Sand/sandsheets supplies

[tobyneilson]

I have 4 double breeding cages that i use for finches,at the moment i use sandsheets for them,but that is getting expensive so have oredered a 20KG bag of sand of ebay for £10 of ebay(postage include),was the cheapest i could find(for UK) jjust wondering if anyone has any websites cheaper or around that price they can recomend,for food bulk buys as well as am looking into that.
Thanks all

[franny]

Are the sand sheets to wear down their nails? Or is the intent to provide "grit"? If it is to provide grit, then it is not needed for finches. At least not just sand (non soluble grit).

What they really should be getting is Oyster Shell Grit (which is crushed to the consistency of sand). They need it for the calcium content, not for breaking up their food, as they hull their seeds. Other birds who eat their seeds whole, do need some form of grit, to help break up the food in the crop. Not so finches.

So save yourself some money, and if you want to help wear down overgrown nails, then use natural perches, and possibly just one cement or sanded perch per cage, next to the water dish.

As for grit, offer some crushed oyster shell, in treat cups, or cuttlebone in each cage.

[tobyneilson]

I use the sand sheets to make it easier cleaning the floor of the cage,i always sprinkle some grit and oyster shell around the floor for them to peck at,
The sheets are just for ease of cleaning them,so all i have to do is shake them into the bin instead of scrape and scrub away the pooh of the base,if that makes sense

[tobyneilson]

Also just to add,each cage also has a cuttlebone and calcium block in it so they are fine and covered that way

[franny]

Sounds like they're getting what they need then. Trouble with putting the oyster shell on the floor is that it's likely to get pooped on. I have a Goldbreast finch who loves to "forage" on the bottom of the cage, though my others prefer to go to the feeders up higher, next to the perches. So my oystershell (mixed with eggshells) is in a treat feeder. But I also sprinkle some on the cage bottom for the GB. I'd try to be sure to sprinkle away from perches, to minimize soiled oyster shell though.

Other than that, I would think that just plain old newspaper would do just as well as the sanded paper, and it's free. Or if you're like me and don't like the look of that, you can get plain kraft paper on huge rolls, from packaging companies, and for a lot less than the sanded paper, I imagine. It also comes in heavier weights, so stands up to water from bathing birds, etc. I buy a roll for $24 or so, and it covers my 3ft X 1 1/2 foot cage bottom, and lasts for 6 or 8 months or longer. With only one cage to worry about, I find that reasonable.

[tobyneilson]

Thanks will look into getting something like that,i have 4 cages that are 3'X2' plus 2 cages that are 4'X4', so is starting to get a bit on the expensive side.
I soread the oyster shell and grit around the edges so not next to the perches, prob with putting it in a feeding/treat cup, is that they tend to just tip it all over the floor then go to the floor to get it,so it is a lot quicker and tideier for me just to put it on the floor lol

[franny]

...I soread the oyster shell and grit around the edges so not next to the perches, prob with putting it in a feeding/treat cup, is that they tend to just tip it all over the floor then go to the floor to get it,so it is a lot quicker and tideier for me just to put it on the floor lol

What a pain they can be! How about trying a tube/fountain type feeder then? If it's fine grit it should flow alright.

[tobyneilson]

Thanks will look into that as well