Conure dipping pellets

[cthulhus_minion]

Yuko keeps dipping her pellets in her water before eating them. Maybe because they are hard? Anyway I keep having to change her water daily. I just put a water bowl closer to her food hoping she will use this one for dipping and her main water bowl to drink from. Does anybody have any other suggestions? Is there a softer pellet out there?

 

[weco]

Don't know of any softer pellets though there may be.....

When mine started doing this I took their water bowls out until they finished breakfast or dinner & put them back about a half hour later.....I've never heard of a way to discourage them from dipping/dunking.....it's what they do.....

 

[MarciaLove]

some birds just do it. My lovebird does it every day, I change every birds water every day but hers I change 2-3 times a day!!!! and she doesnt just dump her food in she dunks her toys also!

 

[legal_eagle]

Aww ... why deny them their fun? I think this is a very common, natural thing for a lot of conures to do.

 

[crimson]

my birds do it as well, it's like their making soup.
I leave their water dish unless it's really messy, then I change it.

 

[birdpassion620]

My GCC does this all the time. I only change his water once everyday unless the water is really filthy.

 

[BillsBirds]

Cannot help with the dunking, they all do it. But, everybody, if your birds water is not clean enough to drink yourself, it needs changing! I change my fids water several times a day. They dunk things, they bathe in it, they make "birdie soup". There should be nothing in there but water. If it is a problem, try giving them a drip bottle to drink from, like hamsters use. Plus, water sitting all day loses taste. Try this...fill a glass, set it on the table, go to work/school, come home and drink it. That's what you are giving your bird. Blahh!

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Anyway I keep having to change her water daily.

You should be changing her water daily anyway

 

[Akraya]

My Alexandrine dips her pellets and biscuits (or anything new she's presented with!) I find it hilariously cute!

 

[Echo]

Yep, they do it. I change their water daily, more often if needed or in the summer. They have a water bowl plus a bird bath. They usually will choose one for bath and dunking food, and the other for drinking. So it's not so bad, one is a mess but the other one stays clean...

 

[Birdlover11]

My Budgies love doing it. Just leave them, but make sure you change their water extra times a day.

 

[weco]

Crimson, my birds would drink out of their 'soup' anyway, but posting that to just leave it (water with food/trash in it), may give someone new to companion birds the wrong idea, given that members are from all over the world & those living in warmer climates and/or where bacteria levels are inordinately high.....for birds living in warm/hot climates, their water should be changed at least twice & maybe even 3 times a day...or even more often in bacteria prone areas.....

 

[tokensmom]

It is so gross...Token just recently started doing it with his pellets and everything he eats in his cage besides his seeds. I change it about 3 times a day...its even stinky. The other day it was orange from his carrot. And here i thought he was just a fruit cake.

 

[MonicaMc]

You can provide a water bottle in addition to the water dish, although it will require daily cleaning as well.

Another option is to moisten the pellets prior to giving them. You can use water or even fruit juices. This may help to stop the dipping, but you still have the issue of food spoiling. It's probably better for them anyway when their food is moist!

 

[Featheredsamurai]

You can provide a water bottle in addition to the water dish, although it will require daily cleaning as well.

Another option is to moisten the pellets prior to giving them. You can use water or even fruit juices. This may help to stop the dipping, but you still have the issue of food spoiling. It's probably better for them anyway when their food is moist!

Some birds can cut their tongue, or sometimes even get their tongue stuck with water bottles, I personally never recommend them.

 

[Bandit]

I wish Bandit would do this. He's not particularly fond of pellets at the moment so he just flicks them everywhere

 

[cthulhus_minion]

Lets hope giving her the other water bowl close to her food will let her have at least one thing with clean water. Soon as I changed it she was already dipping it again. Its so disgusting looking to see pellet soup lol

 

[Sasha2]

Twister has always made a nasty soup of her water.Everything gets dipped or dropped in the water dish.Even toys sometimes make into her water bowl..I have to change it twice a day sometimes. She never poops in her water though.
I notice Nacho has dipped a few things but not nearly as much as Twister.

 

[antoinette]

Perhaps placed the water bowl and pellets bowl on opposite sides of the cage.

 

[sodakat]

It has been my experience that birds who "need" to dunk dry foods become very frustrated when they cannot.

I use water bowls and water bottles. I don't know anything about tongues getting cut. Wow, always something to worry about. Thankfully the brand I buy is safe.

One of my boys, Sully, carrys dry treats given to him outside the cage, back inside to sit over a water bowl to eat. Whatever lands in the bowl and floats, he retrieves. If it sinks, he leaves it.

All of my 8 prefer drinking out of a water bottle but they will drink from a bowl if they are in a cage without a bottle. Several of mine will only bathe in a water bowl. Some dunk food, some don't.

Eclectus tend to be dunkers compared to some other species I think.

I just change water often and let them do what that want. Cleaning water dishes and bottles is just part of keeping parrots, IMO.