"Chief" and Bathing

[Corrina]

I have offered our recovering pigeon "Chief" baths on 2 occasions, but he has shown little interest. Can anyone give me suggestions on what size/shape/depth of container pigeons prefer? Alternatively, could I give him a shower using a plant mister? Any ideas are most welcome.

[Trees Gray]

Hi Corrina,

A pigeon pretty much lets you know when he wants to bathe. They will try to jump into their drinking bowl, if I don't put their bath tubs out.

My pigeons have a new cat litter box that works great.

If he is not feeling 100% yet, he might need some more time to rest and recooperate.

Treesa

[cyro51]

Hi Corrina,

I have 3 PMV pigeons. I had been misting them and one of them really loved it, while the other 2 were fairly indifferent.

This weekend I put down a bath for them (a cat lit tray). It wasn't until one of them realised what it was and started swishing the water with its beak that the other two got interested, but they didn't quite understand that they had to get into the water so they sat on either side of the bath going through all the motions of bathing but with no water! They managed to bathe eventually and then lay on towels holding their wings open to dry. So cute!

Cynthia

[KIPPY]

BIG ROUND PLASTIC TRAY FOR A PLANTING POT. KIPPY ALSO LOVES THE HOSE. SHE SEES THAT WATER SPLASHING ON THE GROUND AND SHE'S ALL OVER IT. THEY HAVE THE GREEN ONES ON CLEARANCE AT HOME DEPOT.

[Jules]

I have two kitty litter containers that I keep end to end for my feral pigeons (like a long swimming pool). Once the winter is gone I keep them filled to the brim.
It's like watching little kids in a wading pool! Alot of the pigeons wait their turn sitting on the rim and pecking the heads of each pigeon that is currently wading & splashing. "It's my turn, it's my turn"
...I'm sure I hear them saying!
It's a wonderful sight!
In the warmer weather, I have to refill the containers repeatedly throughout the day.

Julianne

[slugmonkey]

Birds that arent healty wont bathe I watch my racers if I see one not bathing I take this as a cue and start paying real close attention to it sometimes they will have hit a wire or something that I havent caught I will remove this bird and throw him into my hospital loft till I think he is better when I bathe my birds I switch the pan from one loft to the next moving it down one section each day the birds on the other side will often see the birds next to them bathing and start acting as if they have taken a bath also I give my birds baths all winter long I cant belive they will do it but the cold dosent seem to bother them I have to change the water every day when its cold because it freezes if I put in small pans they get in them so I started putting big pans down and they will take a bath every day no matter how cold it gets

[This message has been edited by slugmonkey (edited March 16, 2004).]

[KIPPY]

KIPPY WOULD TAKE A BATH WHEN IT WAS COLD OUT. I WOULD END UP TOWEL DRYING HER, I THOUGHT SHE WOULD CATCH A COLD OR SOMETHING. I THOUGHT THE BIRD WAS CRAZY. I GUESS I'M THE CRAZY ONE. NOTHING NEW HERE. THANKS FOR THE INFO.
WHAT IS A GOOD DEPTH FOR THE WATER? I READ SOMEWHERE 4 INCHES DEEP. IS THAT TOO DEEP?

[TerriB]

Corrina,

A single pigeon is extremely vulnerable, even more so when wet. When we had only Walter, we tried alll kinds of containers, water temperatures, etc., but he wouldn't bathe. I resorted to swishing him in a sinkful of water every few weeks to keep him clean and sweet smelling.

It wasn't till Walter was with us for several months that he was comfortable enough to bathe. He had to trust that we would watch out for danger while he had his head in the water. The first time was really neat because his enjoyment was so obvious. He'd splash and soak and splash and soak. He was in there a full hour!!!

Now, we offered a bath every other day or so. Since Walter is a large breed (king), we use a plastic snow saucer (like you use to slide down snowy hills). It's large, lightweight, easy to clean, and was on sale. The neat thing is that the saucer creates a gradual slope which accommodates the other smaller birds nicely.

------------------
Terri B

[dovemom]

Pij sits in a dog's drinking bowl filled with warm water. He stays in and soaks for quite a while (and makes a big mess). He closes his eyes too. I feel the same way when I sit in a hot tub!!

Brenda

[Corrina]

Thanks for all the wonderful bathing advice!

Chief has been here for three weeks now - so he may be still recovering!

Will keep trying & perhaps give him a mist?

[maryco]

Hello,

My pigeons just LOVE their bath!!!
I put down an old shower curtain on the hard wood floor in my room, I use a little tiny square tub filled about 3/4 with water and I put a little stool beside it so the birds can jump up onto the stool them go into the water as the edges of the container are pretty sharp and it might hurt their feet to try to get it, Dotty has one foot as well so that makes it very hard for him to get in the water so sometimes I put him in.

I'm thinking of getting a little plastic tub in the summer (The ones that are used for very young children as pools) not the plastic blow up types as they smell so strong like plastic.
A little sprinkler might be a cute idea, never tried that though!


Mary

[alea]

My Bert seems to thoroughly enjoy his shower. He jumps in the sink when I am doing dishes, so I adjust the water so it is just warm and let it run for him. I also offer a shallow pan with warm water and he will jump in there as well. He loves it but gets bored after a just few minutes. My little recovering baby hasn't showed interest as of yet, but due to the meds he was on he doesn't have many feathers anyway. I just use a cotton ball and a little cup of warm water to clean him up.
Alea

[raynjudy]

Bernie also prefers a shower...

One afternoon, I looked from a higher elevation, towards our home in Waukesha, and saw a purple-black cloud, hunkered down over the entire area. As I watched, lightning struck a microwave transceiver tower (blue fire, orange sparks); and I had left the windows up!

I bolted home.

When I arrived, I saw something indelibly committed to memory: Indeed, wind and rain were nearly horizontal, coming through the screens, and in the blast of it, on the back of a fine chair, was Bernie, clearly enjoying himself; rather, "bliss" would be an apt description of what I observed. And so I joined him (along with a dozen bath towels!) for awhile. It was July, 1995.

Later, I wrote:

"Bernie is a proud individual. He spends much time on personal grooming and appearance. He appreciates an occasional shower and takes a full ten minutes doing so!
He’s no trouble in the shower, raising his wings one at a time, as you would an armpit in the warm water. He shakes and flaps himself dry. His antics are endearing."

Water as a Catharsis and Purification:

Three years ago, spring, we'd weaned a baby Society Finch, named Peep.

Peep had a genetic anomaly, which caused him to look like a tiny Fuller Brush, with legs.

Peep's greatest joy was to "vibrate", down on my head, and "nest". Clearly, the ancient drives are strong... He loved to roam the house in my shirt pocket.

Enter Mrs. Peep. With her arrival, Peep promptly rearranged his priorities...

But even after Son-of-Peep was born, if I'd acknowledge the little fellow (there are 21-birds here), he'd clamp himself to the bars, and give an enthusiastic "hello". I can tell you, the honor and pleasure were all mine (these are the magical things that make my journey through this space and time, worth while).

At the turn of the year, Mrs. Peep left this world. Peep's reaction--he took a thorough bath. And while he's moved on, a piece of him is missing. He seems to acknowledge me, but no longer clamps himself to the bars, in an enthusiastic anything. This is a being, the size of my thumb...

I too, returning home after a difficult day, wash "it" down the drain in a hot shower. Sometimes, the events of the day are profound enough to change me, at the core level, but somehow the water helps--a daily baptism.

And with that comes the promise of something new--something possibly better. For I always like to believe, that there are possibilities. But the sum total of all that's happened, is filed away; and it has been a long time, since I've "clamped myself to the bars", in an enthusiastic anything. And I am a being a lot bigger than anybody's thumb.

I think our affinity to things like water, fire and trees is genetic. I think our love of pigeons and birds is equally instinctive, and hard-wired. It's supposed to be this way. And why not? We are after all, very much alike.

--Ray

[Corrina]

Thanks, Ray, for your very moving descriptions of birds and bathing!

I found your stories quite touching.

All best wishes to you and your flock on this Spring Equinox!

Corrina