Let's talk water... What do you give your birds?

[Bree]

Being on a well for the first time, I have been looking around for information to make sure this was okay for the birds. All I found is a whole lot of controversy, so I want your input!

From what I can gather, depending on the sources, here are the pros and cons of various water types:

City tap
Pros: Tested regularly, treated for yuckies. Cons: Added chemicals (flouride, chlorine, etc.)
General consensus: Probably fine as long as it is considered safe for people, unless you want to avoid the added chemicals. (Letting tap water sit out does get rid of chlorine, but not other additives, including chloramines.)

Well
Pros: Not usually any added chemicals, natural, full of minerals. Cons: Not tested regularly.
General consensus: When it is good, it is very, very good, but if something happens to the water source (chemicals, waste, etc. seeping into ground water, or other bacterial contaminants taking hold, etc.) you will not likely know until the effects become apparent. May be great or risky, depending on well.

Spring water
Pros: Natural, full of minerals, some treated for yuckies. Cons: Not very well-regulated.
General consensus: Some think this is a safer alternative to well water because it has to go through some processing yet is still natural, but others do not see it being any better than well water because the quality of the source/treatment is not guaranteed.

Purified with minerals added
Pros: Chemicals/yuckies removed, contains healthy minerals. Cons: Not very well-regulated.
General consensus: Some think this is a good, safe option, but others think that it is not worth the money because quality/truth of purity is not guaranteed.

Distilled water
Pros: H2O, nothing else. Cons: Potential for negative health effects with long-term consumption.
General consensus: Seems generally to NOT be a recommended drinking source for living things because minerals may be leached from the body to make up for the lack of minerals in the water. (However, the recent vet recommended I give my birds distilled water, so some do disagree.)

Please add your thoughts and facts about different water types. What do you give your birds?

 

[Kmurph43]

I use the water right from out tap. It tastes fine to me and I read our water report. It travels so far that a lot of the additives are far less when they reach me then when the water begins its travels.

 

[GG.]

you can call your county extension office and get a sample of your well water tested to see what's in it - that might help you to decide if you want to give it to your birds or not


we have city water here and I have an on-tap Brita filter that I use for everyone


we have a camp in the country that is on well water and when we are there, we use bottled water because of the mineral content in the well water

 

[Bridgette]

I put my tap water through a Brita filter. It's what I drink. If we go to my mom's (she has well water), Kiwi gets bottled.

 

[Birdbabe]

Our water goes through a filter too, I drink it right out of the tap sometimes.

 

[kcbee]

I use tap water - we have very, very good water in my city!

 

[itzmered]

We have a well and it all goes through a filtration system.

I have read a few articles on Bottled water and after reading it I prefer my well water any day over most bottled waters

Bottled Water Quality Investigation: 10 Major Brands, 38 Pollutants | Environmental Working Group

Tests Find Bottled Water No Cleaner Than Tap Water

 

[Renae]

Our tap water used to be horrible, but now has a filter so I use the tap water. I used to use boiled water. (it was cooled down obviously before given to the birds)

 

[penguin]

My fridge has a filter, but Portland's water is from the glacier fed Bull Run reservoir. The filter gets Guiardia, as well as the usual suspects.

 

[Holiday]

Tap water run through a Brita filter

 

[Crackaleen]

I feel tap water is quite safe and that's what I give my birds. I also have a brita filter (the pitcher) which I use primarily for my own taste preferences, but I don't usually give filtered water to my birds simply because I keep the pitcher in the fridge and I don't like to give them ice cold water. I don't really have an opinion on any of the other options aside from distilled - I wouldn't give that to anyone, pet or human, since it can cause massive electrolyte imbalances.

 

[waterfaller1]

Since I found out our water has .08 ppm fluoride, and no filtering will take it out, I went back to using bottled spring water. Even for my dog.

 

[southernbirds]

I use tap water. We have a filter on the fridge water and my husband just told me that I should be using that. "Put it in a bottle" he told me. So far the bird seems fine after 3 years. Just shows when you ask a question you will always get an answer

 

[cnyguy]

The public water supply here is heavily chlorinated-- it smells almost like laundry bleach. I won't drink it, and won't give it to Ralph, either to drink or to bathe in. I use bottled spring water-- a brand that is genuinely spring water and not simply bottled tap water, as many kinds are.

 

[BirdsFTW]

Hawaii has the second cleanest water in the nation. I love our tap water - it tastes great!!

Raptor gets regular tap, while Mika currently gets distilled water with Avitech Electrolytes. Mika normally gets regular tap as well, but with the way his kidneys are functioning (or not functioning, according to the CBC) he is in need of electrolytes. This was suggested to me by one of the few people I truly trust when it comes to lovebird care. Once his kidneys get better, he'll go back to tap.

 

[Bree]

Whoops, it looks like I should have had another option on there: city tap run through a home filter!

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

I did not vote since I have a Pur water filtration system on my sink and always give my birds filtered water, never tap.

 

[65sunnyday]

Nicky (SC) & Atticus Finch get either Distilata or Whole Foods spring water. Even for baths.

 

[Nikki]

Tap water run through my refrigerator filter system.

 

[Sharpie]

Tap water... except now where I've moved to, the tap water is gross. It's got a really high mineral content and smells heavily chlorinated, so I don't know what I want to do yet. I'll probably just go with the 'drinking water' from walmart- basically tap water, but from somewhere else where it's not nasty! Either that or I'll give the Brita a whirl and see how it tastes after.