Lining? What do you use?

[mysteryfoxes]

Everyone has their preferences, but what do you use to line the bottom of your babies cages?

I recently read an article saying that corn cob bedding could be a factor in causing 'aspergillus' (fungal disease); I was leaning more towards cob bedding but now I'm not sure.

The cage I eventually want to get is this one: 45x35x65" (Good or bad for Pionus??)

Edit: I found it's 9/10" spacing. Which is kinda large. :/ I don't know if a Pi would be okay in that. haha Looks nice and for a good price too on Ebay. xD

It has a grate so it couldn't really get to it, right? Haha. You all know more than I.

Opinions?

 

[wenz2712]

I think most people, as I do just line the grate with newspaper Sounds a good Cage.. Thats bigger than what I have for my Amazon lol.. Just make sure the bar spacing is not too big for a Pionus

 

[mysteryfoxes]

It's got a 9/10" spacing. :/ I think that might be too wide. *sigh*

 

[kc_y0]

I use newspaper

 

[roxynoodle]

Yep, newspaper. No worries about it growing anything funky, it's free, I change it everyday, and Merlin can have fun shredding it.

 

[Spiritbird]

Newspaper is the best. I would not advise any commercial bedding products for a bird. May harbor fungus.

 

[mysteryfoxes]

As an added benefit, I guess they can get up to date on the goings-on in the world too. hehe

 

[mnkeastman]

I use newspaper and have 1 in. spacing on mine I believe. According to what I have read 3/4 in to 1in spacing is the recommended for a Pionus depending on the size of the bird. It seems to be working fine for me. She couldn't fit her head through the bars if she wanted to because of the width of it and sometimes I see her turn her head to the side and I can just see her eye where she is looking through them at something so I feel ok about it.

 

[mysteryfoxes]

That's good to know. I'm glad your baby is adjusting well.

 

[roxynoodle]

As an added benefit, I guess they can get up to date on the goings-on in the world too. hehe

Just an odd and funny story regarding newspaper. One day I went to put some into Rowdy's cage and realized there was a picture of the Pope on it. I kind of made a joke to myself that maybe I shouldn't use that piece. Well, next thing I knew my truck broke down and I was in the hospital because a gallstone got into my pancreatic duct. I'm not normally superstitious, but I did wonder if the moral of the story was don't let your bird poop on the Pope.

 

[oled]

I use newspaper

 

[luvmytooo]

I use newspaper in the keets cages but I do use corn cob in the parrot cages . I do have the crates in their cages , so they dont have any interest in trying to reach it. I do pick out their cages everyday ,though. But hearing the possible risks , I may choose to use the newspaper. But not any pictures of the Pope (grin).

 

[roxynoodle]

Nooo, no pictures of the Pope!

I think even if the bird can't reach it, fungus spores get into the air and they breathe it in. And with the warm, moist winter we've had this stuff is in the air as it is. I would definitely switch to newspaper, luvmytoo.

I have read recently that even if you use bottled water for your birds you should still boil it first and then keep it in the refrigerator. I've never gone that far, but now I'm wondering if I should.

 

[Tammy]

I use newspaper too. Regarding the pope, I was going to try to amass newspaper with Obama's picture & train Mr. Precious to poop on Obama on command! Hope the secret service doesn't come after me. lol

 

[Rio Mom]

Anybody else find themselves stopping to read an article as they're putting the paper in their birds cage? LOL

 

[roxynoodle]

I use newspaper too. Regarding the pope, I was going to try to amass newspaper with Obama's picture & train Mr. Precious to poop on Obama on command! Hope the secret service doesn't come after me. lol

Lol! I should do the same.

 

[IcyWolf]

I'll be the weird one here and say that I don't use newspaper or commercial bedding. I got a huge roll of relatively thick(thicker than newspaper), white paper. Whenever I'm feeling ambitious, I cut a bunch of pieces for each cage so that I have enough pre-cut that I can just grab and go. I use two pieces for each cage and I never have a problem with any leak throughs and it's really easy to roll up and throw away.

I'm going to be honest as to why I have been using this the past six months, I told my other half that I needed more newspaper and asked if he could ask around for me while and work and such and he ended up coming home with this big roll of paper. In truth, I wasn't happy when he came home with it, it just seemed like it was going to be more work since this needs to be cut to size, but it doesn't take long to cut a bunch of prefitted pieces and it looks much nicer than the newspaper IMO. I still have quite a bit left, when I run out of this I'll try to find another roll but if not, I may just go back to newspaper but it has been working out nicely so far.

 

[luvmytooo]

Well, using the white inkless paper lets you know really quickly if someones dropping arent up to par.
I use almost the same paper for new birds I keep separate. I pick up a box of wrapping paper from the storage places , its cheap ,it lasts and you can get it with a cutter like what's in the tin foil boxes , so it's easy to rip the right size.
I was going crazy looking for inkless paper to use for puppies and I came across the storage paper .

 

[luvmytooo]

Nooo, no pictures of the Pope!

I think even if the bird can't reach it, fungus spores get into the air and they breathe it in. And with the warm, moist winter we've had this stuff is in the air as it is. I would definitely switch to newspaper, luvmytoo.

I have read recently that even if you use bottled water for your birds you should still boil it first and then keep it in the refrigerator. I've never gone that far, but now I'm wondering if I should.

I already tossed the corn cob. The weather is going to good the next few days , so I am going to sanitize the cages this weekend.
I really could kick myself for thinking it was ok to use the corn cob figuring I cleaned it everyday

 

[IcyWolf]

Well, using the white inkless paper lets you know really quickly if someones dropping arent up to par.
I use almost the same paper for new birds I keep separate. I pick up a box of wrapping paper from the storage places , its cheap ,it lasts and you can get it with a cutter like what's in the tin foil boxes , so it's easy to rip the right size.
I was going crazy looking for inkless paper to use for puppies and I came across the storage paper .

With our bigger birds, especially the amazons, they always have some leak through to the bottom piece of paper and since they eat colored pellets, it's always this funny array of green, red and yellow splatters that seeped down through. I always laugh as I refer to it as birdie watercolor, I've often joked about selling their "paintings" like they do with those elephants and horses that paint pictures lol.