grate above the tray or not?

[rope]

i'm wondering if any of you don't use a grate above the tray or if its necessary with african grays ....thanks....

 

[nightfly]

If we don't put a grate above the bottom, he'll go down there and pick up food he dropped that's been pooped on. So there really isn't much choice. + grate. He has a sandbox outside the cage to play and dig in when he gets the urge.

 

[RavensGryf]

I used to think not having a grate would be so much easier, so 20 years ago when I got Robin his first cage, I opted to not take the grate that came with it (I think that was stupid of me), so for many years it was like that, no grate. I just thought it would be one more thing to have to clean...

Later I got other birds and decided to use a grate, and to my surprise, it was SO much easier. The grates are quick and easy to spot clean, and they can't access the bottom, so you don't have to change paper daily necessarily. I'd say a grate definitely makes things easier and cleaner.

 

[jugoya]

I use fleece 'towels' easier and I just toss em in the washer once a day xD

 

[jasper19]

I found angel will go to the bottom of the cage if she sees a peanut or something she dropped and she wants it. So i would always use a grate. She would certainly go down there if there wasn't something stopping her.

 

[Puck]

I tried no grate but also found that it's not that hard to spot clean and is worth it to make sure they can't play with their own poopies.

 

[Terry57]

My birds who go to the bottom of their cages have grates, and the ones who never go down there don't. It is wonderful that my Amazons who are in huge corner cages don't go to the bottom since those are the worst grates ever

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

If we don't put a grate above the bottom, he'll go down there and pick up food he dropped that's been pooped on. So there really isn't much choice. + grate. He has a sandbox outside the cage to play and dig in when he gets the urge.

I agree with nightfly..I always had a grate above the tray for my Timneh..and she would still walk along trying to get fallen goodies in the tray. I have a huge cage for my Amazon..a grate with papers on it for easy cleaning and she walks along the papers picking here and there. My newly adopted 'Too even picks thru the grate after scattering his goodies here and there. I'd keep the grate.

Jim

 

[Birdman666]

Without the grate, they end up with crop infections from eating contaminated food. And with my birds, that newspaper would be toast (and scattered all over the floor of the bird room) in six tenths of a second...

Why would you take the grate out?! Is there an advantage to it? It's not like birds spend any amount of time on the bottom of their cages... and the extra few inches of space it gives you hardly seems worth the risk.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

I line the tray with newspaper. I used to also line the grate for Smokey,my grey,but she torn it to shreads! So now when I clean the cage I put the tray and grate in the bath tube and use a scrubby sponge..very easy clean up

 

[Birdman666]

I line the tray with newspaper. I used to also line the grate for Smokey,my grey,but she torn it to shreads! So now when I clean the cage I put the tray and grate in the bath tube and use a scrubby sponge..very easy clean up

That's an outside in the driveway chore in my household.

Or on an old towel with a steamer.

I don't want to scrub the tub, after scrubbing all those grates. I have a bunch of old nasty cleaning towels...

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

I line the tray with newspaper. I used to also line the grate for Smokey,my grey,but she torn it to shreads! So now when I clean the cage I put the tray and grate in the bath tube and use a scrubby sponge..very easy clean up

That's an outside in the driveway chore in my household.

Or on an old towel with a steamer.

I don't want to scrub the tub, after scrubbing all those grates. I have a bunch of old nasty cleaning towels...

Well I can see with all the birdies you have listed,that indeed would be a chore lol. but me,having two,its not that bad..and yes,I have to clean the tub afterwards,but that means IT gets cleaned also.

I also have a steam cleaner. It works great for cleaning the bars on the cages. I do,however,take the cages out to the driveway in the summer for a GOOD thorough cleaning and my babies love being outside in the sun,where they know they will be getting a thorough cleaning themselves

Jim