Hey Guys,

As most of you know, I only have one dove as of now. I was just wondering how often a cage that has the bottom dimensions of 13" x 17" should be cleaned?

I had the original thought in mind to clean it once a week. (So, once every Sunday)
**And the cleaning I was talking about was to pull out the bottom tray part, and empty all of the Bedding and Litter, and then take that tray, and the bottom bars that have droppings on them also, and bring them to the bath tub so I can clean them thoroughly with hot water, and antibacterial soap. **

Now, I have heard many clean with bleach. Is this really necessary for me to do? If so, how and when should I do that?

Please give me some tips as to how long I should be cleaning my cage, etc.

Thanks a lot guys,
-Vinnie

Vinnie,

Indoor cages with litter at the bottom are a special case with loads of special problems. With outdoor cages well off the ground, cleaning under the cages is every time the grass is mowed. (Remember I live in Alabama and it is 74 degrees today in January. Grass grows year round.) Otherwise, power wash the cages twice a year. If you don't own power washing equipment, take it to a coin car wash and power wash it there.

Doves here are easy to keep clean. New Jersey may be a different case.

Good Luck!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Hey Bob,
Well, I do have my little guy inside, being that I really don't think it is necessary at all to keep just one dove outside. And yes, I have power washing equipment, but like I said before, is it really necessary for cleaning of a one-dove cage?

-Vinnie

Vinnie, check this thread. I posted the answer to your question earlier.

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......3&15

Hey Dave,

Thanks for the link. So cleaning my cage once a week would be good? Also, when I clean it, I feel that the hot water and soap is best for the cleanliness of the cage because there is often times bit piles of droppings in the same spot of the cage that get stuck onto the bottom bars, and even if I break them off, there are still bits that are stuck on.

And regarding the bleaching issue, if you do it once every 3 months for the amount of birds you have, I guess it is ok for me to do it twice a year or so. Eh?

-Vinnie

Actually, there is no problem bleaching all the time, as long as you do the bleaching outdoors or in a WELL-ventilated area away from your dove. Just make sure you rinse it thoroughly to get any bleach residue off.

Depending on the temperature of your climate is how much a cleaning in that regards needs to be done. Here in the South, as Bob and I live, it’s warm a lot; so more cleaning is necessary because warmer climates breed bacteria. Anyhow, just my 5 cents... I know it’s “2 cents” but I thought I would step it up a bit.

Alpha, the extra 3 cents is always worth it. Vinnie, it's not the number of birds you have but how effective your cleaning is. I do the every 3 months routine because I can take the cages outside as Alpha says and really give them a thorough bleaching. I have a small pressure washer that combined with a good bleach scrubbing really cleans up the cages. The weekly cleaning is done with a stiff brush, hot water and soap.

Ok Dave thanks for clearing that all up. So, I am going to go with what I had in mind before, and clean the cage once a week. =]

Thanks again guys,
-Vinnie

PS - Oh, and Tom, Dave is right: your extra $.03 is always appreciated! =]

Keep the change.....*haha

If you keep your birds outside, you don't have to clean up quite as often. Indoors, the general mess won't be nice to live with, so clean the cage as often as your own tolerance requires.