr

At least that's what my experience is telling me. My budgies have a bath similar to the one in the picture, but with a plastic part covering it so it can hang at the cage door. I noticed that my budgies only go there to drink from the water, perhaps because it's a confined space just like a drinking tray.

The one time they bathed (by accident!) is because Erlend had put a water plate on top of the book case, where they are often resting. Frodo became curious about it and hopped on top of the plate. He looked into the water and started to slide into the water and he didn't have a clue of what was happening!

It's true that not all budgies like bathing, but most of them really do. That's why I'm not giving up yet. I'm going to take off the plastic cover of the budgie bath right now and fill the other part with water... let's see if they go for it this time!

I love Pope Rocketfist

Look at him sleeping on his K'NEX tower. He's so adorable!

... And here he just took a bath :)

*** Photos via We Love Budgies ***

How do I get my budgie to take a bath?

Believe it or not, but some budgies just don't like to bathe as much as others. It's a matter of personal taste. Some budgies - especially the young ones from the pet stores - have never seen any other budgie doing it and they have never had the opportunity to try it out themselves. Sadly, this is the case with my Frodo and Isla.
I offered them a bath the other day, and even though they were both very curious about it, they thought it was only for drinking. They must've thought: "why on Earth don't we get a food tray of this size?"

After a while, I thought that Frodo was beginning to see the fun in it. He dipped his head in the water and shook his feathers. Then, he put a foot in there. Then, Isla came to chase him off because she wants everything that he wants. Isla only drank a bit from the water and then flew off again. So much for bathing that day.

Image © chorp on tumblr

I believe it's a matter of patience. It's not a big deal if they don't want to bathe, because budgies can still keep their feathers clean and neat when they preen. If you want to, you could try to use a soft plant spray, as long as it has never had any chemicals in it. If your budgie doesn't like it, he will try to get away and keep his wings tight over his feathers. The important thing is not to force them. If you make your budgies wet against their will too often, they may start to hate you for it.

But don't worry: it's part of their instinct to take baths. Domesticated budgies just need some time to see the use of it. So no rush. I'm just going to put the bath there again next time and maybe they will try again.

Fresh air is a must, but is it safe?

How safe is it really to ventilate the room, when you have budgies in it?

We know that budgies thrive best in a warm and dry climate. We also know they are susceptible to drafts, especially during the cold seasons.

On the other hand, budgies get ill from living in cold, humid or musky places that never get any fresh air. So what should be done?

Image © Feathered Babies

You could move the budgie cage to another room and put it back after the other room has been ventilated. If you think it's too much work to move the budgie, you should definitely keep the room temperature at minimum 20°C (or even warmer) while you ventilate it. Of course, it is much safer during a warm Summer day. Then you can even keep your budgies outside for a little while.

Also, never ventilate the room when your budgie just took a bath! Wet feathers and a draft is a bad combination! Think of all those little kids who get a nasty cold from walking outside with wet hair...

Budgies and Showers

Bathing or showering is important to keep your budgie's feathers clean and healthy. Every budgie likes refreshment in a different way: some budgies love the simplicity of a bird bath from the pet store, some budgies like to roll around in wet leaves and some budgies like to have a roomy, shallow plate filled with water.
When it comes to refreshment, they don't make a distinction between drinking water and bathing water; as long as it's clean and fresh! (so make sure to refresh their drinking water if they decide to use this as a bath)

Image © Kurt Kolar's "Grasparkieten"

Some budgies enjoy real showers even more. If they are tame, you can take them to the water tap and let them take a shower. Budgies should be able to bathe or shower any time of the year.

A few simple rules for bath time:

• Room temperature should be around 20°C and there shouldn't be any drafts in the house
• Your budgie must be healthy, not suffering from a cold or illness (in this case, bathing could make it worse)
• Bathing time should be somewhere in between late morning and late afternoon, so that your budgie gets a chance to dry before bedtime
• Do not blowdry your budgie or use a towel, you could hurt your bird with this.

Read more about bathing budgies here:

Bathing time! (Budgies are Awesome)
Bathing Budgies (Birds Online)

Budgies and Rain

Before I get to the story of one of the most amazing budgies that ever lived, I'll reveal one of the biggest miracles in Budgie World.

Even though budgies come from one of the driest parts of the world, they love rain. Or maybe it's just because of that!
Rain is their hope, their life and their strength. Without rain, they cannot start a family. Without rain, there would be no budgies.
Their love for rain goes on from generation to generation. Each time it rains, I can hear how my budgies are twittering happily, thanking the rain for coming to them.


That is why you can put your budgies' cage outside in the rain from time to time, but only when the outdoors temperature is warmer than 15°C - after you removed the limestone and food in their cage. You don't need to be afraid that your budgies will get a cold from this, just make sure they're safe outside (don't let them escape and don't let any cats or dogs come close) and get them back inside after 15 minutes. You will see how much your budgies enjoy these "rain showers", they'll be cleaning their feathers excitedly afterwards and be full of life! Also don't forget to put your feathered friends back inside a room without any drafts, so they can dry up quickly without getting cold.

Have fun!

Picture (c) monicanfids on pets.webshots.com