FINCHforum

Hi
My birds have a nasty habit of squashing their little bodies on the top of the cuttlebone. Hence the fact that the one side is a bit messy. So, can I clean it? If so with what? and lastly, how can I keep them from continuing this habit?

Scrape off the soiled portion with a butter knife or a set of scissors, rinse, and you're good to go.

I don't know how you can stop them from perching on the cuttlebone, mine do it too. And I agree with Dylan, just scrape it off, rinse, and replace.

sparrowsong98

Maybe you can fasten it under a seed cup, so that they can reach it but not sit on it.

I use a small phillips screw drive and make two holes in it and thread a zip tie through it and pull it tight against the cage bars..seems to help keep them from sitting on it.

Soiled areas break off or scrape well past the area... keep in mind poop can cause bacteria and pass issues back to your birds... other option is to use smaller pieces or grind it to a powder and offer it in finger cups.

I use a cuttlebone holder with a perch attached to it.

I scrape away any soiled stuff and then soak in F10 to sterilise.

You can use a screw, nut and a washer to hold firmly against cage.
Point being that they shouldn't be able to sit on it and make it poopy.

the metal holders that often come with cuttlebone can be a safety hazard... birds can get cut, hung up in them... I toss them and use the two hole method and a zip tie or a cuttlebone holder as shown... it also can be used to hold millet.

If you use the screw, nut and bolt to hold the cuttlebone in place be sure it is stainless steel.... some hardware contains zinc, nickle, need to avoid those (especially with hookbills).

You could also use an ice pick to carve a hole in the cuttlebone and a twisty-tie to secure it. The twisty-tie seems to work better with a cage with horizontal bars, rather than just vertical bars, though.

Caution with twisty ties the ones with wire covered by paper... some birds pick the paper off and play with the wire ( especially hookbills) The wire used in making the twist tie can contain zinc nickel inferior metals. Birds can also get hung up in it. Stainless steel nuts washers and bolts or plastic zip ties work well and are safer.

I scrape mine, rinse with diluted vinegar and water, and then bake them in the oven on a low setting until they become too hot to house bacteria.

cindy
I use one covered with plastic. It fits tightly against the bars (1/4" hardware cloth), so toes shouldn't get stuck in it.