cleaning the cage

[carla]

Hello, I am a fairly new finch owner of two beautiful cordon bleus. I am wondering, when it is time to clean the cage thoroughly, and I have to take the birds out. I have no idea how to do it. Should I just let them fly around a bedroom and then when done cleaning, catch them with a net and put them back in cage. I am terrified of sticking my hand in the cage and chasing them around, stressing out the poor little birdies. I dont have another cage to put them in anyways. I hope you can help me. It is my first time having finches as pets and I am scared of harming them.

[debbie276]

I've never had to release my birds when cleaning cages. What type of cage do you have? Most times you can work around them.
If you absolutely have to remove the birds maybe you can set up another cage door to door with this one and leave the doors open so they just fly right over to the new cage? Much less stress for you and them.
Personally, letting them fly free in the room would be my last option, too many things that they could get injured with and stuck behind.

[cindy]

I agree with Debbie. I do a twice to three times weekly cleaning while they are in the cage (depending on the species some are messier than others), wiping the grate down and the perches. For a total cage wash down it is best like Debbie commented to put them in a holding cage for the process that I do every 3 months.

[Sally]

It is a good idea to keep a small cage on hand to use as a hospital cage anyway, and this can be used to temporarily hold the birds while you do a deep cleaning. IMO it is a good idea to put your hands in the cage on a rgular basis so they get used to it. The more they are exposed to us, the more they will settle down, in most cases at least.

And welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at the Finch Information Center, linked at left, and the members are always ready to help.

[Finnie]

If you really think you need the cage to be empty to get it properly cleaned, then having a second cage, like Debbie and Sally mentioned, might be worthwhile. One cage could be in use, and the other could be in the process of being cleaned and stored until the next cleaning time came around. Just a general wipe down of the cage they are in would normally be sufficient on a regular basis, though.

Without a second cage, then you could put the birds in a small cardboard box with ventilation holes while you are cleaning the cage. They would be comforted by the darkness, and birds often travel in boxes, so this would be not much different.

Some people are good at catching their birds by hand, but I've found it a lot easier and quicker now that I have one of these little nets:

http://www.redbirdproducts.com/net%205in%20handle.jpg

at the very bottom of this page: http://www.redbirdproducts.com/red%20bi ... sories.htm

I got mine at a bird fair. I know I've seen other websites selling them recently, but Redbird is the only one I can come up with today.

[Finnie]

Oh, and beware of having two cages- the empty one will just be begging for you to buy more birds!!

[Angela&Shalamar]

I just clean with the birds in the cage. They fly around and fuss but it doesn't take long and they settle down just about instantly when I'm done. Depends on the size of the cage I guess. I'm able to reach the whole cage perches etc. A good wipe down once a week and they look brand new. If you need a net you can even go to your local pet store and get a small aquarium net. That's what I use, works great and cheap...specially since I have 2 or three of them for my fish tanks already.

[carla]

Thank you guys for all the quick responses!, for all the advice!!!. Well I got the cleaning idea from the internet, they say you are suppose to clean your cage once a month with bleach, I have a medium size vision cage, it has not gotten dirty so far, just the bottom crate, which I clean once a week, and the plexy glass part with some of the water they splashed from the birdbath.
I think I will not attempt to get them out then. It is kind of hard to put the cage door by door, because the height of the doors are different in cages.
I do put my hands in to change birdbath, food and water. But I have only had them for two weeks. They are still getting use to us. They are so beautiful. I just love them!. Every winter here in PA is so sad when I don't hear birdies in the morning. Now I have my own birdies to sing to me every sunrise!
If I get a second cage I know I will be wanting to get another pair, maybe green singers. lol!. Now that I know they can be ship to my home.
I am glad to find this forum. Thank you for your approval.
Thank you all for your helpful advice!!!!!

Carla

[Sally]

Waxbills are naturally more flighty than many other species. They will most likely never calm down completely, they will fly around the cage every time you put your hands in there. At two weeks, they are still adjusting to everything new, it takes them a while to settle down somewhat.

As far as cleaning the cage with bleach each month, it all depends on your level of dirt-tolerance. Cages can be kept pretty clean with just a wipe-down with a wet cloth and hot water. I personally don't see the need for using bleach that often, and I would remove the birds any time I cleaned with bleach--I don't like the fumes from bleach myself, and birds have a much more sensitive respiratory system.

[carla]

Thanks Sally!. I don't like using bleach either, maybe some hydrogen peroxide diluted in water and wipe down all wires down, they really don't pooped on or anything, they just get very dusty! Do you recommend something for keeping dust mites away from my finches? Something I can feed them maybe? I heard about diatomaceous earth, but I don't know how to use it, any advise on that?

thanks again!
you guys are great!

[Sally]

Hydrogen peroxide is supposed to be safer than bleach, but I have no experience using it to clean cages. To me, plain old hot water does the trick for normal cleaning.

As far as dust mites, I don't recall ever reading that they were a problem with finches. There are other mites that can be a problem, and here is a link to what they are:

http://www.finchinfo.com/health/diseases/index.php

[Angela&Shalamar]

I use method lavender scented cleaner. Just a little on a towel, just enough to dampen it and wipe my cages down with that, and perches etc. It does a great job, but doesn't have a very strong odor, doesn't seem to bother the birds at all. Cages still look brand new and I've had them since March or so. One cage has even been thru the raising of 4 clutches and also still looks brand new. If you do use bleach I'd rinse well and even keep the birds out of it for 24 hours if possible. Bleach breaks down in that time when exposed to sun light.

[Finnie]

I use bleach all the time, for everything. (Not when the birds are in the cage, though.)

I don't rinse it off. I just let it dry. In the sun, if it's anything that I can carry outside. An hour in the sun, and most things are good to go. For things that have to dry inside the house, or wooden thngs, I put them in the basement near the dehumidifier, and let them sit overnight.

Sometimes I'll dry perches or other wooden things in the oven on a low temp.

When bleach dries, any residue that's left is just salt.

I have also been known to disinfect things by wiping with vinegar and allowing to dry. For any other type of cleaner, I would be wary of not rinsing it off.

[cindy]

I discussed the bleach and sanitizing with my avian vet, she mentioned that if you make u a bleach and water solution in a spray bottle and use that over a period of a few day, the bleach mixed in the water after 24 hrs is loosing it strength. Best to make up a new mix each time.

Also the sun breaks down the bleach, so it is safe after sun drying.

I use hydrogen peroxide wipes on the grates and tough stains on perches. I also wipe down the splash guard on the bird room walls with a mix of hydrogen peroxide and water.

[carla]

Thank you all for your help!. Thanks Sally for the link!