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Post by skysmum on Apr 27, 2013 17:02:06 GMT
I fancied a change in the Aviary, newspaper is great but when the buds fly around it flaps everywhere and because ive brought the floor level up so does all the seed . So, ive put two trays on the floor, one contains pine chips and the other very fine Avian sand and grit. The buds are loving it and have been spending more time on the floor than ive ever seen, mooching about and foraging. I must add that i would never use sand paper or sand perch covers but this stuff is so fine you can hardly feel it running through your fingers and when they fly, no more flying seeds because they get caught in the chips and sand . The chips The sand
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Post by Hezz on Apr 28, 2013 1:19:20 GMT
Loose sand is totally different from cemented sand, Skysmum. I bet they are enjoying the change - foraging on the ground is very natural for them, but how often do you have to change it so they aren't foraging amost their droppings?
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Post by samwiseg on Apr 28, 2013 8:58:53 GMT
Thats a great idea - they are no doubt behaving naturally as they would in the wild
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Post by skysmum on Apr 28, 2013 16:39:07 GMT
Loose sand is totally different from cemented sand, Skysmum. I bet they are enjoying the change - foraging on the ground is very natural for them, but how often do you have to change it so they aren't foraging amost their droppings? I will let you know Hezz, its in its experimental stage at the moment. Yes this is why i wanted to emphasize that i wouldn't use the sand paper or perch covers, there is a huge difference and i didn't want first time bud owners think it was ok to use the paper or covers. I have a tiny child's hand rake and i raked the sand over this morning and because the poop dry's as soon at it hits the sand i just picked it up with a bit of kitchen towel. The pine chips, i just went over and picked off the surface poop and will completely change when i think it needs, again its trial at the moment and the reason why i wanted to try both. Its leaning more to using the sand at the moment because it was so easy this morning. I cant tell you how much they are enjoying it, i even found Inca having a little moment where it looked like she was trying to dust bath in the sand .
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Post by Hezz on Apr 29, 2013 0:49:06 GMT
How funny! Does she bath normally? Please, I would be interested to know how you go with both the sand and the pine chips. Lol, I can just see you having a zen moment with your little kiddie's rake ....... are you drawing patterns in the sand yet? It will be all looking beautiful and then some irreverent budgie will drop a poop from on high, hee, hee.
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Post by skysmum on Apr 29, 2013 14:57:23 GMT
exactly what i think when i do the sand, its very therapeutic, i can see why the zen masters like it, its hypnotising. Im almost sorry to rake away their little foot prints every morning, they are so sweet and remind me of those paintings, Footprints in the Sand, only these are of Buds . Ive never seen Inca bath, i have to spray her and she looks at me as much to say, HOW VERY DARE YOU, so to see her with her wings out in the sand is very strange, we have always said she doesn't act like a normal bud. She has just come into breeding condition and is calling to the wild birds in the garden .
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Post by nat on Apr 29, 2013 15:01:32 GMT
I used to love the pine chips on my aviary floor, until I had trouble finding bales that didn't smell damp. Also at the same time I read an article by an exhibition breeder who'd used them and he thought that birds had injested them and chips got stuck in the crop or something along those lines. Its a long time ago and I don't remember the exact wording, but the article he wrote made me stop using them. I had 2 unexplained deaths in young hens while using these :-(
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Post by skysmum on Apr 29, 2013 15:09:30 GMT
OMG time for a bit of research, thanks nat.
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Post by skysmum on Apr 29, 2013 15:59:13 GMT
Ok panic over, i think. Ive checked the bag and they are actually Beech chips, they are large pieces and very dry, the type you get for reptiles. I don't know why i thought they were pine , age . I read Beech when i bought them and checked for bud safety, eye roll. I cant find anything but positive feedback for them and they are such, size wise, that if they chewed them it would be no different to chewing a natural perch so i think these will be ok.
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Post by nat on Apr 29, 2013 17:05:07 GMT
I'm not sure if it was the type of wood used in question, but more the fact they are chips of it which got lodged in beak or crop. If they grind away on a perch or wood toy then they are taking only tiny pieces at a time, but with the larger bits they might get stuck I really don't remember what it was he said, but I do remember now it was Gerald S Binks that wrote the article. My memory is rubbish and maybe I have got the reasons back to front and inside out, but I deffo remember the article
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Post by skysmum on Apr 29, 2013 18:58:29 GMT
Thanks nat, ive done a bit of searching and i think ive found the article on, Camelle's Budgies, she quotes Binks. It says that research was done on sudden Budgie deaths and they found that it was, Walnut shell, cedar shavings, corn cob bedding and Kitty litter that was causing the problem along with Pine shavings. I think its the sharp stuff and the finer shavings the seem to cause the problem of impacting, she does say that Chips are safe so its a tad confusing. It could also be a bit worrying in terms of people using pine shavings in nest box'es
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Post by Hezz on Apr 30, 2013 1:02:26 GMT
I would have thought that as long as the pieces are of a size that the budgies would have to munch on, rather than pick up and try to eat the whole thing, that they would just be munching off beak-bite sized pieces. I can understand walnut shell not being good with those very hard and rather sharp and brittle inside dividing pieces. Skysmum, I hadn't thought about their little foot prints in the sand ......... that would be too cute for words! Gosh, we are easily pleased, are we not?
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Post by nat on Apr 30, 2013 14:02:38 GMT
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Post by skysmum on Apr 30, 2013 14:54:02 GMT
Thankyou for that nat. Its been interesting and a learning curb reading up about the findings. Im pretty confidant that the stuff ive got is safe for them, it doesn't look like it in the pic but it is quite large chips, the stuff they use for reptiles, each piece is about as big as a finger nail and square. The easibed is more like a coarse sawdust by the look of it. Only thing is its quite expensive so im going to see how long a bag lasts. Still loving the sand and its cheaper and wont need changing as often, because of the daily rake it always looks so clean .
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Post by skysmum on Apr 30, 2013 14:58:08 GMT
I would have thought that as long as the pieces are of a size that the budgies would have to munch on, rather than pick up and try to eat the whole thing, that they would just be munching off beak-bite sized pieces. I can understand walnut shell not being good with those very hard and rather sharp and brittle inside dividing pieces. Skysmum, I hadn't thought about their little foot prints in the sand ......... that would be too cute for words! Gosh, we are easily pleased, are we not? [/font] Soooo easily pleased , id love to get a plaster cast of it, oh god im loosing it .
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