CAN BUDGIES BATH IN WINTER? How often? Is it safe?

Budgie Bath in winter? The climate should not be too cold because the water droplet will quickly freeze on the feathers and skin.

For the feathery pet owners, taking care of your birds requires much attention and commitment, especially in cold seasons. You have to ensure that your birds are clean and warm at all times. This prevents the breeding of dangerous pests and parasites on the skin which leads to skin irritation and feather falling. However, the big question is, how often should your budgies bathe? Can your budgies bath in winter? These are questions that every budgerigar owner must have the right answers at all times. Therefore, to understand the significance of the cleanliness of budgies in cold weather, we need to take an in-depth visit to general facts about budgies.

How Often Do Budgies Bathe?

Budgies are fond of bathing, and it takes little effort to make them do so. This is because most of the time you will see budgies fluffing their feathers to allow water to reach their skin. Although there is no universal recommendation on how often you should bathe your budgies, the only valid answer is that you should allow your budgies to take bathe a couple of times a week. This will help to keep their feathers nice and clean and avoid pet diseases. However, it comes back to how you care for your pets and the season.

Budgies have different needs and preferences. For instance, those kept as pets don’t need to take frequent baths to keep their feathers in good condition. However, if you see your bird trying to cover its feathers with water from the water dish, it is a sign that your pet did not have adequate opportunity to take a full bath. For this case, your budgerigar needs the traditional method of bathing using a plastic bird bath hanging in the cage opening. Moreover, if you realize your bird does not like to take birth at all, you should investigate what your pet really wants. As a bird owner, you should also employ various bathing methods that will make your budgies love cleaning their feathers.

How to Give Budgies A Bath

As stated earlier, it is easy to clean your budgies since they do most of the work themselves. This involves jumping in water ponds and basins and fluffing their feathers to allow water to reach their skin. However, there are various precautions you need to take as a pet owner to ensure that the water is not too cold for them. Budgies have a unique way of bathing which helps them feel relaxed on hot days. Therefore, to encourage the art of cleanliness in budgies, you need to use various methods that your pets will easily adapt. Always remember that you have to use the method several times over the course of the week before your budgies try it themselves. These methods include;

Using the Hanging Bath

A hanging bath is the most common and comfortable way to bathe your birds. It gives your birds home safety, while the wet greens tap into their wild mind and think they are in a natural bath. To effectively use the method, learn how to make a hanging bath. Additionally, ensure that the bunch is strong enough to withstand the budgies’ weight and a lot of cage activities.

Budgie Bath by Misting

Misting involves getting a small misting bottle and spraying your budgies with water. However, ensure that the bottle is empty and dry after each use so that it does not get mold. The reaction of the budgies determines if you will spray water slightly on their heads so that cannot notice easily or just spray them directly. Some budgies enjoy this method while others will show a negative reaction when used.

Using Shower Perches or Putting the Cage in The Shower

Shower perches are mostly suitable for larger birds. However, some budgerigar owners admit going with their budgies in the bathroom for a bath. Although the birds do not get direct water flow, they are adjacent to the shower and have a nice warm mist. On the other hand, putting the entire cage in the shower is an effective way to clean both the cage and the budgies inside. In this case, the cage should be smaller or you should have a large shower for you to use this method. Additionally, you need to remove all the toys from the cage before taking it to the shower to allow it to dry faster.

Using Greens on A Shallow Plate

Take some leaf lettuce, kale, or any other green, wash them thoroughly, and lay them on a shallow plate. Pour a little water over the greens. You can now take your budgies to the place or lure them with millet. Once the budgies get on the plate, they will have a wild mind of the natural environment which will make them roll on the plate and fluff their feathers to get water to their skin.

Cup Your Hands Under A Running Sink

Start by cupping one hand under the sink and let the other hand splash around in the water to create interest in your budgies. Ensure that the pressure is not too high and the water is not very hot. You can also use a shallow Tupperware, a bowl, or anything they like under the running water.

Using Tupperware Or Shallow Bowl

You can use greens or not, but ensure you offer the shallow Tupperware or bowls of water a couple of times a week for your budgies to adapt to it. You can still use the method once a month and ensure that your birds get completely soaked for a full bath.

The Lixit Bath

The Lixit bath is easy to install and mount on the outside of the cage to get minimal water mess inside the cage. Since budgies like bathing in high up equipment and see through things, they will also love taking a bath using this Lixit method.

Using A Mirror at The Bottom of The Tupperware

Using a mirror in the Tupperware or a reflective bowl is a great idea to make your budgerigar think she has a friend to bathe with.

This encourages your budgies to bathe every time they come across the mirrored Tupperware or a reflective bowl. However, ensure that the water is not too cold or hot, it should be at room temperature.

Just a little reminder Budgie MIRROR IS BAD for Budgies, watch video here

Cupped Hands with Greens

Adding greens to cupped hands under the running sink is an improved way to attract budgies for a bath. You can offer your feathery pets with a snack cupped in your hands, and add little water on the greens. As the birds feed on the snack, they get soaked with water and fluff their feathers to get water on their skin. This cleans their skin and removes debris.

Catit Flower Fountain

Some birds like drinking from the Catit flower fountain while others find it hard to try. You can also try creating a flower fountain in your home, even though it will not be an immediate hit for all your feathery pets. As the birds feed on the flowers they get soaked with water, leading to a self-cleaning process.

Can Budgies Bath in Winter?

The shortest answer is that budgies like playing in the water in all seasons, which helps them to remain clean. Maybe, they also enjoy the challenge and the shock of cold water just like people would like to swim in cold water during winter. However, as a bird pet owner, you should ensure that your budgies do not get in cold water frequently to avoid some problems. So, what is the longest answer?

Budgies go through various ritualized motions when bathing to allow water over their feathers and down to the skin. This helps to clean the skin and remove parasites such as bird lice. It also helps to smoothen and repair the broken feathers. In cold temperatures, it takes a few minutes for the water droplets to freeze. However, since the droplets are heated up by the body temperature, they do not get time to freeze and stick to the feathers. The case may be different at zero degrees as the water droplets quickly freeze on bird feathers, which may pose health problems to your budgies.

How to Care for Budgies in Winter

As the weather becomes colder during the winter season, it becomes a challenge to most birds, especially those that hail from warm tropical climates. This means if budgies should be prepared for the coming cold and humidity during indoor winters. Therefore, here are some of the ways to care for the budgies in winter

Mimicking the Bird’s Native Environment

Budgies are likely to be bred in captivity, but their species are probably native to a certain region that is always warm around the year. For instance, some birds are not designed to survive in harsh winter temperatures. Therefore, as a bird pet owner, you should always ensure that the conditions you keep your birds mimic their native environment. It is dangerous to expose grass parakeets to temperatures below 65-degree Fahrenheit. That means, you may keep your birds in a climate-controlled environment, but a slight burst of cold air may stress their immune system and make them susceptible to illness.

When exposed to cold conditions, budgies always sit with their feathers fluffed up and do not move much. This helps to retain their body temperatures. However, it can also be a sign of illness in birds. Therefore, if you not an increase in temperature does not return your budgies to their normal behavior faster, it is time to contact your avian veterinarian.

Ensure Safe Heating for The Budgies

Providing a comfortable temperature for your bird pets can be tricky unless your home has central heat and good insulation. Moreover, lighting a fire in a fireplace is a bad idea because an open fire can pose a burn risk for a budgerigar outside the cage. The smoke is also a health hazard to the birds since they have extremely sensitive respiratory systems and can easily develop serious issues, leading to death. Therefore, which are the best ways to safely provide heat to the budgies?

One way is to move the cage away from the doors or windows since the interior parts of your home are typically the warmest and farthest from risks. Secondly, cover the cage with a towel at night to deflect drafts and maintain the temperature inside the cage. You can also seal air leaks as soon as possible using a shrink-wrap insulation kit. However, avoid using spray foam and certain types of insulation around the cage.

Consider the Humidity

Keeping your budgies warm in winter is a major factor considered by many bird pet owners. However, many forget about humidity and make the indoor air too dry, denying the budgerigar essential humidity needed in the environment. Therefore, when caring for the budgies in winter, don’t forget about the humidity since its insufficiency may lead to dry skin, preening issues, respiratory problems, and brittle feathers. Luckily, you can deal with the lack of humidity in your home easily.

The first option is buying an electric humidifier and place it near the cage. You can also mist your birds gently with water from a spray bottle regularly. This is the easiest method since most birds like misting as it mimics the bird’s natural bath. It also promotes healthy preening and soothes the skin. However, always ensure that the conditions are the cage is warm before misting or else the water on their feathers will make the bird chilled.

Final Words

Getting back to the question, can budgies bath in winter? The right answer is Yes. However, the climate should not be too cold because the water droplet will quickly freeze on the feathers and skin. This will lead to serious respiratory problems in budgies and affect their metabolism. Therefore, as a budgerigar owner, always ensure that the conditions around the cage during winter mimic the bird’s native environment.

Provide the birds with the right heating in winter. However, do not make the air too dry for the budgies to avoid further complications. Lastly, employ various bathing methods named above to ensure budgies stay clean at all times, even in winter.