Last Updated on February 16, 2023 by Mitch Rezman

Bri H. writes:

Hello,

Disagreement with the wife.

 

After years of using a bottle for Eclectus and Ducorps (cockatoo), my wife has switched to a bowl.

 

What is healthier, a water bottle or a water bowl?

 

Maybe you have a discussion or topic link?

 

Thanks for Birdie Brunch.

Catherine responded with the following:

 

Both a water bottle and a water bowl must be cleaned often. Ideally daily.

 

A bowl daily, or even 1-3 times a day if the bird tends to poop or dunk its food in it.

 

A bottle does prevent a bird from pooping in its drinking water, but it can still transfer food and bacteria into the nozzle that can end up tainting the drinking water.

 

So the water bottle ideally should be removed, emptied and cleaned completely daily before refilling and replacing in the cage.

 

Water bottles are often left for 2-3 days before changing out but they still need to be inspected daily that they have water and that they still work (touching the tips and feeling the water come out).

 

A water bottle is not a petsitter and should not be used to last a week while one goes on a vacation.

 

The nozzle can get an air bubble and stop being able to dispense water.

The bird could shove a seed up the nozzle and cause the water to all run-out.

 

We use both bottles and dishes in our parakeet aviary.

 

They have two water bottles and two water dishes.

 

The dishes are removed for a few hours daily (and washed) then returned to the cage.

 

This was to get them to try out the water bottles and learn how to drink from them.

Once we saw that they did indeed use them we felt good that they now have an additional water source.

 

I hope this information helps.

 

Kindest regards

Catherine