Stopped the disinfecting process...

[H2015]

1. Catching birds for 10 mins
2. Moving them to smaller cage
3. Dragging main cage outside and scrubbing with bleach
4. Waiting hours till dry
5. Catching birds again

I used to religiously go through that every 2-3 weeks until it became exhausting with the more birds I had, when one of my goulds looked like it broke a leg from freaking out in the cage while trying to catch him I knew this was not worth it.

So I just stopped the disinfecting routine altogether for the past 4-5 months now and honestly my birds are doing better than back then, I used to post all type of health problems on a daily basis (birds going light was a regular problem) but once I stopped interfering inside their cages everything stabilized and their health improved drastically.

As an alternative though, I just use a wet towel (sometimes mixed with a bit of bleach) and clean the cage bars then I'd remove the bottom of the cage to disinfect twice a week. The room is cleaned daily of course and cage floors are also changed everyday or every other day.

This seems to be doing the job for me and my birds even raised a few healthy clutches in this environment with no trouble. if anything happens I'll definitely report it but so far so good

So I was wondering, is there anyone else doing the same thing?

[poohbear]

H2015....you are so right....

If you are a proud Housekeeper who lives in a spotless palace that has to be kept in pristine condition with all surfaces dustfree and immaculate.Need to change the cage floor daily so that it looks unused and tidy with no sign of bodily functions....I suggest you buy a fishtank and not keep finches.The above may be achievable with a tame parrot but not with half wild finches that need seclusion and non interference so they can live their little lives in peace.
Not having a dig at anybody here ...just stating a fact.
Paul.

[mickp]

I've cleaned cages using vinegar before but dont think I could/would use bleach. am guessing that you must use a very diluted mix

[hfentj]

Has anyone heard of using Oxine? From what I have read it can be used in place of bleach and is used with poultry. Has a lot of benificial uses for birds.

[FeatherHarp]

I know some bird people who do use Oxine and like it.

I use Pet Focus for cleaning my cages. I just spray on a paper towel and wipe down the cage areas that get the dirtiest. I works great and doesn't have any smell.

My Veterinarian Daughter says they use Nolvasan in her small animal clinic to clean and also as a pre-surgical scrub in a stronger solution. But that is more expensive than Pet Focus.


Here are the links to these products so you can read about the specs on them if you want.

Pet Focus Avian Formula

Nolvasan

[EmilyHurd]

Just a suggestion,

You could also use the poop remover with the scraper attached and just do the bottom. It works pretty well.

Really hot water at the bottom works well too.