# Best way to clean dirty feathers?



## imouto (Feb 24, 2014)

My baby tiel loves to sleep in a little cozy hut at night, but as he poops it piles up under his rump and gets his feathers and feet all dirty. What would be the best way to clean up that dried poop from his feathers? It's pretty icky.


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## karendh (Mar 25, 2013)

I'm assuming he's not a young tiel needing a nest. if I'm correct I would remove the hut and let him sleep on a perch as adult birds do, the dropping would then fall to the bottom of the cage.


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## imouto (Feb 24, 2014)

I already removed it. But that doesn't really solve the poop dried onto him..


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## karendh (Mar 25, 2013)

Just an idea but is your tiel happy to be handled, if so perhaps you could use a soft toothbrush to remove the dried poop and let him paddle in shallow water to clean his feet. I also think that he will naturally clean his feet because Birdie does that regularly. Good luck!


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

Joey sat on his cuttlebone when he first moved in with us at 2 months old. He seemed to take comfort from it, while getting used to his new home and family. The cuttlebone was big enough for him to sit on, rump and all. His tail got nasty within days. I gave him a smaller cuttlebone he couldn't sit on, and with spray baths and preening, his tail cleared up in a hurry.


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