how many baths is too many?

[lara]

We have just discovered that Hukituki loves loves loves coming in the shower and now anytime anyone has a shower they want to take him in with them and i am a little concerned that his skin might get dried out or something. We do wrap him in a towel after so that he doesn't get chilled cuz he is absolutely drenched when he gets out.

[Janie]

Lara, I don't know how often is too often but I will give you a word of caution (which I learned here) about your bird in the shower. Germs! I know that larger parrots often sit on a perch and take a shower with their human and I'm sure that some lovebirds do, too, but I just wanted to warn you about the germs they can come into contact with in a shower stall. In my house, they would! :lol

I know that some birds do like to bathe every day. Mine usually bathe 2 to 4 times a week in a bowl that I put in the bottom of their cage. Hopefully someone else can tell you if it's OK for your bird to be bathing every day or even more than one bath in a day.

[Buy A Paper Doll]

My birds take a bath almost every day in their water dish, especially if they're molting.

Janie, I have to admit that it's the same in this house: The shower is clean enough for the people, but not clean enough for the birds.

[BarbieH]

A lot of the risk depends on the quality of the water coming out of the tap. Some areas have higher levels of e-coli than others; in Florida I know the water quality can be questionable, but I don't know where you are.

You might be able to get a test kit to determine your water quality, or try to get a report from your water department, so you know what your levels of e-coli are. They probably are acceptable for humans, but could overwhelm a little bird like a lovie. You could also check for levels of iron.

Very generally, I would say that if you don't like the taste of your tap water, don't bring birdie into the shower.

It's probably your companionship and the whole novelty of it that makes it so exciting right now. If you ever want to discourage it, of course, you could change your shower to a time when Huki is covered. :)

I don't think the frequency is a problem unless you find that the contaminant levels are higher than you would like. Showers also contain molds in varying amounts, and chemicals from cleaning and grooming products, so those are things to watch out for. I've also noticed that my birds' shower frequency changes over time; sometimes they must feel dirtier than others, I guess. :)

Best wishes,

[lara]

Huki doesn't actually run around the shower stall but sits on my shoulder. I will get the water tested though. thanks for the concern and advice.

[shylevon]

Also ensure the water is not too warm. Birds have estremely high metabolisms and an upswing in body temperature can stop their little hearts.

Too many baths?? If his skin gets dry, I would slow down. Aside from that, if he wants a bath, I would let him go for it.