# Pet Parrots and water



## nuevavida (Jun 15, 2012)

Hi folks, 
I have a somewhat odd question. We have two parrots that we are bringing with us in our move to MX. We give them showers frequently that they love. When we get to MX can we still take them in shower or will they get sick is a little water goes in their beaks? We plan to give them bottled water in their cages, but are unsure about the shower. They don't stand their with their beaks open trying to drink it, but some probably gets in anyway. 

Thoughts?


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

nuevavida said:


> Hi folks,
> I have a somewhat odd question. We have two parrots that we are bringing with us in our move to MX. We give them showers frequently that they love. When we get to MX can we still take them in shower or will they get sick is a little water goes in their beaks? We plan to give them bottled water in their cages, but are unsure about the shower. They don't stand their with their beaks open trying to drink it, but some probably gets in anyway.
> 
> Thoughts?


I wouldn´t worry about the water. I would worry if you will be able to bring your parrots back into the US once they have been in Mexico. They need a leg ring and probably original sales reciept and maybe a current vet´s certificate, I would imagine. In other words proof positive they are not Mexican parrots and that they carry no diseases. Leg rings can be forged and so can other documents quite easily. Without a leg ring I wouldn´t even attempt it, personally. If you check you might be able to get a US customs document that shows where you decided to take them to Mexico and when returning this document might be the key to no problems when entering the US with 2 parrots.


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## nuevavida (Jun 15, 2012)

AlanMexicali said:


> I wouldn´t worry about the water. I would worry if you will be able to bring your parrots back into the US once they have been in Mexico. They need a leg ring and probably original sales reciept and maybe a current vet´s certificate, I would imagine. In other words proof positive they are not Mexican parrots and that they carry no diseases. Leg rings can be forged and so can other documents quite easily. Without a leg ring I wouldn´t even attempt it, personally. If you check you might be able to get a US customs document that shows where you decided to take them to Mexico and when returning this document might be the key to no problems when entering the US with 2 parrots.


Thanks for the response! I have gotten them microchipped, they have leg bands, and the CITIS certificates are being processed, which shows they came from the US. We are not planning on returning with them though. 

lane:


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

nuevavida said:


> Thanks for the response! I have gotten them microchipped, they have leg bands, and the CITIS certificates are being processed, which shows they came from the US. We are not planning on returning with them though.
> 
> lane:


OK good. I see you have already done research. 

The city water here really depends on WHERE: Where I live it depends on what street you live on. All the city water is 100% potable and tinacos [roof top storage tanks, most plastic, some still cement] and cisterns [ cisternas] are normal. Some are 100 year underground water pipes in some places and cement underground cisternas with roofing tar coatings in some houses and some can be very old.

The newer [35 years] type of underground plastic cisternas are more normal now but cost more than a cement one and I feel more sanitary if maintained. In newer areas there are PVC pipes but in some older areas there are some places that still have cast iron if not upgraded to PVC, which is common to see being done here. 

If the tinaco and cisternas are properly maintained, I cleaned ours once this year with soap and a push broom after draining them and run water thought them, it will be a deterrent to contamination.

You might live in a house and area with clean potable water or you might live in a house with all kinds of contamination comimg out of the taps. A water analysis is cheap here [a few hundred pesos] and people with common sense have it done on occasion, ex. when moving into a new house or apartment and also drain and clean their tinacos and cisternas about once a year. Don´t expect a landlord to pay, usually. The plumbers that I have talked to recommend doing it every 6 months. I would imagine in some areas that is a good idea, ex. tropical climates or older houses and older areas of a city.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

AlanMexicali said:


> OK good. I see you have already done research.
> 
> The city water here really depends on WHERE: Where I live it depends on what street you live on. All the city water is 100% potable and tinacos [roof top storage tanks, most plastic, some still cement] and cisterns [ cisternas] are normal. Some are 100 year underground water pipes in some places and cement underground cisternas with roofing tar coatings in some houses and some can be very old.
> 
> ...


I was told by a man who worked for CONAGUA (federal water agency), that the water coming from the treatment plants was clean. The problem is that the distribution pipes are old and have leaks allowing clean water out, and contaminated water in. It may only happen occasionally but it is unpredictable and I am not sure that one test showing it is clean would mean that it is always clean.

I concur about occasional cleaning of tinacos and aljibes/cisternas.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

I am envisioning long lines of parrots and other birds in front of grocery stores to buy bottled water.
Ha!


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

RVGRINGO said:


> I am envisioning long lines of parrots and other birds in front of grocery stores to buy bottled water.
> Ha!


Since Mexico has one of the largest and more diverse populations of parrots anywhere, this my thought as well. Then I read all the contamination that we might add in the delivery system that could make the house tap a lot worse then what in nature so now not as sure. However, we have fed all our pets for some 5 years off "city" water and no issue that I know of.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

I've drunk from the tap in over 30 countries and am still here, about to turn 75. It seems that the fastidious ones are the ones who get sick the easiest. We never have been. 
It is said that kids who eat a bit of dirt often have better immune systems. Probably very true.
Never ate a parrot, though.


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## adamathefrog (Dec 4, 2010)

RVGRINGO said:


> I've drunk from the tap in over 30 countries and am still here, about to turn 75. It seems that the fastidious ones are the ones who get sick the easiest. We never have been.
> It is said that kids who eat a bit of dirt often have better immune systems. Probably very true.
> Never ate a parrot, though.


+1 for scientific common sense 

Eating poop is bad, but being a little dirty is probably good for you.

There's a lot of evidence to suggest that the modern obsession with absolute cleanliness is weakening our immune systems. It's pretty hard to shake off the obsession with cleaning though, just ask what's left of my ant population.

Not to mention that when the OP showers, he probably accidentally drinks more of the water than the bird! 

adam.


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## nuevavida (Jun 15, 2012)

LOL on the grocery store!!! Thanks for your input about what you have done with your pets. Good to know.


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## nuevavida (Jun 15, 2012)

:-D


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

RVGringo, my approach in the 30+ countries that I've visited and lived in to ask the locals.
When we moved to our place in Pozos, the family that we bought from told us in no uncertain terms to not drink the tap water, that everybody gets garafons which we do even though when we built our place, we included a water softener/purifier. At $24pesos per garafon, not worth the risk.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

conklinwh said:


> …At $24pesos per garafon, not worth the risk.


For the real cheapskates among us: In cities there are places that clean and refill garafons with purified water for $9 pesos.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

TundraGreen said:


> For the real cheapskates among us: In cities there are places that clean and refill garafons with purified water for $9 pesos.


I'd be concerned about this based on what was found in Beijing when I lived there.
A whole bunch of very cheap wooden chopsticks appeared on the market and everyone thought was great until the shop was raided and it was found that they were gluing used wooden chopsticks back together.
$24pesos per week, I can live with. Actually, I could get cheaper if we lived in town on one of the water routes.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

We do have UV and filtration for the whole house; the same system used by local garafon providers. Theirs is larger, of course.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

RVGRINGO said:


> We do have UV and filtration for the whole house; the same system used by local garafon providers. Theirs is larger, of course.


Expect that you and I are in the minority, especially if someone looking to start by renting.
I've always tried to err on the side of safety.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

conklinwh said:


> I'd be concerned about this based on what was found in Beijing when I lived there.
> A whole bunch of very cheap wooden chopsticks appeared on the market and everyone thought was great until the shop was raided and it was found that they were gluing used wooden chopsticks back together.
> $24pesos per week, I can live with. Actually, I could get cheaper if we lived in town on one of the water routes.


I can't speak for other locations but in Guadalajara, there are quite a few places that refill garafons. They all have a big sign displaying the process they use. I don't remember the details but it involves filtering and reverse osmosis. You can see the tanks and plumbing behind the front counter. They refill your garafon while you watch. It is washed, then rinsed, then refilled. The attendees wear masks and put on gloves before handling money.

I trust them as much as I trust buying the garafons from a truck or store where I have no idea about the process that goes on behind the scenes.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

TundraGreen said:


> I can't speak for other locations but in Guadalajara, there are quite a few places that refill garafons. They all have a big sign displaying the process they use. I don't remember the details but it involves filtering and reverse osmosis. You can see the tanks and plumbing behind the front counter. They refill your garafon while you watch. It is washed, then rinsed, then refilled. The attendees wear masks and put on gloves before handling money.
> 
> I trust them as much as I trust buying the garafons from a truck or store where I have no idea about the process that goes on behind the scenes.


I guess that value to living in GDL versus a 3000 person mining ghost town. Have been by the Coca Cola bottling plant where filled and sealed.


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