Do you use the grate?

[osnyder]

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

I use the New York Times for my birds too! they read on a 12th grade level

 

[MollyGreenCheeks]

MHO, when you purchase a nice cage for your bird it is also a piece of furniture. I use the grate but no paper because I think newspaper in a nice cage looks like crap (forgive the pun)! Instead of paper I use Swheat Scoop. Small Animal | Swheat Scoop
Typically my birds poop in the same general location of the cage so I use a litter scoop to scoop out the dried clumps.

 

[Joeyx]

i don't see how someone would not use a grate. laying out newspapers at the bottom just
means your parrots will get their feet covered in poop. always has to happen.

 

[Ash]

I don't have a grate in my Alexandrines cage, my conure's cage doesn't have one(I never got a grate with the cage).

None of my birds ever venture to the bottom half of their cage. Even if I add toys they don't even think about it. They also don't shred the newspaper and never have shown interest in it.

Though they pretty much get 24/7 out of cage time (can choose to go back into their cage). My Alex's tend to stay on top of their cage, they do go back into their cage to pull their perches/toys to pieces.

 

[vicky2200]

i don't see how someone would not use a grate. laying out newspapers at the bottom just
means your parrots will get their feet covered in poop. always has to happen.

Maybe I'm missing something but won't their feet get covered in poop from the grate too. If you clean the cage 1x a day, I don't see how the poop could be an issue anymore than it is with the grate. Another fact to consider is that not all birds spend much time on the bottoms of their cages. I rarely ever see mine down there.

 

[Joeyx]

yeah that is an issue. especially in the morning when they take their first poop after
waking up. a lot of it sticks but its almost always the white liquid part of the poop. that
would dry out quick so even if they do venture to the bottom of their cage, it would be
dry and won't stick to their feet. i never have a problem with poop on my birds' feet,
and i clean the grates every now and then regularly.

 

[luvmytooo]

i don't see how someone would not use a grate. laying out newspapers at the bottom just
means your parrots will get their feet covered in poop. always has to happen.

Not if they dont go on the bottom .

 

[triordan]

Nope, Remington barely ever goes to the bottom of his cage unless a toy breaks~

 

[KatherineI]

i don't see how someone would not use a grate. laying out newspapers at the bottom just
means your parrots will get their feet covered in poop. always has to happen.

Maybe I'm missing something but won't their feet get covered in poop from the grate too. If you clean the cage 1x a day, I don't see how the poop could be an issue anymore than it is with the grate. Another fact to consider is that not all birds spend much time on the bottoms of their cages. I rarely ever see mine down there.

Actually, I almost never have poop on the grate. A teeny tiny bit, but it usually managed to fall through the grating and on to the paper, so no, no poopy feet here.

 

[Aves]

I tried not using a grate with my caique, very bad idea. I came home and she was covered in poop and tore all the newspaper to bits. So now I put a towel down in a corner of her cage where there aren't any perches over it so she can still roll around at the bottom. I guess if your bird doesn't play at the the bottom of their cages it's fine not to have a grate.

 

[Marnie]

when i had a cage, i didn't like the look of newspaper either so i used cheapo dollar store wrapping paper. it gives it a festive look.
but no grate. i never had bottom walkers or paper shredders.
(so now with just the tree stand i use the wrapping paper at the base of it.)
my amazon would pick up something from the bottom on occaision, but she would hang on to the side and reach down to pick it up. never saw her walk down there.

 

[luvmytooo]

when i had a cage, i didn't like the look of newspaper either so i used cheapo dollar store wrapping paper. it gives it a festive look.
but no grate. i never had bottom walkers or paper shredders.
(so now with just the tree stand i use the wrapping paper at the base of it.)
my amazon would pick up something from the bottom on occaision, but she would hang on to the side and reach down to pick it up. never saw her walk down there.

Although I agree with newspaper looking shabby , I would be careful using colored paper from another source. Just because there could be chemicals used that could be harmful.