Gouldians who don't like to shower
- nixity
- Molting
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Mine too - all of my birds LOVE bathing.dfcauley wrote:Somebody forgot to tell my gouldians that they are gouldians. They break all the rules. :lol:
Mine do bathe. They will get into the "swimming pool" with all the others and take a bath. I really think they have learned from the other birds in my aviary. They used to sit on the sides and watch and enjoy the water spraying up on them. Now they get in. Even the juvies bathe.
They will bathe at least three times a day when I leave the bath in all day on the weekends.
My hard wood floors suffer on these days :)
I've started laying down towels as a result!
I try not to provide baths on work days because I'd prefer to be able to take it out afterwards so they don't drink the "bathwater" - which inevitably, like small children, someone poos in and ruins the party for everyone :)
I think it's sort of a monkey see, monkey do, thing.
I have some birds that are shy about it, and will just do the bathing motion on the edge of the bath, clumsily fall in, and fly away, but the babies especially bathe to the point of being completely feather soaked, then spend hours and hours preening.
It's a shame your birds won't bathe Renee, it would really help your molting hen.
Maybe introducing them to Jinx and Samantha in your flight eventually would also be beneficial in this reason :)
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- Molting
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Tiffany
When I used a bath tub/tray, my birds were splashing water all over the place, reaching several feet outside the cage. That was when I went hunting for a covered bath. I found the Plenn Plax outside hanging bird bath at PetSmart.
BUT, the PlennPlax bath has a design defect.
When the birds splash water on the upper part of the bath, the water runs down the side then into a groove where the upper part goes over the lower tray, then out onto the floor.
I used epoxy to make a drip rail around the inside edge of the upper cover, so the water drips into the tray, rather than going into the grove and out onto the floor.
Water will still get splashed out the opening of the bath, but it is a LOT less than what was splashed out of a tub bath. And it is all contained in the cage, not on the walls or floor.
The good thing about the covered bath is that most of the water is captured, so the birds can take more baths during the day. w/o the water level going real low.
The bad is soon after I change the water I find poop in the water. This does not matter how often I change the water. And a couple days I changed water no longer than 2 hrs between changes. So changing water often is just more work, they will poop in it soon as you walk away.
I use 1 drop of apple cider vinegar per ounce of water, to help combat the bacteria from their poop, since as you noted...they also drink out of the bath water.
Putting only 8oz of water in my bath puts the water level down far enough that it is easier for them to drink out of the water tubes than try to reach down that far into the bath. But then bathing is a bit more difficult as the water is shallower, so I compromise at 10 oz of water.
Oh and my zebras will bath 2 or 3 times a day as well. This makes the paper in front of the bath wet...a lot, and is probably why the cage smells...the wet poop and newspaper.
I was thinking that a 1-gallon milk jug with half the bottom sliced off would work for you for your flight cages. That way most of the water will stay inside the jug, except for what gets splashed out the opening. Then you only have to place the jug so the splashing water stays inside the cage. Just have to put a weight in the jug or something on the outside so they won't roll it over...spilling the water.
When I used a bath tub/tray, my birds were splashing water all over the place, reaching several feet outside the cage. That was when I went hunting for a covered bath. I found the Plenn Plax outside hanging bird bath at PetSmart.
BUT, the PlennPlax bath has a design defect.
When the birds splash water on the upper part of the bath, the water runs down the side then into a groove where the upper part goes over the lower tray, then out onto the floor.

I used epoxy to make a drip rail around the inside edge of the upper cover, so the water drips into the tray, rather than going into the grove and out onto the floor.
Water will still get splashed out the opening of the bath, but it is a LOT less than what was splashed out of a tub bath. And it is all contained in the cage, not on the walls or floor.
The good thing about the covered bath is that most of the water is captured, so the birds can take more baths during the day. w/o the water level going real low.
The bad is soon after I change the water I find poop in the water. This does not matter how often I change the water. And a couple days I changed water no longer than 2 hrs between changes. So changing water often is just more work, they will poop in it soon as you walk away.
I use 1 drop of apple cider vinegar per ounce of water, to help combat the bacteria from their poop, since as you noted...they also drink out of the bath water.

Putting only 8oz of water in my bath puts the water level down far enough that it is easier for them to drink out of the water tubes than try to reach down that far into the bath. But then bathing is a bit more difficult as the water is shallower, so I compromise at 10 oz of water.
Oh and my zebras will bath 2 or 3 times a day as well. This makes the paper in front of the bath wet...a lot, and is probably why the cage smells...the wet poop and newspaper.
I was thinking that a 1-gallon milk jug with half the bottom sliced off would work for you for your flight cages. That way most of the water will stay inside the jug, except for what gets splashed out the opening. Then you only have to place the jug so the splashing water stays inside the cage. Just have to put a weight in the jug or something on the outside so they won't roll it over...spilling the water.
Gary
gouldians (GB,YB,BB), blackbelly firefinches (trying to breed), societies (foster parents).
red factor canary
gouldians (GB,YB,BB), blackbelly firefinches (trying to breed), societies (foster parents).
red factor canary
- dfcauley
- Molting
- Posts: 6892
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:28 am
- Location: Carrollton, Georgia
I am a firm believe that birds learn from each other even if they are different species. All birds in my aviary love baths.
I think it is the parrot finches that inspire them.
And of course my shaftail.....
I have one small hanging bath that gets changed twice a day and then my large fountain. I change it every other day. The water has sparkle in it and is circulated so hopefully this is sufficient.
The birds bath and drink in the same water..... can't stop that in an aviary so the best I can do is keep it as clean as posssible.
They are so funny because they all want to bathe at the same time. If you have seen my fountain there is a part on the top where the water comes out. They all want there..... they have not got the courage up yet to get on the bottom part. I think they think it is too deep, but it isn't.
My young gouldians get so wet they are unrecognizeable.
I have to look twice to see who they are.
When they finish bathing the tile floor of my aviary is soaking wet.
I think it is the parrot finches that inspire them.

I have one small hanging bath that gets changed twice a day and then my large fountain. I change it every other day. The water has sparkle in it and is circulated so hopefully this is sufficient.
The birds bath and drink in the same water..... can't stop that in an aviary so the best I can do is keep it as clean as posssible.
They are so funny because they all want to bathe at the same time. If you have seen my fountain there is a part on the top where the water comes out. They all want there..... they have not got the courage up yet to get on the bottom part. I think they think it is too deep, but it isn't.
My young gouldians get so wet they are unrecognizeable.


When they finish bathing the tile floor of my aviary is soaking wet.
Donna
- GOULDYGIRL
- Weaning
- Posts: 1814
- Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:12 am
- Location: Queens, NY
My Gouldians are starting to make some progress in other areas so maybe one day they will finally take a bath
They are now eating off a dish on the cage floor and rummaging through the grasses which is a big accomplishment for them
Maybe I will introduce the bath again and see what happens.
Thanks all,
Renee


Thanks all,
Renee
Renee
Beautiful Gouldians!
Beautiful Gouldians!
- GOULDYGIRL
- Weaning
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- Location: Queens, NY
- dfcauley
- Molting
- Posts: 6892
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:28 am
- Location: Carrollton, Georgia
Yes, that is a female. Her name is Sugar. I posted about her a while back because she went bald. She stayed that way for months.... and when she molted her feathers came back. She is very pretty now... just a few pin feathers left and her and Sunshine have begun building their nest.GOULDYGIRL wrote:Donna that bh wb is a female right??? She's so pretty. That's what I'm getting very soon. Mine is still a baby and not colored up yet but now I know what I can look forward too
Renee

Donna
- NJP
- Pip
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- Location: St Charles, MO
My Gouldians didn't want to bathe either. I had put an open, shallow, red dish with the face of a cat on it. Maybe that scared them. So I bought a brown wooden dish/bowl at Walmart, very shallow, and put their seed in it. Once they got used to the seed, I replaced the seed with water. Bingo, they are now swimmers. I had the water mess also so found the mostly enclosed bird bath most bird stores have. It didn't fit the cage opening where is should have hung from, so I just put it into the cage & no more water mess. The red bath with plastice top was @$5.50. Now they fight over who is going in first. njp
- akidsgal
- Wonder Wooer
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Funny thing. I moved my Blue male in a creeder cage with my Reg female. The first thing they did was bathe! They may just want to be alone. I never saw them bathe when with another pair. Now that they are alone maybe they are looking to be ready when the time comes for breeding.
Goulds, Stars, Societies,Owls, Gold Breasts, OC Waxbills, 3 Canaries, 1 Rott, 1 Lab/Shepard, 1 Lab/ Setter AND 1 single 13 yr old to whom is the light of my life! We have 2 Lop bunnies too!
Carol
Carol
- lovemyfinch
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I guess maybe they're shy.
My gouldians have been taking their bath without hesitation since day 1. It's my shaftails that don't seem to learn , I am constantly putting water in my spray bottle and spraying them. They just sit there and take it, almost as though they enjoy being sprayed.

My gouldians have been taking their bath without hesitation since day 1. It's my shaftails that don't seem to learn , I am constantly putting water in my spray bottle and spraying them. They just sit there and take it, almost as though they enjoy being sprayed.

Janine
shaftails,gouldians,societies,green singers,owls,cubans, and 1 parrotlet
shaftails,gouldians,societies,green singers,owls,cubans, and 1 parrotlet

- lovemyfinch
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