Disinfecting Cages/Aviaries...2-Part Question

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:44 am

I am not sure if this is the right category for my questions but here goes.

I am used to having larger birds which I can remove when cleaning their cages. After the cages are dry the birdies go back in.

Now being I am a new Finch owner and will eventyally get many more Finches....this poses a problem that I hope somebody can answer for me.

When you clean/disinfect your cages/aviaries....how do you go about it? I mean...how can you safely disinfect everything without moving out all the finches out of their housing?

Hopefully you can give me some tips on getting the job done!

Second question....I am going to be getting some Nolvasan disinfectant from my Vet daughter (since she can get it at cost for me). Many of my Avian friends use this to disinfect their larger bird's cages and I want to try it. They like it because they can just spray and don't have to rinse...something that really appeals to the lazy side of me!

Do any of you use this product to clean your cages/aviaries?

Ok...I am done now....whew!

Thanks for any help!

rottielover · Post by **rottielover** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 12:20 pm

I admit, I've never tried to disinfect the cages without first moving the birds.

With my setup however, I do have some extra cages on hand. Currently I have a large flight/avairy type cage, and I have 4 breeding cages.

Right now I'm using 1 breeder cage as a hospital cage for a recovering Gouldian (he's fine, but I like to keep them QT'd for a while following an illness).

Another breeder cage is being used for my Society pair who are just about to start weaning a clutch.

Finally I have a Gouldian Pair setup in the 3rd cage getting ready to breed.

That leaves me 1 breeder cage left over. I use this cage to move all the birds from the flight cage while doing a "through" cleaning.

Basically I'm lazy, so once per week I clean the bottom tray (using a corncob like "absorb" material made from recycled paper), and then I use "Poop-Off" on the grate on the bottom and on any perches or anything else that needs to be wiped off. Once per quater (every 3 months) I move all the birds from the flight cage to the holding breeder cage (yes, it's a little crowded, but they are only in there for about and hour or 2 max). That's when I do my disinfecting cleaning. I just do the same basic cleaning that I do once a week, but then I have a spray bottle of a bleach/water solution that I lightly spritz on and let dry. This usually only takes an hour or two too dry, then I move all the birds back over.

The breeder cages are smaller and take less time to clean. For those, if I have any birds in there, I move them to a "crate" holder (pet carrier) for the short time I'm cleaning.

If the birds have a cluch going, then I put off the major cleaning, as I don't want to disturb them too much. After the cluch is weaned, then I'll go about doing the "major cleaning".

I've never used Nolvasan and don't have any experiance with it.

I hope that helps.

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:19 am

Rottielover.....Wow...thanks for your great reply! You have a good system for your cleaning schedule. I am going to print out your reply and save it for reference.

The only thing that I worry about is catching these fast flyers...my bigger birdies are much slower...and usually wait on the floor for a lift to their cage...that's one nice thing about keeping them clipped.

Since I only have 2 finches right now it won't be such a challenge like those of you who have many finches.

I guess I will have to invest in a good bird net for that day when one of them escapes...and I am sure they will...lol.

Thanks again!

H2015 · Post by **H2015** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:21 am

I do the same thing for my flight cages, simply put in all the birds into a carrier or one of my smaller cages and then hose down the entire thing with hot water, use bleach to scrub off the wires, let it sit for 5 mins and then hose it down again and wipe it all with a cloth to speed up the drying process and let it sit for 30 mins. Once it's dry I spray Pestex and again let it dry for 10 mins or so and then move the birds back in.

When I have less time, I don't remove the birds and take the whole flight cage to the bathroom, I set the perches as high as possible so the birds would be at the top part of the flight and that leaves the bottom clear for me to wash, in that case I use a safer bleach solution that I spray and wipe and then wash it off, the top part I'd only wipe with a wet cloth as it's close to where the birds are. You need to be more careful though to make sure the birds don't get wet and not to startle them while cleaning.

Now the large 5' flight that hold my zebras, I honestly disinfected it just once in the past 2 months cause the birds are so much harder to capture and it's stressful for them as it takes awhile just to capture them. Instead I clean up the floor on a semi daily basis to maintain and disinfect the perches every week and used Pestex every 2 weeks to kill off anything that may grow around the corners.

Shadowfax · Post by **Shadowfax** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:05 pm

I have a small bathroom so I take my whole cage in there.Close the toilet lid,

Take it apart and let the birdies fly around while I clean the cage and accessories. Dry it put it back together then chase the birdies. They are usually not to hard to catch. One of my guys landed on my shoulder last time and one of the others just sat and looked at me until I picked him up.

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 5:56 pm

Shadowfax Wrote:
"I have a small bathroom so I take my whole cage in there."

You know taking the cage into the bathroom isn't such a bad idea!

I was thinking that when we build our retirement home maybe we can install one of those handicap accessible showers where there is no barrier so wheelchairs can be wheeled in....I could roll my cages right into the shower (birdies removed first...of course!) and clean the cage easily....hmmmm!

Now if I can just get my hubby to go along with the idea...but probably not...he likes to soak in the tub every now and then. And I am having a hard enough time convincing him to let me have a "Bird Room" for my birdies....but having a birdie accessible shower might bee too much for him to comprehend.....lol

beccafigs · Post by **beccafigs** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 10:13 am

That idea about the bathrooms is wonderful!!

I think I will do that when I clean my cages today. It is so stressful on them to catch them and put them in a carrier, and my bathroom is pretty small so it won't be too hard to chase them. Thanks for sharing that. I don't know why that has never occurred to me.