Dipping food in water...

CallumConure

New member
Apr 10, 2019
132
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Central Minnesota, USA
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Callum- GCC Hatchday: October 15th, 2016
(nonparrot friends include rats, a dog, and a few reptiles :))
Didn't want to make the thread title too long, so here's my full question:
What can you do about birds dipping food in their water?

Callum, my GCC, has been doing this sort of behavior forever. He's about three and a half years old and has been doing it since I took him home as a baby. I never worried about it too much until recently.

Callum has three bowls of water in his cage. He has two smaller ones and a large one that was originally intended to go on the side of a dog or cat kennel and to act as a water bowl. Callum loves to take baths in his water bowl (even when given access to a lukewarm shower and running facet), so I just added more to make sure he didn't run out of water, especially if I was away.

With the addition of this larger water bowl, Callum's food dipping has just increased. He does it with his pellets, his scrambled eggs, his greens, even his fruits. He does it with everything, lol. Unfortunately, even with daily cleaning of his water bowls, his water does get quite nasty and smelly. And because of the odor, I worry if there can be a build-up of bacteria.
If all relevant: All of his cage's water bowls are plastic. Should I think about making the switch to stainless steel bowls? Or would it not make a difference?

Any advice on how to curb this behavior or to help with it? I don't use any cleaning solution on his water bowls, just scalding hot water and some Q-tips to make sure I scrub every nook and cranny. I'm not brave enough to use diluted bleach, vinegar, or any of the likes on his water bowls. Any and all advice is appreciated :)



Also... Hey everyone! I'm back. It's been a hot second since I was here. Maybe a year or so, lol. I ended up having to move again last October and lived in a hotel with my GCC, Callum for a brief period of time. We're all settled into our apartment and Callum hasn't seemed to notice any change in our lives :)

EDIT: Also thought I should add: Callum doesn't appear to be sick or acting funny at all. I was just asking this as a preventative because I don't want him getting sick from ucky water.
 
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noodles123

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Jul 11, 2018
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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
I use stainless and I wash with Dawn classic-- this is what I would do..multiple times if needed. They shouldn't be smelly- DK if steel is a solution, but I have never had that issue---she dunks, but mine aren't stinky and I do use steel, so DK...just saying what I have experienced-- not sure it's a solution.
 

Stitchthestitch

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Albie - Pineapple Green Cheek Conure - Hatch date 14 Dec 2019 - Gotcha date - 4 March 2020
Ah.... The famous conure soup! Albie makes conure soup and I have 10 stainless steel bowls that I rotate. His water gets changed 3x a day. Whem I get up, when I get home from work and before I go to bed. I wash his bowls with original fairy liquid and that works very nicely.

Sadly I don't think there is a way to discourage the behaviour as gross as it is. Albie even bathes in his conure soup...
 
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CallumConure

CallumConure

New member
Apr 10, 2019
132
7
Central Minnesota, USA
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Callum- GCC Hatchday: October 15th, 2016
(nonparrot friends include rats, a dog, and a few reptiles :))
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noodles123 - I can't believe Dawn dish soap didn't cross my mind. Thank you for that advice. How much soap do you use when cleaning bowls? A single drop or more?

Stitchthestitch - Conure soup... What an adorably stinky name for it, lol! I will clean his bowls more, a silly part of me was concerned I was cleaning his bowls too frequently at just once daily.
Callum usually smells from his soup too... It really is quite gross imo.

I'll probably running up to some pet stores and see if they have any stainless steel bowls. It'll be faster than waiting for Amazon. My local bird specialty store is still (understandably) closed due to COVID-19 iirc.
 

Laurasea

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I too gave a GCC that makes soup, it is gross and makes bacteria grow in the water fast....


7 years of this....

I put water bowl as far away from food dish as I can . Only slows it down some
 

texsize

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Is there any way you can switch from a bowl of water to a bottle that lets out a little at a time. Sorry I don't know the name, they use them for hamsters?
 
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CallumConure

CallumConure

New member
Apr 10, 2019
132
7
Central Minnesota, USA
Parrots
Callum- GCC Hatchday: October 15th, 2016
(nonparrot friends include rats, a dog, and a few reptiles :))
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
Laurasea - Callum's water bowls and food bowl are at separate ends of the cage, and the two smaller ones are actually closer to the cage floor than his bigger one (I've placed them in a way so chewed up toys and food don't accidentally fall into the bowls).

texsize - I honestly hadn't thought of water bottles for birds. I did a quick Google search and the Parrot Wizard's video came up on it. I don't have the time to look at it atm, but I plan to watch it.
 

Laurasea

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Sure, but they can clog, there have been parrots that died cuz they weren’t getting water. Plus they are a real pain to clean. But fir others it might work out well
 

Gemster

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You could also use a water dispenser; It’s similar to a water bottle but it shouldn’t block up. He still could find a way to dip his food in there although it’s a smaller gap so it could work. It really depends on how determined your conure is.
Water bottles would fit great but I am always weary of them preventing water flow.
 

noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
noodles123 - I can't believe Dawn dish soap didn't cross my mind. Thank you for that advice. How much soap do you use when cleaning bowls? A single drop or more?

Stitchthestitch - Conure soup... What an adorably stinky name for it, lol! I will clean his bowls more, a silly part of me was concerned I was cleaning his bowls too frequently at just once daily.
Callum usually smells from his soup too... It really is quite gross imo.

I'll probably running up to some pet stores and see if they have any stainless steel bowls. It'll be faster than waiting for Amazon. My local bird specialty store is still (understandably) closed due to COVID-19 iirc.

I eye-ball it...like a few drops until no suds remains. I am cautious about water bottles due to the bacterial and clog factors as well, although many like them.
 
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EdgesofTwilight

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Sep 2, 2014
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Buffalo, NY
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Cosmo - Hahn's Macaw
Cosmo, my Hahn's does the same thing. On his playstand he has a big stainless water dish and bathes and dips his food all the time. When I change the water in the cage water bowl, I'll come back with fresh water only to find him sitting on a perch on in front of the dish door chomping down on something waiting to dip his beak in. [emoji23]


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