Cleaning Cockatoo Cages?

[Danny64]

Recently, I got reunited with a Triton Cockatoo (by complete fate, which is a long but great story) that I had wanted to buy some years ago. I had to buy a larger cage for him than I'm used to with my other birds (Sun Conure and African Grey). I got him an Avian Adventures Grande Dometop (which was a real job getting from Petco Online). For those that don't know, it's a cage with the dimensions of 42" x 32" x 70" It's a job to clean compared to my other cages. The biggest trouble is cleaning the grate because it has to be done year round and it gets cold and snowy here in Ohio. Right now, it's simple. I just take the grate on the driveway and pressure wash it off, but that won't work in the winter. Does anybody have any good techniques for cleaning the grate that will work in the winter and wouldn't be messy in a house?

Thanks for any help,

Danny

 

[ncGreyBirdLady]

Bathtub works pretty good

 

[GG.]

covering the grate with layers of newspaper or plain newsprint or kraft type paper will keep the grate pretty clean, you can then just peel the top layer off and have a new clean layer underneath and a quick wipe around the edges will take care of the rest

 

[atvchick95]

I put my grates in the bathtub

Is your Too a Boy or a girl?
I personally never put paper in reach of my female birds - it makes mine lay eggs, and build nests

But i'll give it to my 100% for sure males - no worries of eggs there

 

[hotfoot jackson]

Rip the rotten thing out (as long as it doesn't leave a big gap) as cockatoos are ground feeders for a great amount of time, your bird will be happier being able to walk on newspaper and not a grate. Just be sure you change the paper every day and s/he should be OK. Dusty my WC hasn't had a grate since she came to me, and in almost ten years has been fighting fit.

 

[Danny64]

I put my grates in the bathtub

Is your Too a Boy or a girl?
I personally never put paper in reach of my female birds - it makes mine lay eggs, and build nests

But i'll give it to my 100% for sure males - no worries of eggs there

He's a boy, born on December 24, three + years ago, I think. I do have an exact date which I don't have in front of me. He was also sold on Christmas Eve something like two years ago, and that's when I lost him before he came back into my life.

Danny

 

[atvchick95]

He's a boy, born on December 24, three + years ago, I think. I do have an exact date which I don't have in front of me. He was also sold on Christmas Eve something like two years ago, and that's when I lost him before he came back into my life.

Danny

ah okay then layering it with some newspaper won't be a problem

some people do remove grates but i personally hate a cage that doesn't come with one, I have to use Grates plain and simple, I'm not about to let me females start laying eggs all willy nilly all over a cage floor

and I hate hate hate cleaning up the shredded paper from the lovebirds They make mince meat out of the newspaper within minutes of putting fresh in , WHEN I do have to use a cage with out a grate (which thankfully is seldom!)

and even if the paper is cleaned daily they still walk in poop when they have no grate, and to me that's just nasty - I don't like seeing poop on their feet -between their toes.. or seeing them pick at it. GROSS! LOL

 

[saroj12]

Danny, i use a sheet of plexiglass on the grate.

 

[birdlady]

In my cocktoos cage the grate can not be removed without a huge gap, so I cover the grates (two four foot by three foot ones) with layers of newspaper. Nani does not chew it and enjoys running on it. When needed in the winter time, I remove them and put them in the bath tub. I spray them with the handheld prayer, spray with poop off, and let sit for a while. Then a scrub brush will take any goop off.

 

[waterfaller1]

Welcome to Avian Avenue Danny! We cover all the grates here also. What is your toos name, and please post his wonderful story.

 

[nellysmom]

Usually newspaper but since I'm home all day and she's out the grate is easy to wipe off every couple of days. I think the trick is to try to get to it more often than not so it doesn't build up.

 

[Terri]

With my SC2 I removed the grate & just lay down paper. She never goes to the bottom of the cage so it isn't an issue. With my M2, I lay the paper over the grate so it doesn't get dirty. Again, my M2 doesn't ever go to the bottom of the cage.

If these aren't options for you, I also use an avian spray that "de-gums" bird droppings and makes cages very easy to clean. That may help as well. This is what I use weekly to clean my 2's cages from all the dust/droppings.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Clean the grate daily so poop and filth dont build up. Or put paper ontop and put clean paper down daily.

 

[Brigidt36]

since my cages don't have a big gap, I remove the grates and only put them in when I take the fids outside for for showers and cage cleaning. I layer the trays with about 10 days worth of layered newspapers, removing the soiled paper as needed. My guys love to play on the floor of their cages. If you can't remove the grate you can layer newspapers on top of the grate and remove each layer as needed. If you don't like the idea of the newspapers you can use unscented baby wipes, or Poop Off wipes and wipe down the grate, perches and toys as needed.