Hi there, I read in books that budgies like to take baths everyday but my budgie refuses to do so. He hasn't had a bath ever as far as I know. I've put a frisbee filled with water out for him every second day but he takes no interest in it. I read a thing on this forum about putting wet lettuce in the cage but Henry won't even approach anything besides seed so I doubt it'll work. Any suggestions? That also brings me to my next question which is slightly out of the topic but oh well, how am I meant to get my budgie to eat fruit and vege on his own? It's already a challenge getting him to eat it off my finger. I just don't want him malnutritioned but I have never seen him approach his cuttlebone or any fruit and vegetables I give him!

Mine don't care about bathing either. I figure if they don't want to then why try to pressure them to.

 

Mine only like seed to, but someone in here suggested celery leaves to get them started on veggies, so I cut up a leaf and mixed it in with a small amount of seed, and when they went to get the seed they discovered that the celery leaf was pretty good:)

That was me Celery leaves are the miracle veg for getting budgies to try vegetables Just not too much as you don't want him getting the runs

everyday maybe in an aviary situation where there are other birds bathing, I find that birds bath when other birds decide too, with only having 1 budgie Merlin may bath 1x a month or if I splash my fingers in the water he sometimes will. I wouldn't worry about it. My Pretty never bathed he simply didn't like it, once I tried lettuce leaves and it worked 1 x .

I have Harley who refused to eat his veggie for about 6 - 7 years and then one day i put the snow pea in like normal and he decided to try it! From there we discovered the joys of veggies.

 

If you want to you can (in the summer months when it is warm) spray his with some water from a spray bottle (make sure you buy a new one and not use an old one that had chemicals in it) that way he will get wet and then preen himself clean. Just make sure he does not sit in a draft as he will get cold.

I suppose there's nothing wrong with providing baths but I don't.

 

If you're not careful they will poop in the water and I just don't provide any open water because I'm obsessed with not leaving any potential sources of bacterial growth available.

I suppose there's nothing wrong with providing baths but I don't. If you're not careful they will poop in the water and I just don't provide any open water because I'm obsessed with not leaving any potential sources of bacterial growth available.

I've just come home from work and my birds are hot and so am I. A cool drink for me and some water to play in for the birds in my flights. I use what I think are called "puppy dishes" which I bought from the Reject Shop years ago. Stainless steel, wide, shallow. I usually plonk a few leafy plant tops, such as amarynth on one edge. The birds love it. Yes, it gets dirty quickly so in less than a half an hour the dishes will be removed. In the name of hygiene, one possible option is to put something like KD7 (from Rob Marshall - vet) in the water they bathe in. I figure it's alright for them to drink, it's okay to use it to clean their utensils so it should be okay to bathe in. Any bugs that get into the water should be zapped. Haven't actually done this but can't see why it wouldn't be okay. Jaz

I have Harley who refused to eat his veggie for about 6 - 7 years and then one day i put the snow pea in like normal and he decided to try it! From there we discovered the joys of veggies.If you want to you can (in the summer months when it is warm) spray his with some water from a spray bottle (make sure you buy a new one and not use an old one that had chemicals in it) that way he will get wet and then preen himself clean. Just make sure he does not sit in a draft as he will get cold.

I agree with the spraying. Just a little extra info and that is the spraying encourages the preening, and the preening waterproofs the feathers as the bird is spreading the oil from the preen gland located above the tail. Anyone not sure about this have a look at a roast chicken, particularly the "parson's nose" and you will find the preen gland. Don't eat it, it's pretty yuk. A bird which is used to being sprayed in the summer and which becomes pretty water-proofed should also be able to be sprayed at other times as the water will not penetrate beyond the waterproofed outer feathers (unless you dunk it in a bucket!) With birds regularly exposed to natural rain and/or spraying the down feathers should remain dry. Like wearing a warm jumper under a raincoat. Jaz

Yes, it gets dirty quickly so in less than a half an hour the dishes will be removed. In the name of hygiene, one possible option is to put something like KD7 (from Rob Marshall - vet) in the water they bathe in. I figure it's alright for them to drink, it's okay to use it to clean their utensils so it should be okay to bathe in. Any bugs that get into the water should be zapped. Haven't actually done this but can't see why it wouldn't be okay. Jaz

 

KD Powder is an excellent product. I give my budgies KD Powder in their drinking water 2 days out of 7. The dosage for bath water is 1 gm/4 liters.

okay thank you all so much for your help! It's such a challenge getting my budgie to get enough nutrients. I hope he'll start using his cuttlebone one day, I know that calcium/ geting enough nutrients is important especially when they moult. I am much more concerned about his health than he is =(