How can I get my 4 month old African Grey to enjoy a shower? I've tried Sally Blanchard's ideas?

Question

but she screams like she's being murdered and tries to fly away. This morning she bit her tongue and it bled a little. I don't want to traumitize her so I haven't been as regular about it as I should. She never had a shower or bath before coming home 3 weeks ago. Also, for breakfast, all she wants is either eggs or cold cereal (a mix of granola, flax flakes and cheerios) is this an okay breakfast? For supper she eats a veggie mix and a little baby food like pasta and sauce. At night she will only eat if spoon fed. She's so cute, she puts herself to bed at 6:00pm in her sleeping cage. I plan on having her forever and want her to be the best bird she can be. Also a note to Pheonix, thanks so much for the link to N'Kisi, what a smarty. Your knowledge is of great value to me.

When I said shower, I meant with a spray bottle set on mist.

Answer 1

My Greys HATE, despise, loathe the spray bottle. Total repulsion. Did explain that well enough? Ha!
But they LOVE the shower in the bathroom tub.
Try this Professor: In your tub, turn on the shower on medium cool to tepid water. Pick up "Baby Grey", and step into it with the bird on a step up, but holding her close to your chest and cupping your back with her other hand. Make sure the spray isn't really strong...just a nice easy spray.
Eventually, you can ease her into going into the shower on the floor on her own with you sitting beside it supervising. She'll be fine as long as you keep your hand near her while she's showering to reassure her.
As it is now, all 3 of mine go in together and all sort of go into this "coma" of relaxation. Parker grunts at me and refuses to come out if he's not ready. I can stretch his wings out and rub his tummy feathers to work the water in all the way down to his skin.
I don't much care for shower perches. One slip and the parrot ends up tail over teakettle onto the shower stall or bathtub floor and a possible serious injury. They are much safer on the floor of the tub with nowhere to fall.
Regarding food: Easy on the Cheerios. They have more sugar and salt in them than you can imagine. Not real good for them. Eggs a couple of times a week is fine, but you are going to have to put your little sneaker down on the "pickiness".
Veggies, veggies,veggies! Mix the veggies in (finely chopped) into the granola. Ease off on the granola and starrt adding rice or quinoa gradually. Remember that you can cook a batch of rice and then freeze it so you aren't cooking flippin' rice every morning. Start doing a mix up on what she is eating by introducing new stuff. And how old is "Baby Grey" now? 4 months? Time to learn to eat on her own or you'll be spoon-feeding her forever. Start by removing the spoon from the situation and using your fingers. when she's doing that, show her the food and then put it down on the table so she has to pick it up with her beak in order to eat. Move on to showing the food with your fingers and placing it back into the bowl. she'll catch on!
If you need more information, don't hesitate to email me. You know I'll be glad to help out. I have tons of video website addresses, and papers available. The "Favorites" on my computer is a Parrot Companion's dream! I also know of some training classes offered by amazing people in the industry you might want to think about signing up for.
Oh...one more thing. Be sure and take a ton of photos right now, because once she becomes an adult, she'll look the same forever. This is SUCH a fun time with a bird!
I'll bet you're having a blast! And I'll bet you're starting to understand the "Bonding Thing" too.
Good Luck.

Answer 2

When I raised birds they would always try to take "air baths" when I vacuumed. Not sure why that said "bath to them, but they did it every time.

If your bird doesn't want a bath, it is not critical.

If you insist, you can take him into the bathroom with you when you shower and the steam from your shower will improve feather condition a little. Just have him sit on the curtain rod or bring in a separate perch. Your bird can see you bathing and might eventually get the idea that he won't DIE if water touches him.

They also make shower perches for your bird that attaches to the corner of your shower. You could put him in the far corner of the shower at first, where only the finest mist touches. He will probably be OK with that. A TIP, though: Close the toilet seat in case the bird freaks and falls in.

Remember, though that you want to make learning about the shower fun and not scary, whatever you do. For instance, if I wanted to use the shower perch, I'd tkae the bird to visit/sit on it several times until he is comfortable before actually turning the water on. Then I would only turn on a trickle until that is OK, then gradually turn up the shower volume.

Also remember that bathing is not critical. Yes it improves feather condition, but the bird can usually get along well without it. Unless your vet says otherwise, don't worry too much.

Good luck.

Answer 3

As you said you really don't want to traumatize the poor baby, then she may never enjoy a shower. You might try going more slowly and just put her on a shower perch when you shower so she can see how much you enjoy it. Then after a few times of that just bring her down from the perch and hold her for a few seconds while showering but don't let the water hit her directly, continue this until she seems comfortable and then slowly increase the time you hold her and how close she gets to the water, only getting closer as she becomes comfortable. Another alternative is a bath. I have a M2 that prefers to have a bath, AND she only wants a bath when we run the vacume cleaner. Also get a spray bottle and try misting her between showers and see if she enjoys that.

Answer 4

A clean bird is a healthy bird. Check the temp. where your bird is located. My birds are never below 72. Try increasing the temperature to around 80 85 SLOWLY! an hour or so before bathing. Maybe a blow dryer set low, ( May not tolerate that. ) My X's bird chi-chi was scared at first but we got him a little warm, then FROM HIGH ABOVE he was gently misted. He realized the moisture was cooling to him, thus show an instant gratification. Try hiding the bottle at first (so he cannot see it just the mist) introduce the spray slowly. It was all down hill from there. Be sure to keep him warm till dry, we wouldn't want him getting sick. If a spray bottle is going to be used for showers, NEVER use it for ccurbing bad behavior.

Baby hated the spray bottle too as her last home it was used as a behavior curbing tool. Now Baby has realized it isn't so bad. She watch Fuego enjoy the shower several time before deciding it might not be so bad. They will learn by observation.

I love Greys they are just so darn smart. I would limit how many 'changes' are made in the little guys life right now. Work on one thing at a time till a trust bond is issued to you by your friend.

here's my parrot-ice
see them

http://webpages.charter.net/rjsworld/pages/fam2.htm

hear them

http://webpages.charter.net/rjsworld/pages/fam.htm

Answer 5

Well, maybe a real shower will help this behavior. First, the food seems okay she might like a small handful of seeds during the day..not much though, you don't want her addicted.

Get a shower perch, take the bird in when you shower. Make sure the perch isn't where she will get wet at first! When she sees you haveing a good time in the shower each morning, she will get curious! After a while, flick some water her way to see her reaction..
My conure & now senegal take a bath in their drinking water! Although I do take the senegal into the shower & she likes it!

Answer 6

I dont know what sally blanchards ideas were, but i give my bird a bath 2 ways: spray bottle, and showers. When i first took her in the shower i put her on the shower curtian rod and let her watch as i sang and splashed in the shwer water so she knew that what i was doing must be fun. I did that several time before i brought her down on my hand near the spraying water. then i just got her feet alittle wet first then i gradually moved her tail into the water and she was alittle taken back but okay. the next shower i did the same, but this time moved her whole body into the water. she griped alittle, but she was clean. i did the same with the spray bottle. i let her play with the nozzel a bit, she niped at it then try to pull it apart. then i sprayed her toes and then her tummy. and she now spreads her wings and opens her mouth when i spray her its really funny! it took several months but everything you do with your new african grey is going to take time but its well worth it i think. Also the temperture of the water matters too. im sure you know that some greys like really warm watter and some like ice baths! also try putting a shallow bowl of water on the bottom of her cage or on the table or whater and see if she doesnt try to bathe herself! just watch her cause drowning is always a possibility no matter how low the water is. if you go to msn.com there is a group there espically for african greys and they offer tips on just about anything! ive been part of it for over a year. youd be supprised on how much you'll learn. anyway i hope this helps!

Answer 7

Ok, like some people, some animals hate getting all wet. The best thing you can do is to put warm water in a misting bottle and mist her a little at a time while talking softly about how much she's going to love her shower and give her her most favorite treat of all...Soon she will understand shower and that it may mean getting a little wet but also means her favorite treat! MAKE sure there are no drafts and that it is really warm in the room so she will realize that it's very refreshing as well.

Answer 8

I think she's still a bit young, bathing isn't necessary right now
as she gets older you can try again
my birds were always fascinated by my washing dishes and would hop down into the sink and play in the stream of water
( that's not as loud as a shower)

Answer 9

I don't think you need to cover the cage, also sometimes African Grey's need smaller cages to feel more secure until they get used to the new house.

Answer 10

sorry to say--the larger parrot species (esp african greays-one of the most talkative of the bunch-and opinionated)-have mind-sets as much as humans to about bathing--some like it and some dont------however, what i used to do--is to bring big kahuna (a conure) in with me when i showered--and he eventually started to enjoy being sprayed by the water-------good luck