Refresh every day
Replace drinking water and wash drinkers daily; change contaminated water immediately. Check the opening or bottle flow rather than assuming a full container works. During any drinker change, keep the familiar source until birds are observed using the new one. An acidifier does not turn a two-day water routine into a suitable default.
- 01
Clean water
Clean drinkers and provide fresh drinking water daily. Observe that birds can reach and use the drinker.
- 02
Shallow bath
Offer a clean, shallow bath when the birds can bathe and dry comfortably. This Gouldian illustration uses plain water.
- 03
Remove and dry
Remove soiled bath water and clean the dish. Keep birds away from direct air-conditioning drafts while wet.
Bath salts and aromatic products need their own species-appropriate instructions. A pigeon bath reference is not a drinking-water recipe or a finch concentration.
Offer a voluntary shallow bath
Use a clean stable dish with easy footing and exit, containing only a shallow amount of plain water suitable for the birds. Observe the first use and remove the bath after bathing or sooner if soiled. Never leave a deep vessel as the only water source. Do not add soap, oils, salts or medicine to the bath as routine care.
Choose a comfortable time
Offer bathing early enough for feathers to dry before the dark or cooler part of the day, away from direct air-conditioning flow. Let birds choose whether to bathe; do not force a weak or ill bird to become wet. Clean and dry the dish after use, and keep familiar drinking water available throughout. Seek veterinary advice if feather or skin changes persist.