While stressing over the possibility that Jake has Giardia issues I read about using water bottles vs a water dish and I wanted to find out what the concensus was here.

Thanks in advance for the info

All my birds have water bottles, except when I am away on fire duty and then they have their bottles and a water dish, just incase something happens.

I change the bottle water and clean them and refill daily, aswell as check they are working two or three times a day

My quaker has a water dish.My macaws both have bottles. We use the birdie butler. It does not have a ball as most bottle do..so it never sticks.
My nanday before I re-homed her with my sis used a water bottle, but she got into the habit of playing with it..and would drain every drop of water from it..so we went back to the dish.

All my animals have bottles, I keep two for each animal and run the one not in use through the dishwasher so they're easy to swap out in the morning. Water dishes are gross, imo, animals poo in them, dust and bugs fall in them, food gets in them. The only negative to bottles is that they can drip and leak a bit, but if you change the cage liner daily, it's not a problem.

Where can you find the birdie butler systems?

I use water bottles for both of my birds. I add GSE to the water.

A LPS in my area uses water bottles for their birds and they actually put a bowl under the bottle to catch any leaks/drips. I'm considering using a water bottle for my Petrie.

Sandi, what is GSE?

Here is a pic of it
http://www.exoticwooddreams.com/catalog20/...e2/101042lg.jpg

That is the site I ordered from. Here is the link to the home page.

http://www.exoticwooddreams.com/catalog20/parrotcages.html

Thanks much!

Me- Iam my birdies butler

I like water dish-I am home so I change the water every hour.JMO a water bottle is for mice and stuff like that. They poop in the food dish too-just have to keep it clean. I put ACV in the water-organic with the mother

My grey Tobias used a water bottle, but then he started dumping it daily when he would play on his cage, so I had to switch him to a water bowl. It does seem more sanitary, but I do add GSE to my water bowls.
tikileahsmom

Mine has a dish that is changed at least twice a day... depending on what he's put in it. Never had any health problems... and was just given a clean bill of health from the vet. I think water dishes are fine as long as you keep it clean... just like their food dishes.



They aren't gross at all if you keep them clean.

I use both, I clean the water bottles every other day and I clean the water dishes a couple times a day. I usually come home for lunch so it makes it easy to do both. I couldn't possibly take away their bath tub! Both my birds like to bathe in private.

I agree with you Ohana, some of my birds MUST take a daily bath in their water bowl!!! Who am I to deprive them. Even one of my greys has taken a dive in his. Does he realize how large he is?? Start running that vacuum and there he goes!
I also clean all my water bowls twice daily.
My vet said there is such a thing as being "Too clean" with our birds. They can't develop a good immune system that way. I'm not saying let your water bowls get dirty, but using water bowls and cleaning them twice a day should be sufficient. Then again I do realize that each vet and person has their own opinion and I do respect this.

tikileahsmom

mine has both ... he drinks out of the bottle and bathes out of the dish

Smart bird, wish I could train mine to do that. hee he
tikileahsmom

lol.. yeah. .hes sure a unique little guy... he also cleans the poo out of his happy hut every morning when he wakes up before i have a chance to get to it..
hes tidy...

I think he's definately ready for the "big screen" we'll be watching for him!!!! hee hee how neat
tikileahsmom




Of course if that doesn't work out, I'll be you can put him to work around the house. He seems to know the meaning of "Keeping things clean" and none of my guys have any idea what that means!!!
tikileahsmom

Georgie has a dish. And sometimes with that dish, she feels the need to play in it.

I have thought about converting her over to a bottle but am afraid she won't take to it.

[quote name='deus ex maria' date='Apr 17 2007, 11:26 AM' Water dishes are gross, imo, animals poo in them, dust and bugs fall in them, food gets in them. The only negative to bottles is that they can drip and leak a bit, but if you change the cage liner daily, it's not a problem.
[/quote]
Well, if you change them daily..then they are by no means gross LOL If you leave the dish to sit for days and days then it can become gross.
The birdie butler I use for my big birds is no leak no drip...