What does everyone use on the bottom of their cages?
I was just reading and it says that corn cob is deadly same with walnut bits. I've never used either in bird cages!
one site said that pine shavings was safe, another said no pine except for adult birds, and another said none at all! No idea what to use anymore Paper towels are hard to come by around here as they are expensive, and I've been using pine shavings for most everything else! anyone have any suggestions for inexpensive liners or do any of you have any thoughts on pine shavings?
HI,
I always use newspapers. They are easy to come by, plus they are free. If you know anyone that gets the paper, if you don't, have them save them for you. Hope this helps.
Corn cob can possibly be harmful, but only if ingested. Any liner for birds is safe as long as the bird cannot get to it. Even newspaper could be deadly if ingested in large ammounts.
I don't use pine shavings simply because they're lightweight and would go flying every time Hane exercises his wings. Newspaper is easy to get so that's what I use. Don't use glossy paper though, it can give off slight fumes when the bird poo hits it.
corn cob isn't a can be harmful, it is harmful because it doesn't take much at all to cause impaction, I don't even recommend it for other animals, the only time i've ever used it is for a rabbit hutch where they couldn't get at the lining at all!! newspaper with print alone is not a good idea unless they use all natural ink (good luck finding that haha) most newspaper print shops will sell ends of rolls or even give them away if you ask nicely! most don't mind giving them away as long as you bring back the roll. I like pine shavings because it's very easy to clean, my birds don't really exercise their wings in their cages, they wait till outside where they have tons of room! plus I don't use little bits, bigger chunks of pine is nice!
And it's not true that any liner is safe as long as the birds can't get to it...Cedar is treated with pesticides so is most pine and it's the fumes that is harmful to animals (and I'm sure humans too in the long run) Unless you can find shavings that aren't treated except cedar, which is a big no no in the animal world except for outdoor dog runs where you want to keep away the bugs in the summer.
There are many things to keep in mind when choosing the proper cage liner!
it's not just not soft enough, cedar is treated with chemicals that can be harmful to the little systems they have. it's terrible what troubles we have to go through to find a proper cage lining!!! you'd think after all these years they would have found something safe, effective and affordable for the common public!
I don't agree with all the hype about cedar shavings. Untreated cedar shavings are commonly used country-wide. All the lab reports I've seen on animals and softwood shavings are about medical labs, and how cedar or pine can change the metabolism which changes how the meds given to them is absorbed.
Cedar isn't unaturally scented, it has a strong natural scent that insects do not like. I've used natural cedar perches in bird cages partly for that reason (as a landscaper I have easy access to fresh cedar). My dog's bed has cedar in it, I put it there and he has no problem. And if it bothered him it would have, since he's suceptable to skin allergies to begin with. And I seem to recall that cedar is used quite often in storage chests, closets, and they even sell it for your clothing drawers.
I do agree, however, that the natural odour of cedar can trigger respiratory problems in some people and pets.
But then again, freshly mowed grass can do the same. So I don't see the grand argument there.
The reports 'anti-pine and cedar shaving people' quote about "wood dust" and respiratory cancer or asthma has to do with occupational risks. As in, a guy that cuts red cedar all day for a job (i.e. occupation) has a risk of all that wood dust causing lung cancer or getting asthma. Wood shavings aren't very dusty, last time I checked. Not as dusty as a chainsaw taken to a tree by far.
And from all the latest meds coming out, I'd say liver disease and other internal diseases that are recorded in labratory animals (that had softwood shavings for bedding) are from the medication undergoing testing. When did you last read the common side-effects of these new drugs? Heart problems, liver problems, and repiratory issues are at the top of the list for side-effects.
Not to mention as stated earlier, the metabolism can be changed by softwoods, making the medication absorb differently than intended.
So I don't get what the big deal is. I just read five anti-cedar/pine shavings articles posted on the internet. One quite long. And I don't see anything convincing against cedar. At least nothing that isn't already common sense. I don't know who started the idea but rumours sure flew.
All these excerpts from lab reports or books aren't highlighting the real picture. If you read the whole thing you can see what it's actually applying to.
Simple as that- through my eyes anyway.
I know some of it is a tiny bit sarcastic, sorry about that. I just can't believe people aren't doing the complete research to find the reality of it all. Disappointing.
interesting post!
I've been doing research and I come up with different things all the time, plus I go on what other bird breeders/owners tell me!
I use what I feel is safe for my animals and what I'm and they are not allergic to! I stopped using newspaper because it's messy to clean up and it does have a funky odor to it, pellets and shavings are what I prefer, easy to clean up, no terrible odors! thanks for posting!
I use plain white paper - the kind for Xerox machines. Fortunetly, the company I work for has these huge printers that use a giant roll of paper and then cuts the paper down into regular size sheets (8.5" x 11"). The roll of paper is 18" wide and as long (naturally) as you need it. When the paper starts getting towards the end of the roll they take it off and throw it away or give it to whomever wants it. The end rolls still have alot of paper on them, sometimes more than I can carry to my car. I keep a roll of it sitting next to my birds cage and every morning I just cut off two 21" pieces. Works great! Now as long as they keep using this type of paper and keep letting us have it, I've got a good deal going!
i use newspaper but there is a wire floor keeping him off it. I used Carefresh for a while (basically shredded paper), but tony's love of throwing water all over the place kinda turned it into a giant lump of cement. After having to pull his cage apart to clean it out twice, I just went back to newspaper.
most don't mind giving them away as long as you bring back the roll. I like pine shavings because it's very easy to clean, my birds don't really exercise their wings in their cages, they wait till outside where they have tons of room! plus I don't use little bits, bigger chunks of pine is nice!
