# Is it okay to not put grate in the cage



## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

I was cleaning out my birds cages last night and I thought wouldn't it be wonderful to not have to scrub this grate and not to mention the fact that my tiels would be able to forage on the bottom of their cage for goodies. I would not have to worry about their treats and other stuff falling through the grate bars. I am just wondering if it is safe for them to be walking on newspaper.
They will probably chew it up though. I change the bottom papers out every day. Is this safe for them, or should I use some other bedding for the bottom?
I see corn cob stuff, but I am afraid of them choking on it. 
Also my sister in law is putting a piece of sandpaper on the bottom of her tiels cage to help with the nails...is this safe? I told her I would not do it.


----------



## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

No grate = fine
Newspaper = fine. Nontoxic ink is required by law.
Corn cob = not good. It's a bacteria hazard.

Newspaper can be a problem if birds actually ingest a lot of it, but the vast majority of tiels tear it up but don't eat it. You''ll have to keep a closer eye on their hormone level though, because paper-shredding can be a nesting behavior that stimulates the urge to breed.


----------



## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

Thank you so much tielfan for answering my question...
I will definitely keep an eye on the nesting behavior...I have been putting shredded paper on the bottom of their cage, because they love playing with it, I did not even think about it stimulating my female to want to mate.

I had a bad feeling about that Corncob stuff...


----------



## Velvet (Jul 30, 2010)

I bought that corncob stuff once, and velvet ate some. So, I never bought it again. He loves shredded paper bedding, but he is a male.


----------



## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

Velvet-Oh no, I am glad he was okay after eating it...You use shredded paper for your bedding? How well does that work? Do you change it out everyday?


----------



## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Ordinary unshredded newspaper will probably be more convenient since you can just lift it out of the tray instead of having to dump it. Pre-shredded paper might stimulate the hormones more than unshredded paper too. 

Single males will engage in nesting behavior too, and it isn't healthy for them to be in breeding mode all the time. But they can't lay eggs so there aren't as many risks as there are for hens.


----------



## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

Good to know...thank you
Note to self...stay away from shredded paper bedding


----------



## Velvet (Jul 30, 2010)

tielmom said:


> Velvet-Oh no, I am glad he was okay after eating it...You use shredded paper for your bedding? How well does that work? Do you change it out everyday?


He loves it. I scoop out the droppings everyday, then change it all, once a week. Once, I change it all, he is down on it immediately walking through it 
He loves to forage in it..and it comes in all different colors, and he really notices the different colors


----------



## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

COOL=)
Do you buy it or do you shred it yourself?


----------



## Siobhan (Mar 21, 2010)

I put newspaper both on top of the grate and in the tray underneath. Freddie likes to walk around on the floor of his cage and I wanted him to have solid footing and not walk on the bare grate, and all my other birds are used to paper on top of their grates. It's much easier to clean that way, and a lot of what escapes the first layer ends up in the tray underneath, so it's easier to keep the cage clean. None of mine are paper shredders, though, even Freddie, who's Mr. Destructo Birdy. I change their paper every day.


----------



## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

Thank you Siobhan for sharing...I may try to do this instead


----------



## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Most printed matter uses Soy inks, which are non-toxic.

You might suggest to your SIL not to use the sandpaper for walking on. Over time it can be abrasive to the pads of the feet and cause foot problems. If she has a problem with the birds nails she can just clip the very tip off each nail with a nail clipper (while someone is holding the bird) and this will blunt the tips.


----------



## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

Thank you Srtiels, I will let her know...she loves her tiel like crazy, she just got him about 5 weeks ago, he is 5 1/2 months old. I did not think that it was a good thing...HE IS EATING THE SAND STUFF OFF OF THE PAPER TOO.
So are sand perches bad for them too? I only have one in my tiels cage, they have four different types of things to perch on...like rope, branch and regular perch too. If it is bad for them I want to know and I will take it out immediately. thanks


----------



## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

It's OK to have an abrasive perch as long as the bird has plenty of non-abrasive perches too. An abrasive perch is an excellent way to keep the toenails from getting too sharp and long.

The bird who is eating sand off the paper is trying to get grit, and the owner might want to provide some real grit after she gets rid of the sandpaper. Grit is controversial but there are experts who think it's beneficial. Anti-grit statements are all over the internet. Here are a couple of pro-grit articles written by parrot experts:

http://www.parrots.org/pdfs/all_abo...n/Minerals and Grit - of Vital Importance.pdf

http://www.parrots.org/pdfs/all_abo...trition/Views on Mineral Grit for Parrots.pdf


----------



## AlbyPepper (Apr 3, 2010)

I just use unshredded newspaper on the tray of my tiels cages. Its just a matter of taking the newspaper out and wiping the tray before replacing fresh paper. Mine love to forage on the bottom of the cage too. I used to put the grate in, but when I got Cinnamon, she used to fall through it, so I took it out.


----------



## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Teilfan...GREAT Articles!

OK---as to the sandpaper perches, I would still avoid them. When I used them years ago, first the tiel would pick off the sand, and then start to eat the paper, which I had no idea the type of adhesive used to hold the glue to the paper. I also had a couple of the older tiels feet start to crack and bleed from the sand paper perches. From my own experiences I learned to avoid them.


----------



## jc119007 (Dec 28, 2009)

Does anyone here use shell sand?

I put shell sand on the bottom of my 'tiels cage and I change it regulary, it's used by everyone over here and it's sold specficially for birds and their cages, Kikou loves walking around in it, she never eats it either (though sometimes she picks out the minerals, which is what it's designed for, i guess it's kind of like grit??? Something I've never seen sold here) and I find it great since it "sticks" to the poop and soaks up any excess moisture, and doesn't smell...


----------

