Pet Forum / Birds / Parrots / July 2003

Are you using a dish or putting her water on the floor of the cage?   Is
she sleeping or sitting on the dish?

Has anyone used one of those rodent-style water bottles.  You know the
upside down ones with the spout?

I ask because my hen likes to crap in her water and I'd sure prefer it
if  she'd drink clean water.

-dan

Yes I use on. NO exclusively because my male doesn't poop in his water but
he drinks occasionally from the water bottle.   I had a pair that
preferred the bottle to a dish.    can you put the water dish up higher in
the cage so he can get to it but might not prefer to sit up there. ?
Might help.

IF You switch to a bottle exclusivly which I dont recomment.  Be darn sure
he's trained and knows how to drink from the bottle first.  AND they do
like to splash around too so a dish in the cage is still a good thing.  I
change it in the morning and when I get home from work.  One poopy isn't
going to kill him.  Just change and wash the dish often as you can.

Josh

I use something like this:

http://www.petco.com/product_info.asp?familyid=6098&sku=4258353847&tab=4&dep
t_id=2048&c1=2031&c2=2046&c3=2048&ct1=Cockatiel+%26+Lovebird&ct2=Food+%26+Fe
eding+Accessories&ct3=Cups+%26+Feeders

It's easy to change, since it clips on to the outside of the cage, and it's
not big enough for them to sit on or poop in. Never had a problem with it.

I've heard of a lot of people using those dispensers.  If you think about
it,  you will still have to change the water daily so that it's fresh for
her.  My cockatiel has an open dish that hangs from the front of the cage
and that's where he sleeps.  He refuses to drink from it until I get him out
in the morning and clean the dish with him on my shoulder.  He'll climb down
my arm and take 2 big drinks from it when it's cleaned.  As long as it's
clean during the day, the night shouldn't matter cuz she'll be sleeping most
of the time anyway!!

I was told to get them used to drinking from a water bottle is by
hanging it over the waterdish.  

 

Yes I use both depending on the cage. If your bird isn;t trained to use one
you have to insure training before making their only source of water.

Mine was diving into people's tea cups for a few days beofre I realiized he
didn't undertsand how to drink from it. I had a little "poke" fight with him
a few times and he finally started poking at it, learning how to interact
with the thing.

Yes.  All nine of my birds use water bottles almost exclusively and have for
many years.  They still get a dish of water on occasion for bathing and
whatever else they want to do with it.

--
*MrJ*
Do something about 'your.attitude'
to reply via e-mail.