FINCHforum

I've been using clay based (fulers earth) cat litter on the floors of my cages for the better part of a year. I've noticed that on clean out day, the first thing most of the birds do head straight down and have a good rummage and nibble. they seem to get visibly excited on clean out day. in fact i went back to using sand just for a change for a week and then when i put the cat litter back into one cage the birds in the neighbouring cage were pacing the wire trying to get at the clay, they couldn't wait.

I know many parrot species eat clay in the wild as a natural tonic, could it do the same for finches?

incidentally, i briefly used a different type of clay and the birds showed no interest

I also used clay kitty litter in the bottom of my indoor aviary, the birds loved it. Also added clay to their mineral mix.

Did you stop using the clay? If so, what did you put in its place?

I used to use Oil-dri, which is a similar product to kitty litter, and had the same type behavior from the birds, they would spend a lot of time on the bottom of the cage going through the bedding. I do offer a product called Claycal (from Hagen) in my mineral mix, which is a clay product.

Bentonite clay is often added to mineral mixes by breeders.
Here's some linka to clays and their benefits:

http://www.getbirdstuff.com/getbirdstuf ... e2d-p.html

http://www.californiaearthminerals.com/birds.html

http://www.allnaturalpetcare.com/Holist ... -Pets.html

Thanks Sally and Debbie! I have not given my finches any clay or mineral mix before, but sounds like it is a good idea with the current species I'm breeding.