What to use in the bottom of the cage

Shy2 · Post by **Shy2** » Tue May 13, 2008 6:23 am

I have only had my strawberry finch since Friday and still have a lot to learn.

What is the best stuff to use on the bottom of the cage?

I have newspaper there now, and the cage has a wire grate. Do I put the newspaper above or below the wire grate?

Do I need to use something other than newspaper?

I noticed at the pet store, they have some kind of pellets in the bottom of their bird cages.

Just not sure the best thing to use, and the placement of the paper and grate. Seems like the grate is getting messy with birdie droppings, and will have to clean that too when the paper is changed.

Also is it safe to use baby wipes to do a quick clean up and wiping up of the inside of the cage, or is just warm water on a cloth better?

Thanks again for the wealth of information you all so graciously share here. I really appreciated all I have learned so far.

poohbear · Post by **poohbear** » Tue May 13, 2008 8:28 am

I use newspaper it's cheap and easy to swap over.Pet shops will probably use alternatives so they don't have to clean out so often.I have removed the bottom grills in all my breeding cages...I don't like the birds walking on wires.If you retain them and put the paper underneath you will have a lot more cleaning to do.
Paul.

Shy2 · Post by **Shy2** » Tue May 13, 2008 8:42 am

Thanks Paul.

I was hoping it was ok to remove the grate. Seemed like extra work to me to have it there.

Newspaper is great, as I have lots of that.

Do you know if it is ok to use baby wipes?

Thanks.

PS. What kind of finch is that you have on your avatar? It is beautiful. I love the colours.

1of42 · Post by **1of42** » Tue May 13, 2008 11:06 am

Newspaper has always worked for me, too. Easy to fold and easy to clean up every day. I have a tray below the grate in my cage, every couple of days I use these things called Poop-off wipes to wipe down the grate. They're safe for birds, I found them at my local bird store.

plantsandbirds · Post by **plantsandbirds** » Tue May 13, 2008 11:10 am

I also use newspaper that I put down on top of the grate so that I don't have to do "the grate wipe". Your Strawberry finch will like to spend some time on the bottom of the cage. My little Strawberry male Shakti likes to sit in a little nest of shredded newspaper and some greens that I put down.

Your little Strawberry will also enjoy a bath. I offer a bathing dish to my finches every other day.

My veterinarian warned me about using the corn cob bedding and any other pelleted bedding. If that bedding is not changed fully regularly a mold can develop that is unhealthy for your birds.

I use that corn cob bedding in my parakeet cage but I make sure to completely change it out. Since finches love bathing so much that pelleted bedding isn't always convenient.

poohbear · Post by **poohbear** » Tue May 13, 2008 11:24 am

Shy2 wrote:Thanks Paul.
PS. What kind of finch is that you have on your avatar? It is beautiful. I love the colours.

It's a Gouldian Finch...they come in many colours some of them natural in the wild.
Paul.

SamanthaL · Post by **SamanthaL** » Tue May 13, 2008 4:11 pm

I use newspaper also cause I think it is a lot quicker to change rather then having to scope out other stuff.

atarasi · Post by **atarasi** » Tue May 13, 2008 4:28 pm

poohbear wrote:
Shy2 wrote:Thanks Paul.
PS. What kind of finch is that you have on your avatar? It is beautiful. I love the colours.
It's a Gouldian Finch...they come in many colours some of them natural in the wild.
Paul.

Paul,
That's a cool picture of your birds. Like how the birds in the back are out of focus, but you can still how how colorful they are.

mickp · Post by **mickp** » Wed May 14, 2008 5:26 am

newspaper is cheapest and probably best but why not also try something like beach sand it is easy to clean and cheap. the birds can also obtain some grit from it if they want it

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Wed May 14, 2008 11:02 am

I also use newspaper. I cover the whole tile floor in my aviary. All I have to do then is pick it up, sweep and mop the floor once a week and put fresh down. It works!

IBleed4Thee · Post by **IBleed4Thee** » Wed May 14, 2008 11:58 am

mickp wrote:newspaper is cheapest and probably best but why not also try something like beach sand it is easy to clean and cheap. the birds can also obtain some grit from it if they want it

mickp......I live two blocks from the beach and can all the "free" sand I want. Is this really a ok thing to use and like you said easy to clean and they would get some grit.

jamezyboo21 · Post by **jamezyboo21** » Wed May 14, 2008 5:41 pm

i use newspaper in all my cages too and even in the big flight cage. really easy to clean up. sometimes my the finches rip it up and put it in there nests.

mickp · Post by **mickp** » Thu May 15, 2008 6:51 am

one section of my aviary floor is just beach sand with a couple of grass plants growing in it, I try to replace some of it every couple of weeks.
the birds love it. my gouldians actually have baths in it, it is hilarious when they do. like watching very tiny colorful quail having a dirt bath.
the other birds pick at it from time to time as well.
when obtaining the sand I always take it from above the high water part of the beach as this sand is certain to be dry

IBleed4Thee · Post by **IBleed4Thee** » Thu May 15, 2008 4:40 pm

mickp

Thanks so much for replying. I'm headed for a walk on the beach in about a hour and will take a container and gather some clean, dry sand.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Thu May 15, 2008 7:16 pm

[quote="mickp"]one section of my aviary floor is just beach sand with a couple of grass plants growing in it, I try to replace some of it every couple of weeks.

So can you use sand that you buy from the store?