# Baths and veggies



## Sweety's mom (4 mo ago)

So he won’t take a bath and so far won’t eat anything but seeds, pellets, and millet. He ate some egg white that I smashed into seeds a couple times and didn’t seem to protest.

I can spray him a little
and he likes/hates it so I don’t do it often. How to encourage him to take a bath?

For veggies I guess I will just keep trying. I keep offering but usually he’s just afraid of the new offered food. 

He seems healthy and clean. He is still young so I keep hoping like A preteen he will soon learn to develop healthy habits. ☺


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

It can take a long time for them to try new foods, sometimes it depends on the way they are offered, some birds like chopped up veggies some prefer a leafy greens hanging in the cage. 
Not all birds like to bathe, if you want to mist him do not spray directly at him, spray from above and let the mist fall on him, if he does not like it just stop for the time being. Some birds like to rub on wet lettuce leaves, I had one bird that would roll on it . I have a couple of Linnes that as soon as they hear the vacuum they jump in their bathtub and soak themselves they put on quite a show, it's really funny to watch


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## ChickWas (May 6, 2021)

How bonded are you, and how much does he trust you? Never force bathing on a budgie, they will bathe if they wish. For my girls, only one was interested in bathing, and only when I bought a shallow transparent plastic takeaway plate and filled it with lukewarm water which I would then splash with my fingertips. Since she was comfortable and trusting of me, she would perch on my hand and go down my fingers into the splashing water. She'd peck the beads of water off my fingers. Over time, she became used to the routine and will now rush to the plastic dish when I bring it out for bathing.

My other girl has never really gotten into bathing. Of all the times I've given baths, she's only accepted two. The 2nd one was only last week and it was the first time she actually properly bathed. 

So the moral of the story is: just take it at their own pace. Don't force it upon them. Let them initiate. As for veggies, I've got no clue, my two refuse outright.


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## Sweety's mom (4 mo ago)

We are bonded and he trusts me, but no he does not want to be touched. We are working on at least being close by near each other and I'm hopeful eventually I could splash around a tiny dish of water in front of him (outside the cage) and at least introduce it without scaring him or forcing him near it.

Questions if anyone knows: So if he just never takes a bath, he will be ok and hygienic? Or will he eventually in adulthood be compelled to finally dunk into shallow water?

Same with veggies, if he refuses on into adulthood, he will still get all the nutrients he needs?


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

He will be fine if he does not bathe, the diet is another matter. A seed only diet is deficient in vitamins and minerals and if seed is all he eats, eventually a health issue may arise because of the deficiencies, and his immune system will not be strong. You can add vitamins such as Nekton-S to the diet, it can take months for them to try something new, so don't give up on the veggies.


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## Sweety's mom (4 mo ago)

Cody said:


> He will be fine if he does not bathe, the diet is another matter. A seed only diet is deficient in vitamins and minerals and if seed is all he eats, eventually a health issue may arise because of the deficiencies, and his immune system will not be strong. You can add vitamins such as Nekton-S to the diet, it can take months for them to try something new, so don't give up on the veggies.


He eats about 50% seeds 50% pellets. And once in awhile I can sneak egg into his mix. He gets millet in moderation as a treat. He also has a mineral block and a cuttlefish bone and nibbles them daily. 

Tonight I noticed he picked up a stick in his mix bowl that had been from some kind of seed. So tomorrow I’m going to put a couple “sticks”
of chopped veggies in with his mix. Maybe he will gravitate towards them and chew on it.

Later I will also try putting chopped kale or baby spinach on the bottom of his cage on a paper towel with a little bit of the coveted seeds I have for him. Maybe he will forage and find the seeds but also chew the greens.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Budgies clean themselves by using the oil from their preen gland and preening their feathers to keep them clean and shiny.
You do not need to wash or bathe your budgie.
There are various things you can try. You may also find they ignore the bath for a long time and then suddenly one will decide to try it and then they'll all like it!

I'd suggest you either put a shallow bowl with water in or on top the cage or get a Lix-it Bath to attach to the cage and provide them the option of bathing every few days.

You can also try placing a few fresh basil leaves or some lettuce leaves in the water. That may interest them in the bath.

Some budgies love to rub against or roll on wet leaves.
You can hang wet romaine lettuce or kale leaves in the cage or place them in a shallow dish in or on the cage to see if your budgies like them.

Some budgies enjoy being very lightly misted with room temperature water.
Do NOT squirt the water directly on the budgie.
Aim it up into the air and let the water mist settle down over the budgie gently.
You should be able to easily tell if he likes it or doesn't want any part of it.
Some budgies do enjoy playing under a light trickle of water in the sink.
Other budgies simply don't enjoy bathing which is fine as all budgies are cleaning and oiling their feathers when they preen.

If your budgie is shaking his head, tail and feet after he’s been in the water, that’s quite normal. It’s like a dog shaking after it gets wet.*


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## Sweety's mom (4 mo ago)

@FaeryBee I'm so relieved to know not having a bath won't be harmful. And hopeful that maybe one day he will just suddenly go for it.

I have misted him before and he likes/hates it. I will try again with a more gentle mist only above him and see what he does. I have tried spraying from sides, front, top, etc, and he always acts the same. Kind of interested, gets directly under the water for a second, then runs from it, then runs back into it, then protests. Afterwards he is cheery and chipper (not sulking). He loves the water that drips on the cage afterwards and goes all over the cage drinking up the little drips. But I just won't worry about it that much anymore and will go at his pace, now that I know it won't harm him to not get wet/bathe regularly.

Veggies are still an issue but I'll just keep trying. If I can get him to just take a little nibble he would see how delicious they are! Stubborn wittle cutie.


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## ChickWas (May 6, 2021)

Please try with a see-through plastic container lid or something similar that provides a small shallow pool. Put lukewarm water inside and then let him see you splashing around in it with your fingers. Then hold it out for him to explore.


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## Sweety's mom (4 mo ago)

ChickWas said:


> Please try with a see-through plastic container lid or something similar that provides a small shallow pool. Put lukewarm water inside and then let him see you splashing around in it with your fingers. Then hold it out for him to explore.


Ok I will try this. He doesn't like when I put anything inside his cage, and so far cannot safely come out and explore enough to see this happening outside of his cage. So I'll try doing a little splash in a small bowl outside his cage and just leave it where he can see it for a few days, then see if he won't freak if I put it inside the cage. I cannot put anything up to him at all or "hold it out for him to explore" as you say, he will just run or fly away.

I tried one of those inside/outside plastic bath things once but it didn't seem secure or stable enough to me. Not that he tried it anyway, he was just afraid of it.


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## srirachaseahawk (Sep 5, 2021)

Cody said:


> It can take a long time for them to try new foods, sometimes it depends on the way they are offered, some birds like chopped up veggies some prefer a leafy greens hanging in the cage.
> Not all birds like to bathe, if you want to mist him do not spray directly at him, spray from above and let the mist fall on him, if he does not like it just stop for the time being. Some birds like to rub on wet lettuce leaves, I had one bird that would roll on it . I have a couple of Linnes that as soon as they hear the vacuum they jump in their bathtub and soak themselves they put on quite a show, it's really funny to watch


I need video of them bathing 😁


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## Sweety's mom (4 mo ago)

A little update. Still no baths but he seems to be getting more and more interested in his water bowl as if he’s contemplating stepping into it. He always seems to change his mind at the last second tho. I have about the same luck as before with misting him. Sometimes he loves it sometimes he gets mad about it.

A little success with some micro greens in the past couple of days. I’ve been leaving a little pile of them on top of his seed mix and he liked foraging through them for the seed and then out of curiosity nibbled a couple of them. The next day he seemed to nibble a little more and then yesterday was definitely playing with them and eating some of them deliberately.

I’ll keep up with the greens and also get some parsley or other delicate leafy greens to try. I’m super happy for him to eat anything green!!


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