Water: Dish or Bottle Feeder?

[Randall]

Hi Guys

Just looking for a little advice of the best way to give water to Gizmo my Senegal. Is there any advantage to using the water bottle feeders over just a bowl of water?

I just brought Gizmo home yesterday and want the best for him. My turquoisine parakeet Disco has always just drank out of a dish.

Thanks for your advice!
Randall

[Wolf]

I prefer using a stainless steel water dish for my birds. There are advantages and drawbacks to either way. When using a dish some birds like Senegals have a tendency to make soup, some birds will poop in the water dish, especially if a perch is placed above it in the wrong spot. Either of these mean that you need to change the water and clean the dish. But they can drink in their natural manner.

Water bottles do prevent the bird from pooping in the water as well as keeping them from making soup with the water or stops them from using it for a bath and makes it seem to be cleaner, but bacterial growth is still a major concern as water bottles are harder to clean, especially the sipping tube which tends to get overlooked when cleaning. Also the bird does have to figure out how to use the bottle, but I really prefer that they can drink naturally.

[Pajarita]

In my personal opinion, the biggest drawback to bottles is the small amount of water that comes out at one time. Parrots are not hard-wired to take many sips/gulps at one time so getting one single drop at a time is bound to mean too little water intake in the long run - and I don't like that at all! The problem with birds is that is impossible to externally check for dehydration because we can't use the 'clues' we do with mammals: the inside of their beaks is always dry, they have no nose -mucosa- to feel, and you can't pull out the skin - all things you do with mammals to see if they are properly hydrated or not. This, added to the fact that a chronic mild dehydration always ends up in kidney trouble, pretty much closes the case to me.

[Randall]

Thanks for answering my question! Very grateful for the help!

Thanks
Randall

[marie83]

I use dispensers. Cleaner than a bowl, less likely to go wrong than a bottle.

[Wolf]

What do you mean by dispensers, I don't believe that I have seen them before? Do you have a picture or a link so I can see?

[Pajarita]

She must mean the ones that have an upright container filled with water and a 'cap' that has a little dish in front so the water comes out as the little dish is depleted (they use gravity). I used to use that kind for the canaries but stopped because they are harder to clean than just plain bowls and you still have to do it every day, anyway. The advantage is that you never get any poop in them but, on the other hand, they can't be used for bathing.

[Michael]

In my personal opinion, the biggest drawback to bottles is the small amount of water that comes out at one time. Parrots are not hard-wired to take many sips/gulps at one time so getting one single drop at a time is bound to mean too little water intake in the long run - and I don't like that at all! The problem with birds is that is impossible to externally check for dehydration

Captive parrots have all day long to drink unlike wild birds that may be putting themselves in jeopardy by landing at the water's edge. It is fairly easy to tell if a bottle-watered bird has been drinking because the water level in the bottle will drop enough that it is obvious (if the bottle is consistently filled to the brim). Except the very rare occasion of a bottle leak, water level drop demonstrates drinking whereas a dish-watered bird that won't drink, well you pointed out how there's really no way to tell.

[Chantilly]

In my personal opinion, the biggest drawback to bottles is the small amount of water that comes out at one time. Parrots are not hard-wired to take many sips/gulps at one time so getting one single drop at a time is bound to mean too little water intake in the long run - and I don't like that at all! The problem with birds is that is impossible to externally check for dehydration

Captive parrots have all day long to drink unlike wild birds that may be putting themselves in jeopardy by landing at the water's edge. It is fairly easy to tell if a bottle-watered bird has been drinking because the water level in the bottle will drop enough that it is obvious (if the bottle is consistently filled to the brim). Except the very rare occasion of a bottle leak, water level drop demonstrates drinking whereas a dish-watered bird that won't drink, well you pointed out how there's really no way to tell.

You use bottles, dont you Michael?

[marie83]

I can't find a link for the ones I have, it appears they don't make them anymore but it's very similar to this but it's a stainless steel tray and it's deeper. Super easy to clean.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Birdcage-Water- ... B00A66DVF4

I think this plastic one would just get chewed up tbh and mine don't chew plastic.

I also don't think any water bowl is good for bathing- unless we are talking about something the size of a finch!