Your opinions on water bottles

[KimKim]

As I have posted before, I used a Lixit Bottle for a week, trying to stop the messy water as I used bottled water at the time. After a day or two the water in the bottle was still clean but smelled. I think he was bringing his food to the bottle. So I switched back to the bowl. Now I am using filtered water from the fridge and I was still changing the water 2-3 times a day so I decided to try the bottle again. Babalu uses the bottle fine but I felt bad cause he likes to get his food wet and I watched him one time and it seemed like he just wasnt getting enough water in his mouth when licking the bottle and seemed to me to be getting mad. I got the bottle for greys so the spout is the right size, maybe its just me cause I know he likes the bowl. What are you opinions on them?

[Luvparrots]

All my fids love to get wet. Have you tried misting Babalu a couple of times a week so he can get really wet. I use water bowls for my fids and change the water in the AM and at bedtime. If you use a water bottle the water should be changed daily as well.

[judygram]

I use the bowls for water also, sometimes they like to try to take a bath in them and I change the water daily or more often depending on how much soup one of them tries to make, I have to agree with Janet, even if you use the water bottles you still need to change the water daily or it becomes stale and then develops an off odor.

[Birdnut]

I prefer to use bowls, even though I do have a soup chef in the flock. I just have to change the water 2-3 times a day. Also, the birds seem to really like when I put out fresh water, as they'll hurry over to get a drink. Drinking out of a bowl just seems more natural.

[KimKim]

I put the bowl back in under the bottle that same day I took it out. At the moment the bottle is still there, but he does not use it if the bowl is there. I think I will pull the bottle out today and just save it.

[Lex]

bowls for my guys also they need the chance to bath when they want not just for drinking

[Greywings]

You can use both that way you have a back up if you are not able to get home on your usual schedule there will always be water available.

[Spinner]

As Greywings mentioned, use both. I use both. The water bottles gives an always-available clean supply of water, and the bowls gives them a place to wash their food and take the occasional splash down.

 

I'm changing both once a day.

[jeanna]

Jasper has a bowl in his cage. He doesn't dip his food in the water, but sometimes pellets end up in there along with lots of dust and feathers (he's molting). I discovered that he seems to really like using the water bottle in his pak-o-bird (which is also where he sleeps at night), so I think I"ll get a bottle for his cage as well. So I think I'll be replacing that water bowl with another bottle and use the extra bowl space for non-pellet/fresh food.

[KimKim]

I ended up getting a bigger tube for the bottle so more water would come out and he is using it now even with the bowl of water below.

[crysmom]

I used an edstrom valve water bottle with my senegal you do still need to change the water in the bottle daily

 

I'm planning on using this with my new grey as well.

[KimKim]

The first bottle I bought was a water buddy which had that kind of valve, but he would play with it, and keep pushing the valve and water spilled out... The good thing about those is they are not suppose to be able to get jammed and they dont get the vapor lock, or so I was told..

[JillyBeanz]

The other thing I would add about water bottles is that they aren't as easy to clean and sanitise as bowls. I used water bottles with my cockatiel and try as I might I couldn't keep them 100% clean and used to throw them out regularly. Whatever rubbish they pump into our water "clings" to the sides and it ends up in the water - at least with bowls they are easily cleanable and all parts are there to see - I just think that the inside of the tubes etc on water bottles could be harbouring some sort of dangerous bugs.

[KimKim]

Hmm, never thought of that... I use filtered water from the fridge I wonder if that helps. Thanks for the comments!

[crysmom]

I but our water bottle in the dishwasher regularly with all the dishes but it has a wide mouth so its a lot easier to clean then the narrow mouth bottles

 

now i'll point out I don't have a grey using a water bottle, she hasn't even arrived yet, so I don't really have experience with the water bottle and a grey, but in general I love the water bottle and really like using it with my smaller birds

Edited November 2, 2010 by crysmom