How essential are baths?

[BeepNbuzz]

How essential is it to provide a bird bath for my finches? How often should they have one offered or do you leave it in the cage at all times?
Thanks!

[finchmix22]

BeepNbuzz
Finches need baths often to maintain feather condition. I give mine bath water daily. It gets dirty quickly, so I change it out once they finish the baths, but they love them! They're fun to watch taking baths too!

[Atbird]

I too give my canaries daily baths. I usually give them a separate bowl, but the also have a large open water dish that they use if I forget the extra bowl. A few don't take a bath everyday, but at least one of my four canaries takes a bath every day.

I don't know about other finches, but canaries must be part polar bear because they like to bathe in the frigid tap water....I do provide a heat lamp for about an hour during their bath time.

[Sheather]

Baths are vital for good feather health, clean sinuses, and to prevent build-up of scales on the feet. I always have open water available and find my flock will typically bathe twice or even three times every single day, more if it's warm and sunny.

[debbie276]

Very important when breeding also, they will take a bath and bring the wetness into the nest to regulate the humidity so the eggs can hatch.

[DanteD716]

My birds have several areas to drink and the bathe wherever they please. I change the water several times a day. And like Debbie said mammy species use the water to bring humidity back to their nests

[BeepNbuzz]

Ok- thanks! Also wondering how deep the water should be!? I have about a centimetre of water in there- the finches are only drinking from it. Could it be that they don't know how to bathe? I doubt they got the opportunity at their former owner's.

[KarenB]

So the consensus - and I agree - is that you should provide daily bath water for your finches. They love it, and it's healthy for them.

[DanteD716]

BeepNbuzz i have several water bowls with different depths. They choose roughly 1.5-2 inches deep I'd say. Not too deep an not to shallow

[Sally]

Some birds are very reluctant to bathe. You can fill a spray bottle with plain water, set it to mist, and mist them daily. Mist them until they are quite wet, they will then preen until they are dry. Once they are used to getting wet, often they will start to bathe in a dish of water.

[lovezebs]

BeepNbuzz

Hey there.
I offer baths every single day. My guys love- love them. I leave their communal bath (large tuppetware) in the flight or cage all day. Many of my guys appreciate multiple baths a day. Baths are important for obvious hygienic reasons. Good for the feathets, the skin and just because the little guys enjoy them so much.

~Elana~