Feeding Parrots! – Biofilm

Dishes are something that seems simple enough you go to the store and with all the colourful and cute options you simply pick the one you like. Over time plastic dishes can create something called biofilm which is not good for the health of your bird. To be safe your best option is to use stainless steel dishes since you will be cleaning the dishes every day it’s best to be safe.

In general bird, the owners tend to have three dishes, one for water, one for pellets, and one for the chop.

I avoid water bottles just because they tend to be more difficult to clean and some birds can struggle to figure them out as well as some birds can get their beak stuck in them.

Biofilm – is a bacteria that grows on porous bowls such as plastic and can release toxins that can become very dangerous to your bird’s health.

• Stainless steel dishes – these dishes are less porous (plastic becomes more and more porous as you wash them, so they should be avoided)
• Birds should only be offered the amount of food they can eat in a meal as the remains of the food can go rancid and increase mould and bacteria growth. Discard uneaten items.
• Clean every bird dish twice a day
• Using warm water and bird-safe dish soap well when washing your bird’s dishes two times a day is a great practice to keep on top of any bacterial growth.
• It is important to remember a dishwasher is never enough to kill any biofilm once biofilm starts it is very difficult to get off so a good scrubbing is required; after scrubbing you can put the dishes in the dishwasher. I find a toothbrush specifically for birds is very handy for getting into the bottom curve of the food dish.