Best bedding option?

[slwatson]

StodOne

I leave my grates in because if I remove them it leaves a gap in some of the cages that my birds could use for escape. I layer white cage liners on top of the grates so I can clearly see their droppings and they're not having to hop on the grates. I also put one layer of the liner in the tray underneath the grate to keep that clean also.

[Stuart whiting]

slwatson

If I had cages where you couldn't remove the grates for the reason you've just mentioned I'd be inclined to do exactly the same by placing the paper on top,

A lot quicker to clean and also a lot more comfortable for the birds feet when on the cage floor

[Barbara]

On the cages that have to much of a gap when leaving grate out I use a spring loaded curtain rod to take up some of the space works good on my double flight cage

[LGer]

Not sure if I am allowed to resurrect an older post but would any of you have ideas about this: http://www.koopclean.com/koop-clean/ ? I can find no posts via google of anyone using this for pet birds but if there is no dust (like they say) I would like to give this a try.... Thanks!

[lovezebs]

LGer

I have never heard of it before.

Why not just use hay, if this is outdoors?

[LGer]

No - sorry.... Not outdoors. Just looking for options other than wood shavings. To me this sounded perfect. Bedding, nesting, dustless, edible (hay and "Sweet PDZ"). I guess what I am asking is does anyone think that the "Sweet PDZ" could be harmful to small birds when good for chickens.... Description: http://www.koopclean.com/home-4/

[Icearstorm]

StodOne
I've never had an issue with sand. How do you clean it? I use a sieve and sift out all the poop and seed every few days; neither my societies or gouldians seem particularly bothered by me sticking my hand in there. Occasionally a few tiny flies will hatch out and I will pour a bit of vinegar on the spot and lightly spray the rest of the sand to clean up the issue. After six months, I have not needed to replace any of the sand and everything still seems pretty clean.

[LGer]

Do you let them play in the sand or do you have a wire bottom above the sand?

[Icearstorm]

LGer
I don't use a grate, but they rarely stay on the ground for more than a few minutes a day, preferring to perch a few inches above on the branch in the middle of their cage.

[Roberto De Molero]

I was thinking of using hay or straw... would this be any good?

[Icearstorm]

Roberto De Molero

There will be a higher risk of mold that may cause Aspergillosis, which is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to cure. If you replace the bedding every day and thoroughly dry the enclosure, it shouldn't be too bad. Uneven substrates will make it more difficult to see poop and judge the finches' health.

[hanabi]

I use shredded newspaper and cardboard as a bedding and find it an excellent choice, particularly if you already have a shredder. It has a number of useful qualities. The newspaper quickly absorbs and dries urine and poop so there is never any smell, even after a month of use. I once had a friend view my indoor "bird room" that had around 40 breeding cages and his first comment was "why is there no smell?"; he was genuinely surprised. More birds in the cage equals more frequent clean-ups, of course, so YMMV (your mileage may vary).

Quick drying of the waste products on the cage floor results in my finches have quite clean feet and feathers. Bumblefoot infection is thus a rarity here. It also securely holds large amounts of seed husk, which would normally become airborne and exit the cage due to birds flying, so floors are much cleaner.

It is also very beneficial when your birds are in breeding mode. I've never had any injuries due to chicks falling from nests, no matter how high the nests are from the cage/flight floor; the shreds act as an excellent soft cushion. Furthermore, shredded newspaper is a natural insulator, so if chicks do fall from the nest during the cooler months they have a better chance at survival by staying warm for longer.

When it is time to change the bedding it makes an excellent compost. When I discard it I spread it out on my lawn to improve soil quality, and the local birds have a lot of fun visiting daily and cleaning up any uneaten seed.

I find my finches always use pieces of shredded paper as nesting material (to supplement other material of course), no matter what the species.

Did I mention that newspaper is generally free

It is not a panacea though. You do still have to clean the cage from time to time . Once the paper becomes saturated with waste it will start to smell, and if saturated with seed husks the husks will then start to be blown out of the cage onto the floor due to bird flight.

I would not recommend shredded newspaper if you have a habit of leaving open water bowls in the cage or have leaky water feeders. It can become water-saturated and smell when saturated (but this is probably true for most bedding). So when I allow my finches to take a bath I only leave the water bowl in for about 30 minutes, and it is a covered water bowl, so the surrounding newspaper becomes only slightly damp and quickly dries.

I have not noted any ill effects due to my finches (rarely) chewing on the shreds. I think the inks usually used in newspaper are quite benign but I can't categorically say there are definitely no negative effects.

Overall I think it is an excellent 'low maintenance' bedding for busy people like me who have too many cages for daily cleaning.

Cheers.