- Hey everyone. Jamieleigh here from BirdTricks
and we have a new aloe product out
that people have been taking a lot of interest in,
but there's still a lot of questions in general about aloe.
So this video is going to be directed towards
answering those questions,
so why not start with the toughest ones?
What exactly is aloe and is it safe for parrots?
So aloe is a succulent plant
that has been used for multiple medicinal purposes
for more than 5,000 years.
Today it's most commonly used in healing burns and sunburns
because of its moisturizing and cooling abilities.
And that's why it's so great for parrots.
It literally soothes and conditions, dry skin and feathers.
But it's also used on minor wounds, acne, sores,
things like that.
So the bigger question is, is aloe actually safe
for parrots?
And yes, it's a big yes, alovera is 100% edible.
So you don't have to worry about your bird preening
after an aloe bath.
And it's also one of the easiest crops to grow
and can be done virtually anywhere.
So most aloe Vera plant species
don't even require the use of any pesticides.
So that isn't even a concern.
Finally, I bring this up
because it became a topic of discussion on social media
when I posted a video of my camelot macaw, Comet,
enjoying his aloe bath a while back,
and I wanna make sure
that the air is cleared about it, literally.
Using an aloe spray bath is not dangerous
to your bird's respiratory system.
Aloe is very viscous in its composition,
and it was suggested at one point
that it would be dangerous if inhaled.
So in fact, because of its viscous nature,
aloe just kinda prevents it from being a problem.
So even after being well diluted with water,
which is how we use it in our spray bottles,
it's aloe and water, so it's a combination of,
it's not just pure aloe.
The spray droplets actually fall to the ground
because of their weight.
It is kind of lingering airbone particles
that are problematic to parrots,
and that is not happening here.
So any droplets that are inhaled from an aloe bath
would be stopped in the nasal passages and sneezed out.
So just like with a regular water spray bath,
have you ever experienced your bird sneezed
during one of those?
I have, parrots don't drown in mist spray bottle baths.
So,
(laughs) aloe is completely safe
and there's not a vet on the planet
that would say otherwise.
So feel free to ask yours.
So what parrots is aloe for
and why would you use it on your own bird?
So aloe's main purpose for parrots
is for its use as a skin and feather conditioner
and it can be alternated with plain water bath.
So not every single bath has to be with aloe,
you can alternate between just a water bath
and an aloe bath.
This is especially helpful in the winter months
when humidity is low and heaters dry out the air
in your home even more.
So if your bird has a tendency toward feather destruction,
this will help not cure.
So slow is not a cure for feather mutilation,
feather destruction, over preening, barbering,
anything like that.
I don't want you guys to look at it, a cure all
however, dry skin and poor feathering
is a reason for some birds to resort,
to feather destructive behaviors.
So if anything, it will help
make your bird more comfortable.
So what bird species is aloe best for?
And are there any that shouldn't be given?
I will tell you right now,
all bird species will benefit
from having their skin and feathers conditioned.
This includes the eclectus
who's feathering is a little of different quality,
as many of you know, alongside all other parrot species
like common cockatoos, greys, amazons, macaws,
even toucans sparrows, ravens ducks, pigeons, you name it.
They can all benefit from an aloe bath.
So no matter what kind of bird you got,
this aloe is for your bird.
So why BirdTricks aloe?
Our aloe supplier has rigorous standards for quality.
In fact, during the lockdown,
they actually canceled one of the orders
because they felt a shipment they received
was sub quality and they actually turned it away.
So this is always a good sign because you know,
they're losing money whenever they do that.
And they won't sacrifice quality over a monetary gain.
So this is why we source our aloe the way that we do
and the quality of the product
comes from choosing the best parts of the plant
in processing.
So something to keep in mind when you are sourcing aloe cuts
from the inner most part of the leaf and cold-pressed
will result in the best grade aloe vera gel.
The cheaper, lesser aloe products on the market
will use the lower quality parts of the plant,
and this diminishes the overall quality of the product.
As with everything else,
there will be conscientious manufacturers
and greedy ones to choose between.
So it all comes down to quality and trust.
The ingredients are very basic and all natural.
It has aloe made from the inner filet of the leaf
preserved with vitamin C, which is absorbing acid.
And then it also has citric acid as a pH regulator,
so and that's derived from sugar cane.
And then we also contain xanthan gum and potassium sorbate,
which is derived from corn
and it acts as a thickening agent and stabilizers.
So our aloe does have a shelf life.
We recommend that you use it within six months
of receiving it
and you store it in the coldest place of the fridge,
typically in the back
and this will help extend the life of the aloe.
There's no need to warm it up before spraying your bird.
So it will be landing on the birds feathers
and they likely won't notice the temperature.
And so you could also freeze it for later use
if you really wanna extend the life.
We recommend that you dispose of any unused aloevera juice
after about six months from the date of delivery,
or if you see it changing to an amber color,
that might've meant that you left it out somewhere
where it really changed temperatures
and change the quality of the aloe.
So how do you use it?
All you have to do is mix the ingredients
to make a spray bath.
So your package will arrive with a four ounce bottle
of aloe vera gel and a 16 ounce bottle,
spray bottle that looks like this.
So you're simply gonna pour the contents
of the aloe bottle into the spray bottle
and fill it to just below the top with water.
Be sure to shake it well before using it
because that will really blend the ingredients.
I would loved to be able to tell you
how many baths you're gonna get
(laughs)
out of each bottle, but it's just not possible.
It entirely depends on how many birds you have
their size, how often they choose to use it.
Some birds like to be soaked to the bone, like my macaws
(laughs)
while others are more delicate, bathing experience,
like an eclectus I'm currently working with.
So my experience is I could go through an entire bottle
on one bird if I really, really wanted to,
but I usually do a soak down of multiple birds with this.
So it'll really depend on how gung ho you are about this,
but keep in mind, like I said earlier in the video,
you do not have to use this for every single spray bath.
So you might be wondering how often should I bathe
my bird with aloe?
So while giving your bird an aloe bath everyday
is perfectly safe,
we recommend alternating between those baths
and plain water baths.
This just gives your bird kind of ample time to preen
and work the aloe into the feathers and skin
and prevents any possible buildups.
So aloe is not necessarily better than water
it's used in conjunction with water for,
with waterfur,
waterfur.
Anyone, know waterfur?
(cricket sound)
perfect.
So just to be clear, aloe is not better than water.
It's actually used in conjunction with water
to add benefits to bathing.
So, you can feel free to further dilute the aloe with water.
The dilution we recommend
is what we find to be most beneficial,
but there's no harm in adding more water.
Distilled water is the best choice
if you have mineral heavy water,
and this will keep your spray bottle from clogging up
and just keep in mind, there's not a danger
of overuse of aloe since there's no toxicity to it.
And if you properly dilute aloe with water,
it will leave no residue that a parrot might object to.
So you're probably wondering those of you with small birds,
can I give my bird a bowl of water to bathe in?
Like, now what do I do?
Can I make it an aloe bath?
So you can absolutely let your bird wade
in an aloe bath bowl versus using our spray bottle,
but you should dilute it with a little extra water
because since your bird will be wading in the water
in the aloe solution,
they're likely be a little bit more residue left
on the underside of your bird.
So it's not a dangerous,
just extra preening work for your bird.
For those of you that need help
encouraging a fearful bird to bathe with a spray bottle,
check out the playlist in the video description
for how I train some birds on the spot to enjoy bathing.
And as far as where to buy this product,
our aloe is available at birdtricks.com
and refills are even available by subscription.
Those of you wondering
why I chose the spray bottle design I did.
I didn't want your typical spray bottle
that most birds may have probably been punished with
in the past.
I wanted something that they wouldn't necessarily recognize,
and that gave off a very light mist.
So as you've seen throughout this video
of me using the spray bottle, it does,
and it gives a little bit of a continuous sprays
that your hand doesn't cramp up.
But just to demo, it's an incredible light mist,
even indoors isn't so uncomfortable
that I feel like I just got soaking wet.
And it's something that is very easy
to train your bird with
and it's not super duper loud.
So a lot of those old school spray bottles,
you hear them go.
(makes spray bottle sounds)
(laughs)
And this one doesn't do it.
How'd you like that impression by the way,
this one is so nice.
So it's very light, it's a very light mist.
I honestly tested a lot of spray bottles you guys.
This is my favorite.
(upbeat music)