By Robbie Harris

I raise a variety of birds, both parrot types and finches. I am always cleaning up after my birds, and hand-feed the breeder birds and babies. I worry when using cleaners around my birds, because many chemicals are not safe and can cause problems for pets. I mostly use a safe, liquid disinfectant (Novasan) for cleaning all my bird utensils, such as water and feed bowls, and hand-feeding tools. Sometimes, things need a bit of "elbow" power and I use a powder household cleanser for that extra cleaning. I rinse everything very well to remove all soap and soap smell, but I still worry if it is safe to use powder cleansers. They work so well for stubborn dirt spots. What do you use when you need extra scrubbing power?

First of all, I, too, use a safe disinfectant for cleaning all bird utensils, bowls, cages, pans, perches, brooders, incubators and hand-feeding tools. I also use it to wash walls in the bird rooms. I use sponges with a scrub side, a bristle hairbrush and toothbrushes for scrubbing various bird utensils. I also soak the bird bowls and feeding tools, if things need extra cleaning, in a bleach solution (1 teaspoon of household bleach to a gallon of warm water). No soap at all is added to this soaking solution. Do not mix household soap (liquid dish soap) and bleach together in water, because it can create a toxic vapor.

But, when items need something extra for scrubbing off stubborn grime, I use plain old baking soda. I keep a large salt shaker bottle on the sink filled with dry baking soda. (Use a shaker bottle with a lid, because baking soda can cake up and get hard due to moisture in the air). Baking soda powder cleans very well, will scrub off almost any stubborn dirt and is completely safe! There is never any soap smell or worry of possible soap residue. I actually use it for cleaning many of our food utensils as well, like coffeepots, coffee mugs, and food storage jars — both plastic and glass. It cleans almost anything and makes things look and smell clean, unlike cleaners. For those small areas that need scrubbing, try baking soda and a toothbrush. I either sprinkle on baking soda, or have some baking soda in a bowl and dip the toothbrush bristles into the powder and brush, as you would do brushing your teeth. It really cleans hand-feeding tools, even in the tiny crevices!

Should I remove all the nest boxes from the breeder cages and aviaries during off-seasons (fall and winter months)? Many of my birds are not producing eggs during that time of the year. I have been told that birds need a rest from breeding and producing eggs, and removing the nest boxes stops them from laying. I am really confused with this, because I am not sure if my birds need their nest boxes to sleep in.

Your question regarding nest boxes greatly depends on what types of birds you are breeding, as well as how and where you house your breeder birds. Some people have their birds outdoors for the warmer months and bring them into their homes or sheds for the colder part of the year. If the birds are housed indoors during the cold months, they will not need a nest box during this time. If the birds are housed outdoors all year round, most birds may need their nest boxes for shelter during the very cold winter nights. Some species of birds will not use their boxes when not nesting. However if housed outside, I believe the nest boxes should be there to provide shelter if needed. But, if the birds are housed indoors, the boxes can be removed and cleaned, repaired or changed out, and placed back just before spring.

During late autumn and early winter, I clean or change out all boxes for the birds, getting them prepared for the upcoming breeding season. I leave nest boxes up for the birds year-round, whether they are housed indoors or outdoors. Sometimes, certain pairs want to nest off-season, and since I keep all my birds on an excellent diet all year, they may nest whenever they want. Even in November, I have many conures and some Senegals and African greys and cockatoos laying eggs. You really never know when birds are going to go to nest. Many of my birds also use their nest boxes as their home and roost in their boxes all year.

I realize that some species of birds do not use boxes at all when not laying and nesting so, depending on your birds, you may have to use your own discretion. Because of the many ways people set up their birds, and because each species of bird is so different when it comes to breeding, there can be many answers to this question. Each individual breeder bird works with their birds in a way that works best for them and their birds. Again, different methods for each bird breeder, make for different answers from different bird breeders.

Robbieharris.com
Robbie Harris has a Web site so people can easily get in touch with her. She will post things she learns that may be of some importance to others, such as hoax e-mails. Questions for her Bird Breeder column can be sent through her Web site: www.robbieharris.com . She will answer questions that seem to be the most frequently asked and those that will help many.

Robbie Harris raises a wide variety of exotic birds at her home in Southern California. She has written two books, Breeding Conures and Grey-Cheeked Parakeets and Other Brotogeris, and owns and raises a large variety of African parrots, including greys, Jardine's, Capes, Senegals, red bellies, brown heads and Meyer's. Harris has received seven U.S. First Breeding Awards for various types of psittacines.