Water bottles vs water dishes

[widdlebirdie]

I've had Einstein for a couple weeks now, and he's almost four months old. The breeder I got him from used a water bottle that hung on the side of the cage, and he used it no problem. Ever since he's gotten home with me, he won't touch the water bottle, he'll only drink out of his water dish I've been keeping as a back up. While this isn't a problem, I'm always afraid he'll knock it over one morning and when I'm gone for the day he won't have any water. It would just be more convenient if he could figure out this water bottle thing.

The water bottle is on the opposite side of the cage as the breeders, but is the same color. Could this be a problem for him? Or has he just not figured things out yet?

Hope this is in the right place!

[chapala]

Maybe Einstein just prefers drinking out of the bowl, since he has a choice. If he used the bottle at the breeders, I'm guessing he knows what it is and would use it if there wasn't also a water bowl in the cage. You might want to try that one day when you will be home, mark the level in the bottle and see if he uses it (with no water bowl).

Is the bottle next to or near the water bowl?
Reta

[skthurley]

I personally am not a huge fan of having only a water bottle for water provision. I've heard too many horror stories about blocked pipes or birds putting seeds in the tube, and birds dying of thirst.

With my guinea pigs, I have 4 water bottles in their cage (1 for each plus an extra) and i check them daily, if not several times a day, to make sure they have access to water.

Regardless i'd worry about him not being able to get water.

But maybe it would be handy to have if you have to go away for an evening over night somewhere and are leaving the bird at home alone for one night. This way you could have both the dish and bottle as backup.

[unpoquito]

I don't like water bottles either, though I have had 2 different kinds in the cage, in addition to a birdie bath, and one or two water bowls. My p'lets have never taken a drink from the water bottles.

[widdlebirdie]

The water bottle is next to the water dish.

Another big reason I've been wanting him to try the water bottle was that I've heard of p'lets drowning in their water dishes. I obviously keep the water level in it low, but he's so small I still get nervous. Anyone else heard of this?

[jodeg]

I've kept both the water bottle (a small green Lixit bottle) and the stainless steel water dish in her cage ever since I brought her home at 8 weeks old. She uses both. I only had to show her once how to push the red ball to get water and she got the idea. The water bottle hangs directly over the water dish. I guess I keep both just in case one runs out.

I've used the water bottle and water dish for all the birds I've had over the years. One of my Parakeets, years ago, used to take his whole bath using the water bottle! He'd keep pushing on the ball and turning this way and that until he was all wet. He wouldn't bathe any other way!

I've never heard of a Parrotlet drowning in a water dish, but I guess anything's possible. I put about 1/2 cup of distilled water in her dish, and although she ever gets in it all the way, just dunks her head in it, she could stand up in that amount and keep her head above water.

[SweetPeasMom]

I am thinking of changing my guys to water bottles, esp the lovebirds, they have a horrible habit of making soup all day long. When I get home the water is gross, if I have afternoon meetings, they will go without clean water a couple of more hours.. extra gross.

[jodeg]

Kiwi never makes soup, but I know what you mean! Her food dish is on one side of the cage and her water dish and water bottle are on the other side, so I think that's why she doesn't "soup it up".

If you decide to add a water bottle, make sure they still have the water dish, just in case they don't use the bottle. Kiwi goes back and forth between the two, so I keep both of them in her cage.

[BUUZBEE]

I have use both for my birds for years... The budgies in the aviary have always used bottles, and the conures are notorious for making "soup" so they were the first in the cages to try it. It worked so well, i changed them all over!

They always have a water dish, but they use that for bathing and the occasional drink.

I'd do what was sugested, remove the bowl when your home for the day and see how it goes with the bottle only. Double check the bottle, maybe the spout is deffective and thats why its not being used???

As for drowning, i've never heard of that either, but its a scarey thought!

[widdlebirdie]

The water bottle works fine. I'll try the suggestion though. Thanks!

[lily]

When I hear of a bird found dead in the water bowl, I wonder if the bird was simply beside or above the bowl when it dropped dead. As for which to use, I like the idea of both! I rigged a branch near my bird's water dish. It protects the water from her hind end but allows her to drink the water.

[unpoquito]

My parrotlets love to make soup with their pellets and water. Yuck! I found that keeping the water dish on the other side of the cage prevents this. But then, they decided to use it as a bathing dish (even though they already have a bath tub!). So, I added another water bottle. The last one fell and broke. This one is plastic, but somehow, I always seem to knock it off and spill water everywhere. This one has a small dish for them to drink out of - they won't use the ones with spouts. Such persnickety p'lets!

Anna, my sun conure doesn't seem to like baths. Not in his bowls or a glass pie pan. I mist him daily though and he seems okay with it. I hope he learns to love bathing.