[RitzieAnn]

(sorry if this is in the wrong spot)

Anybody use a water bottle for their birds? how does this even work? When my birds drink, they tilt their head back to swallow... so how do they manage with a bottle?

I ask because I have one. I needed an emergancy bottle because I picked up 2 pairs of gerbils (when I only intended on 1 pair, so I was one bottle short) I noticed it said "bird" but it's still a stainless steel tip with a ss ball in it. I just put it on their cage to see. (of course they still have their 2 regular dishes)

Does anybody use them? What do you guys think of them?

 

[Bea]

I've heard that birds can figure them out pretty well. You hang them over their regular water dish and they nibble out of curiousity and figure it's a drink bottle. Would just lick at it the way mice and rats do i guess, i don't think they need to tip their heads back to drink.

 

[atvchick95]

I've never used one, but I keep reading it is the most sanitary way to keep thier water

I used them for my rabbits (and I gotta tell ya i found backwash in the water bottles from my rabbits)

I just use Stainless steel cups

 

[RitzieAnn]

Well, I've got a stainless dish, and one of those plastic ones with the hood. Both have water in there. I've got a chinchilla and rodents, so they all drink from bottles (and 6 bunnies too)

I don't actually care if they take to the bottle or not, but it would be nice to not have to wash out poop from their dish daily. It seems very clean, but after watching my rodents drink... I have a rough tine imagining how a bird would actually get the water in the MOUTH, and not all over everything else.

It's in their cage. We'll see if they use it or not. Just thought I'd ask if anybody else uses them

 

[Sophia]

I have thought this aswell, how would they get their tongue near the ball, to lick it! I was always thinking their beak would get in the way, but I guess they must have a certain way of doing it!

Hope they take to it!

 

[poppabill]

I tried one a long time ago and no luck, the birds couldn't figure it out and when the one bird did get the water out it all came out all over the bottom of the cage. I thought it was a great idea but i guess not (at least not for me). my wife Fran said they will never work and i had to be the smart one, any way i heard it from her for a couple months and i ended up giving 6 bottles away to her nephew who had a bunch of hamsters. They liked the water bottles LOL, any way ...be happy.

 

[Plukie]

LOL!!! Don't you just love us women?

 

[Kumiko]

I would actually be afraid because with some small animals, they could get their tounges caught in it. I don't know for cockatiels though, but you never know.

 

[xxxSpikexxx]

I would be afraid it would get clogged. I seen these ones http://www.woodlandbird.com/text/WBuddy.html and it says there will be no back wash with it. But it says it is made from a bit of brass, brass contains zinc which is not good for birds. Iam not 100% sure if it does contain zinc but brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. I think I am just going to stick to a stainless steel dish. Here is a link about water bottle training http://www.birdieboutique.com/watbotandbir.html Hope it helps

 

[RitzieAnn]

Hum. Interesting link Spike. I'll try it. I guess. I'm really not in a hurry, nor do I actually care much if they use a bottle vs a dish. The one with the hood stays pretty clean. It's the other one that gets dirty, but it's changed every day anyway- so who cares- right?

I'd never worried of my critters getting their little tongues in the spout. If you ever really watch them, they usually poke it with their bottom teeth actually. Heres my best pic I have (that I can find anyway.)
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z205/gerbilarium2/Picture217.jpg

 

[joe]

i know that many people do use these for their birds so it must be at least POSSIBLE for them to use it lol. I think i'll stick to my little plastic feeder for my birds though just in case they dont know how to use it.