FINCHforum

Now that I have 5 zebra finches rather than 2, things get messier a lot quicker! When I just had the 2, I would try to get them in the little travel cage while I cleaned their main cage. However, this is a bit of an ordeal trying to catch them (although easier now that I learned they don't see me coming and sit still when the lights are out).

I've tried cleaning their cage with them in it as well, and of course they all fly around and try to get away from my hand the entire time I'm cleaning, so they get frustrated with that as well.

How do you guys do it? What do you think is less stressful for them?
Putting them in the travel cage while I give their cage a good scrub down, or doing it while they're still in there?

When I have my birds in a smaller cage, I only change papers at the bottom. Have a cage with a drawer pull out for easy cleaning. Birds are not really phased about that.
If I were to clean the cage out (perches etc.) I would rather place all the birds in a holding cage.

Others I know have duplicates of things, say perches bowl etc and they just swap them out so the birds have far reduced stress levels.

I also just clean out the papers. If I need to swap out perches, that is easily and quickly done. I hang supplement cups (such as for minerals) on the inside front of the cage, so I can quickly swap them out without too much hassle. When the cages need a thorough cleaning, I transfer the birds into a temporary cage. I love my dividable cages, as I can slide in a solid divider, keeping the birds on one side while I clean the other. They don't even know what I am doing.

I clean my cage one half at a time. My cage has sliding doors so when I open one side, the birds move to one side and I wipe down that side, the birds learned that I won't get too close to them. When I started, I went real slow and would freeze when they started to freak out, then continue when they settle. If I lose one, I stop, catch it and put it back and continue. This has worked well for me for ringnecks, canaries, linnies and doves. I almost never lose them, although it takes a couple of times before the new fledgling figure it out and stop panicking.

Kuromi
I clean around my birds. The flights are much easier than the cages. When I clean the flights, no body even notices. I've had birds perching in my head, watching what I'm doing.

Cages are more difficult, and yes birds do seem to freak out more. However, once my hands are out of the cage, they calm right down again.

~Elana~

Having multiple items to swap out and/or divided cages are great ideas! I wonder if I could figure out a way to make a divider for mine (this is the cage that I have). It would certainly make things a lot easier and less stressful for the birds.

How often do you guys clean your cages? Does it matter if there is a lot of poo on the perches/nests/cage bottom, or is this fine for the birds? I don't like to let it build up but I also don't want to be cleaning things too often and causing more stress for my zebs.

Kuromi
I clean my flights and cages every day, or every second day if I run out of time. Papers get changed, new grit/egg shell mix spread. Perches get washed as needed. Cage bars get cleaned as needed with vinegar/water mixture.

Food/water dishes get washed and re-filled every day, including egg plates and veggie trays. Baths get washed and re-filled every day.

Nests get left alone, untill whatever birds are finished weaning clutch. Then nests get cleaned/washed or discarded (if can't be cleaned properly). I never clean a nest when there are eggs or chicks in it, no matter how messy it gets .

~Elana~

I have a large flight aviary cage, and once a year I drag it outside to chlorox/hose off. First I catch out all the finches and house them for the hour or so that it will take me to get their home clean, dry, and refurbished, in large heavy-duty cardboard paper ream boxes with lids. I use a large screwdriver to poke holes all along the sides to let in some light and air, line them with paper toweling and cut a "door" in the top of the lid (slice three of the four sides so you can fold it open and shut) through which to deposit each finch as I catch it out. I house the larger finches in a group and the smaller waxbills in another group. The box is dark enough that they don't move around much and probably just take a little nap till they are returned to their home. To return them, I just insert the box through the door of the flight cage, remove the lid, and they all fly out.

I have the A&E double flights and then 30 inch breeding cages. I change the paper once week or more, if needed. I change water and give fresh food twice a day, veggies and treats in afternoon or early evening. I take out perches as needed to clean. Same with greenery, dishes get cleaned overtime I remove them to give more food. However, I use paper plates (6" diameter) for daily seed and veggies, so all I have to do is take out the dirty ones and replace with new paper plate with fresh food. The paper towels over the grate I change when they get too many droppings on them, usually 1-2 times a week. The whole flights or whole cages get a comprehensive cleaning in summer. At that time, I'm usually switching around who is in what cage and removing Juveniles etc. So, everyone goes into a different cage, while I clean their original one. Then, after they are hosed down outside, disinfected, and dried, I re-setup the greenery, perches, nests etc. Then, I place back the finches in the new setup I want at that time. I change them twice a year, to simulate the seasons and try for two breeding cycles a year.

I try to have an extra set of everything: perches, food dishes, water dishes, etc so I can just swap clean ones in when needed. I even have extra cages so I can use one for swapping the birds into while I clean the dirty one. Not so easy with the really big cages but I don't clean those so often, except for changing the paper on the bottom every week.

A key to happiness for all birds: keep your cages under-populated so they don't get dirty so fast.