Grate question

[ChristaNL]

Still wondering ( not meant as a personal attack!) why everyone is so attached to gratings at the bottom of the cage.

(I personally despise them, because my greys really enjoy walking/playing/scratching at things at the floor of the cage. It gives them so much more options for foraging and play.).

Yet most modern cages come with grates (and sometimes it's impossible to use the cage safely without them).

I get the hygiene-idea-part - keep your bird away from the excrement and dropped leftovers- , but just clean a lot and that should not be a problem.
(Grates get pooped on and filthy too, so your birds feet will pick up poo anyway)

We no longer keep parrots in cages 24/7 (thank goodness)- but still, I like for them to be able to stretch their legs (well, toes actually) even when I am away from them.

I understand that if you need to controll/ confine your bird it's easier maintenance if it can't escape while you are deep-cleaning the crap-tray.
(sorry-that probably could have been put in a nicer way, but you understand what I mean? Google-translate is so *not* helping right now.)


so....why are grates so great?

 

[chris-md]

It’s becausr it keeps them from routing through poop covered food items

I don’t like them and don’t use them. It’s just more surface area that needs to be clean...and doesn’t clean easily. More frustrating for me than helpful.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm... I hear, now and then, of folks who don't think grates sre great, and even some who feel grates really grate on their nerves. (Ouch!)

I think that, if you use safe butcher paper (I worry about newspaper ink) and if you're bird isn't going to eat any of the paper, and if your bird is good about keeping his/her feet clean... sure, why not? It is indeed fun for them to play around. The Rb does that on the playstands and other places, so I use a grate in his main cage.

Let's see what others think!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Thanks, Chris!

 

[MonicaMc]

I'm not a fan of grates, either.... however, I do have 3 cages that, depending on who's in them, the birds could easily escape if the grate is not in the cage.... rather annoying. Not only that, but it keeps the birds from chewing up the paper they've pooped all over and thrown wet food on. I do occasionally provide foraging opportunities up higher when I've got a basket or large bowl I can use for that purpose.

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Ooooh, thanks for bringing up this question! I hadn't considered it before.

From my understanding of Chris's explanation: Would people recommend grating for parrots who aren't supervised for hours at a time? Whereas a flat flooring would be ok for parrots who are almost always supervised by their human?