Water bottle?

[Ira7]

Will Amazons take to a water bottle and ball?

I’m thinking of experimenting, first, so I can also use it in his little traveling around town cage, and also, God forbid I need to administer liquid medication.

Of course, at home, this would be in addition to his water bowl.

 

[noodles123]

What do you mean, water bottle and ball?

 

[Ira7]

What do you mean, water bottle and ball?

Those bottles you hang on the side of the cage and have a metal stem/pipe and little ball that the bird tongues to release the liquid.

Tee Hee:

That the bird tongues!!!

 

[noodles123]

Oh lol! I think a popular pet brand its Lixit..the tube water dispensers?

They are not the best because they can get clogged and because they can be bacterial hosts...If you use one...you need to clean it SUPER thoroughly often and provide other water sources as well, and in that case, it just seems like a lot of extra work.

An open bowl is easier to clean and will not get clogged.

 

[wrench13]

Yeah they are more of a PIA and very hard to assure cleanliness. Plus the ball can get stuck, so your parrot will not get any water until you unstuck it. Designed for small mammals, not birds.

 

[Ira7]

Yeah they are more of a PIA and very hard to assure cleanliness. Plus the ball can get stuck, so your parrot will not get any water until you unstuck it. Designed for small mammals, not birds.

Birds definitely use them, mostly smaller ones. And keeping it hygienic is pretty easy.

Ball getting stuck? Don’t think that’s a problem for an Amazon.

Gonna try it for s*its and giggles.

 

[noodles123]

Yeah they are more of a PIA and very hard to assure cleanliness. Plus the ball can get stuck, so your parrot will not get any water until you unstuck it. Designed for small mammals, not birds.

Birds definitely use them, mostly smaller ones. And keeping it hygienic is pretty easy.

Ball getting stuck? Don’t think that’s a problem for an Amazon.

Gonna try it for s*its and giggles.

Just keep it clean and check it often because it can seem like water is coming out, when really, none is.
As far as hygiene, when they lick that ball, they are introducing food particles and bacteria from their own mouths into the closed tube (with can fester in a fairly short period of time, almost like a petri dish) , so, you still should be washing it thoroughly each day and you will need a bottle brush and then a smaller mechanism to clean where the ball is.

 

[Flboy]

In your use, in a travel cage, not a bad idea! Just remember, there are several deaths in the pages of this forum, that are associated with their use!
Vigilance!

 

[Cosmographer]

There have been deaths associated with water bottles? Parrot wizard seems to swear by them, so this is catching me a bit by surprise.

 

[noodles123]

Yeah-- some people like them because birds can't make soup in water food (or poop in it, in a multi-bird setting), but I don't like them because of clogging, cleaning, bacterial potential---If you stay on top of them and clean them REALLY well each day (with proper bottle brushes), and make sure they work each day, they can be okay..But people tend to fill them up and leave them and then bacteria gets inside when the bird licks, or the dispenser gets clogged so it looks like the bird is drinking, but no water is actually coming out.
Plus, some birds do not know how to use them and that is another issue.


I am not saying they have no benefits, but I wouldn't use them for mine (due to the worry of the ball getting jammed, clogs, bacteria etc...I just feel like I am more accountable about changing water and washing the dish without one. I know they are a pain to clean properly because I used to have one for my guinea pig growing up and I definitely should have changed it and washed it more often...the water LOOKS clean, but it isn't necessarily...so they need frequent attention

 

[Ira7]

Understood.

I thought I would just introduce it to him in his regular cage so he learns how to use it for the travel cage.

I never even considered that they could pose a danger.