Hi David,

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Stanley from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and am new to the hobby of keeping Shamas.

Would you kindly offer me advice as to getting 2 of my Shamas into the bath cage? (Individually of course)

I have been unable to 'chase' them into the bath cage and would not want to try catching them by hand as it proves to be stressful.

Also, I am reluctant to spray them with a spray bottle as I read on your site it is not advisable to do so, water may get into their lungs.

Could you offer me solutions to get my birds into the bath cage?

& also, if all else fails, what would be my last resort in regards to their bathing hygiene?

I thank you in advance for your precious time and valuable advice.

Regards

Hi Stanley,

The bird that is not familiar with crossing into the bath cage will be reluctant to do so. The most effective method is to use the cage cloth to completely cover the area between the cage and the bath cage. The cloth should cover part of both cages. This seems to calm the bird and help it to cross. After the bird has crossed, leave the whole setup as it is. In other words don't shut the door and remove the cloth. Let the bird cross and re-cross if it wants to. If the bird does not bathe after half an hour, return the bird to its usual place. Eventually the bird will be unafraid and it will bathe. You can remove the cloth when the bird will comfortably cross the cage.

Another method is to place a perch in the bird's cage just at the entrance of the door.

Another method is to place a female at the other end of the bath cage. This works if the male is in form as he will want to reach the female.

David