Also views on water bottles for birds?

[Erynn]

i have read that these can be used with success because my birds have their water soiled with in minutes of fresh being put in thanxs

[Mr Five]

I personally do not like water bottles. The biggest reason is that seed can become stuck in the tip and all the water will run out. There are other reason that we do not use them and they are people become dependent on them. They will forget that the water needs to be changed everyday because they see that there is still water in the bottle and just neglect to change it. Another is that they do not scrub the bottle when the water is changed. Fungus can and does form in the bottle that needs to be removed. With a water dish they are easier to clean. You see seed or other things in the bottom of the dish so this reminds most that the water needs to be changed.

[Monica]

There are downsides to having water bottles, if you don't properly clean and change them daily. One can use a couple drops of GSE or apple cider vinegar inside the water to keep the fungus down, and if your birds do have water bottles, you need to make sure that the birds know how to use them, and to make sure that they are not stuffing the end up with seeds or toys!

[CrazyBirdLady]

Water bottles can work in certain cases and many people swear by them. My thoughts are, try one if you wish, hang it above the water dish so that they tap the top of the head when go to drink. Even after being trained to drink from a water bottle, still leave a water dish in the cage in case there is any issue with the water bottle malfunctioning.
Personally, I like letting them have the water dishes, no water bottles, as it seems like it is enjoyable for them to make "lovebird soup" with their food and also since so many like to bathe in their dishes.

[Alika]

I don't care for them, either. It's much more natural to a bird to drink out of an open water dish than it is to get them to drink out of a water bottle. I understand the arguments for it, and I know lots of people swear by them (Sam was being trained to use a water bottle when I bought her, but I put an end to that) but I just can't see making my bird drink out of a bottle like a hamster. I'd rather change the water 100 times a day than resort to the bottle.

To be completely fair, unless they poop in it, the water isn't instantly undrinkable when it is soiled. If your birds are anything like mine, they are most likely to be soiled by food, and a couple hours of water with some food in it isn't going to hurt them too terribly, as long as it is taken care of as soon as it's spotted. That's just not a long enough time to really culture the harmful bacterias.

Water bottles can malfunction. Since it's easy to say "hey, the water's clean, no reason to change it" it could be days before you even noticed that the bottle wasn't working... and your bird might already be dead.

Our waters get changed at least once a day whether they need it or not.

[Melika]

We switched to water bottles for the breeders eventually. But always check them every day and change the water. And provide at least a weekly bathing bowl, if not more. Water bottles don't let them bathe, which is the major downside in my eyes.

If you're checking each day for clogs or even when you walk by just reach a finger in and roll the ball to see if you get water and the ball is at the tip rolling smoothly, then they're alright.

We don't breed lovebirds anymore, btw. My friends (I was sort of a freelance helper, lol, but over there quite a bit) retired due to health.