Do you use the grate?

[vicky2200]

Do you use the grate in your cage? I've been thinking about removing it and seeing how things go. It would be far easier to keep clean.

 

[evesta]

My cage has the grate in it but I don't use it. I stack about 5 layers of newspaper on top of the grate and change the paper twice a day, adding more layers once a day. So far this has worked very well.

 

[vicky2200]

I think I am going to remove it. They rarely go on the bottom. The worst that will happen is that they shred the paper and I have to put the grate back in, right?

 

[MikeyTN]

I don't use it on babies but I use it on adults. Its more sanitize when you don't have a bird with a mouth and feet covered in poop when trying to kiss or climb on you.

 

[cdog]

The grate is there to keep the bird from getting to the feces, so I use it.

 

[IcyWolf]

I do the same as mikey, babies don't get a grate but adults do.

 

[KatherineI]

I absolutely use it!! It's there for sanitation reasons and my Loki walks on it daily. I'd rather expose him to his own feces as little as possible, thus preventing myself from encountering poopy feet!

 

[Safira]

Yes! Or my CAG's would rip the newspaper to pieces!

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I use a grate with Rosie, without the grate the bottom of her cage would be open lol. But even so, I'd use it for her anyway. The cockatiel I found in Sf and eventually was given to my friend doesn't have a grate, he loves to be on the bottom of his cage so much I never bothered to get him one. Sometimes this might mean changing the newspaper twice a day but it's worth it for how much fun he has.

 

[Mayden]

Wish my budgie's had a grate too!

Merlin's terrible at stomping around in his mess, so the grates a godsend for me!

 

[luvmytooo]

I use the grate for only safety reasons. My guys haven't explored the bottom "yet".
So there is no paper shredding or poopy feet to worry about "yet".
Im afraid if I take the grate out , the slide out bottom can accidentally slide out and that would mean something can get in/out . My dogs surf the surrounding area for pellets and food items tossed out. They have learned if they slide the bottom catch tray out just a
little , any pellets sitting on the edge of it will fall out .
The dogs now have their own PEZ DISPENSER ! I have put a stop to it though
But that's why I use the grating , but I am able to put the paper over the grate that makes cleaning it much easier .
I would like to remove the grate from the parakeet cage , but the same applies and I end up with a large gap that they can easily fit through , but I can put paper on top of it and they don't mess with it too much . I also put a couple of layers so I can remove a layer and have a new one right underneath, lolol. I strive to make cleaning easy and fast.
But when sanitizing , that means EVERYTHING.
I feel the grates can add protection as well as sanitary needs.

 

[vicky2200]

Here are my problems: 1 of my cages has a grate that can only come out if you take apart the whole cage. Both cages are too big to fit nicely in our basement washtub, so it is very difficult and makes a huge mess. I'll keep doing it how I am for now, but I really need a new solution.

 

[MikeyTN]

Birds will make mess, we have 18 birds, we sweep, we vacuum, and we clean every single day. Plus we work all the time. Having a few to clean after isn't that bad!

 

[evesta]

Vicky, do what works for you. Give it a try and if it doesn't work you can always switch back. I know my birds don't walk much on the floor of the cage so putting paper on top of the grate works great Maybe it is because their cage is packed full of climbing toys and perches(linnies don't fly much but climb) so there is a low walkway above the grate, they don't walk on the floor much. Or maybe it is because I'm a clean freak that changes the paper as soon as I see more than one poop on it lol

 

[vicky2200]

I realized that we don't have any big pieces of news paper (we don't get the paper) so I will be waiting until I get the paper from my uncle (I'm sure he will give them to me when he is done) to try this. I don't want to have to try to piece together the lining if they are going to walk on it. It's not the mess the BIRDS make that bothers me, its the mess I make while cleaning the cages because I don't have a sink big enough. When the weather is good, I can go outside and use the hose, but then the dogs walk through bird poop (because our hose is where the dogs go.) Today, I got A LOT of water on the floor today cleaning the cages. They look great though.

 

[Marnie]

i have never used the grates in any of my cages. its the 1st thing that comes out/ or never goes in. none of the birds i had were interested in walking on the bottom except the tiel i had. she wanted to be down there to lay eggs.
i just find it messy and too hard to them keep clean. the birds will walk in poop with or without it anyways. plus i liked my parrot to be able to pick up something he dropped if he wanted it.
with the grates out of there i just reach in and roll up the newspapers and toss. very easy and quick.
plus it gives the cage an much bigger interior area.
now i have a collection of grates in the basement and the cages are long gone. hmmmmm
my IRN is cageless now and i love not having a cage to clean. i just change the papers at the base of his perch now.

 

[MikeyTN]

Marnie,

Your fortunate that your bird don't shred the paper and make one heck of a mess, that would be more troublesome to clean if you ever witness one that does it. IF the bird's feather is lighter colored like white, you'll see the bird turn black or gets very dirty. I see more trouble with bigger birds without a grate then the smaller birds. I see a lot of cages now days where the side of the cage under the grate is not made very well, a big parrot would tear that up in no time. Or you'll find a bird that learn to remove the bottom tray and throw everything on your floor because there's no grate restriction. Been there done that....But each individual needs to decide what's best for your bird and go from there. Some of these stuffs are what I've gone through.

 

[luvmytooo]

The Times works awesome in the big cages , the sheets are so big they fit perfectly over rounder the grates.

 

[osnyder]

I don't use it in either of the big cages, seems pointless since it gets so dirty, and neither makes too bad of a shredded mess with the newspaper.

 

[Mayden]

I just buy a cheap 50pence ish newspaper, that works fine for me!