All About Using Substrate! | Parrot Cage Set Up and Ideas | TheParrotTeacher

[@enes6349]

Sophie and you deserve much more subs then any other bird youtuber.

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Thank you, very kind!

[@Maggie-cx9tu]

I took out the bars and have been using Carefresh natural at the bottom of my flight cage that houses three budgies. This has opened up a whole new world for them. They rarely went to the lower area of the cage, but now they look like they are having so much fun! They run around and spend time foraging. Thanks so much for this great video.

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Maggie, It really does open up a much bigger world and make the cage more of a fun playground/bedroom! Seeing our birds on the floors of their cages gives us the same joy! Thanks for the kind comment!

[@EllisWaynforth]

Never even crossed my mind there was other option than newspaper and bars until I came across David and Sophie’s channels. I hated scrubbing the bars at the bottom so switching to substrate (I use easibed/ chick) was one of the best decisions I’ve made for my conures and myself. They both love going to the bottom and foraging or throwing it around. It’s so much easier on my birds feet, particularly as one of them only has one leg and struggles on the bars at the top of the cage. If you haven’t already considered it, I 100% say go for it! you won’t regret it! Great video as always : )

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey there! Thanks very much for the kind comment! I also love how our birds just enjoy foraging around in it. Also having no bars to scrub is just so much more pleasant. I hated doing it too lol

[@alexandraocean6756]

I just bought some! My conures took to it straight away as well and started to forage, looking for a safe log to place at the bottom too! Easibed from Omelet, £7.49 for 10kg and free delivery? Yes please!

[@TheParrotTeacher]

@@alexandraocean6756 Hey Alexandra! That's awesome! Glad they are enjoying it!

[@kringebirds]

@@TheParrotTeacher how many times should I change the substrate

[@TheParrotTeacher]

@@kringebirds That info should be in the video!

[@quantumsquid4314]

I've always wanted to know the best type of substrate, thank you for this awesome video! :)

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ornithologydude8649]

Cool video, and a subject that's overlooked by many!

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Thanks man!

[@susanrowatt8214]

I really enjoyed this - and I'm with Sophie - no bars for my birds 🙂 I used to use corn cob, but I am going to try your suggestion of Care Fresh which I use for my rats. Unfortunately, they don't seem to sell Easi-chick near me or thru Amazon at the moment

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hopefully it works really well!

[@IamNotANumber]

Carefresh is a fab bedding. A bit different but I use it for my guinea pigs. I'm allergic to them and the carefresh bedding does keep my allergy symptoms down.

[@TheParrotTeacher]

I think so too! I think easy chick is my fave, but if I had rodents I'd likely use carefresh in preference simply due to how much they burrow! Definitely a good choice!

[@amna6024]

your yellow-sided gcc looks exactly like mine!!

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Amna! Very cute, yours is clearly very handsome then lol

[@EnjoyThisMomentDIY]

What about hemp bedding? It’s safer for my chickens’ nesting boxes and wanted to make sure it would apply to a conure.

[@TheParrotTeacher]

You can use that for parrots yes, sometimes it may need more maintenance though !

[@nitzyblack6143]

Very informative! Thank you!

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Thanks for the kind comment!

[@omnipresent9971]

Hello I would like to ask if bird sand is ok as the bottom layer of a cage? Without me knowing my mother bought a whole pack, but I'm not shure if it's ok for them. I've read mixed opinions

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Honestly, we aren’t big fans of sand at all it can cause all kinds of issues!

[@Wave9990]

Thank you so much. I'm getting my little cockatiel tomorrow :)

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Wave, Awesome, have you decided on a name?

[@Wave9990]

@@TheParrotTeacher not completely sure yet, but I think I'm going to name him Pikachu. I think it's perfect because obviously he has red cheeks and he's also very energetic.

[@Wave9990]

@@TheParrotTeacher also, can I get EasiChick in the US? When I look it up I get a bunch of random chicken substrate instead.

[@TheParrotTeacher]

@@Wave9990 sounds like a good name! I think the original pokemon idea for Pikachu was based on a cockatiel! I don't believe so sadly. There are equivalents there and I know carefresh is available in the US!

[@georgiegirl0621]

What about repti-soil...or just organic potting soil. My parakeet like to dig in my potted plant and root thru the soil.

[@TheParrotTeacher]

I would advice against that for substrate for parrots!

[@esterakovnatska3944]

I don't have a proper cage to put substrate in it so I decided to get a plastic box, fill it with good subtrate and put it on the bottom of the cage:))

[@TheParrotTeacher]

That's a good way of working around it! You can also use it to make foraging trays outside of the cage for your bird to enjoy!

[@candicet5973]

I would totally use it iiiiiiiiiiiifff I was able to remove the bars and put the tray under... However we had the cages made so I can't remove it... Also we can't find substrate here so it's only available in Amazon and we don't buy from there often so I also don't want them walking on bars so we put paper on top but if I could I would get the substrate 😔😃 Ok now I'm gonna watch the vid 👍 Edit: of finished watching it At first I thought the colorful substrate was like candy wrappers or something 😂😂 The myths were funny hahaha Great vid! Miss Olive was definitely wanting to be sponsored by substrate! 😄

[@TheParrotTeacher]

The colourful one is a big hit with lots of birds apparently! They really like it and to throw it around! She should be sponsored lol!

[@thebirdmaster7]

So pine shavings can still work just fine right. because I'm thinking about using that for substrate for my birds because it's inexpensive and the package and planning to get says dust free I'll probably have to look at the back of the package see the rest but only show the picture of the front

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Provided they are untreated and not scented plus dust free you should be fine!

[@thebirdmaster7]

@@TheParrotTeacher thanks I'll probably give substrate a try but I have to make some adjustments for my cage to keep it in

[@angsfeatheredfriends]

Gunna need to check my local farmers store again, didn't know you guys were just using chicken bedding lol. When you go into pet stores they sell some seriously over priced bedding. Doesn't look like easichick is over in the USA, but I am sure I can find something similar.

[@TheParrotTeacher]

They sadly aren’t! Yeah there is some very overpriced and sometimes not even that good bedding out there!

[@loripenney4925]

Very useful information! Do you know of or recommend a substrate similar to easichick in Canada? I've been unable to find it here.

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Lori, Sadly I'm unaware of any brands exactly like Easichick over there! There is Carefresh in the US which isn't bad. Otherwise I'd consider trying to source the core materials!

[@rachels355]

Would it be safe to use shredded copy paper with black ink on it? That would be my cheapest option, but not sure if it is toxic or not. Thank you for all of the great info!

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Rachel, I'd avoid stuff with ink on it, especially if they end up chewing it. The risk is low but still there. Plain white is best!

[@katharper1401]

Hi, is there any reason we shouldn’t use hay that we use in our other animal houses? We have oaten hay and it’s sold for small animals. We have a cockatiel by the way. Cheers

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Kat, For some Hay can be irritating and also can potentially be ingested. For other small animals it's totally fine. But it's not best suited for parrots!

[@katharper1401]

@@TheParrotTeacher thank you so much for clarifying that:)

[@_frogerino]

what about encouraging nesting behaviour? i have been told to avoid toys on the bottom of the cage for this reason

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Shayna, Honestly, we haven't found that having substrate encourages nesting behaviour. Creating dark spaces within the cage can do so (for example cozy huts, clustered toys in corners) but substrate just doesn't do it! Often the problem is when the parrot is hormonal already then they may go down to the bottom of the cage and try to nest. They can use substrate when doing this, but substrate is rarely the cause itself. I did a brief follow up video on the topic a little while back as I got lots of questions: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHTIZIpsjZydptU

[@joshuasjungle9197]

Can you do a video on how to set up the bottom of your cage with substrate? I have a gap on the bottom of my cage to have access to remove the tray. I’m afraid that my bird will be able to get out from the gap where what tray would be.

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Joshua, I think this video covers that if not my cage set up ones should! Basically the best way to stop the gap is either using thin wooden runners or just tucking cardboard under the tray! Many people use these two methods including us! The substrate goes on the tray and you can just clean it out via the hatch or remove the tray! Depending on the species of parrot you have target training will help too!

[@vanessafarber3043]

Hi David, just wanted to ask if you could give me an insight as to what pearches to buy please? I watch yours and sophies videos sll the time, love you two. I see loads of pearches, stands ect on the American sights but we don't have them in the uk. I need a tall pearch to train my senegal and a variety of pesrches for my tiels and senegal. So hope you can help. Kind regards Vsnessa x

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Vanessa, A big training perch can be a tough thing to find. Many people use either JAVA trees or Play stands to do it on. Some people also convert camera tripods into perches! Other perch wise, I'd look for natural wooden ones, mansonita, natural material trimming perches, varying lengths and thicknesses etc! I think my Amazon store still has a couple of examples that are actually in stock. I'd recommend having a browse on Northern Parrots and Scarlets Parrot Essentials for bits after that as they both have good ranges.

[@vanessafarber3043]

@@TheParrotTeacher Thank you so much. I will have a look xx

[@mariasardos6860]

Hi David. I like to be able to see my birds stools. Because if there are loose or off it’s a good indication he is Ill. Wouldn’t the substrate hide this??

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Maria, It would depend on the type. For most it wouldn’t be a issue as we inspect them too. For example the easi chick we use we can identify most. But if you used coloured carefresh it might be tougher to spot them. We also observe them when they are out!

[@candyangelart]

Is coconut fiber safe for cockatiels? I have the full on soil like stuff that I use for my gecko and was wondering if I can use it for my cockatiel as well ^^ Please note that I do not currently have this In my birds cage. I was just curious :) thank you 💛

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Coconut is generally safe in toys, however the soil version definitely isn't. It's not an ideal type of substrate for birds cages sadly.

[@alteredfold]

I have a bonded pair of cocktails, wouldn't substrate encourage nesting behavior? I think my green cheek would love it. My cockatiel pair had two babies, 4 years ago. But the parents still go at it occasionally. Lol, but no more kids. I'd separate them, but they'd be flock calling non stop. We can't get Easy chick in the US. Care fresh seems like very nest like material. I used it when I had a guinea pig. Curious about your thoughts in that?

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey there and thanks for the question! Annoyingly I meant to actually include this in my common myths section but forgot it from my notes! The short reply is no with a but! Substrate isn't proven to contribute to hormonal or nesting behaviour, BUT it can be used by hormonal cockatiels who want to nest. So the key is managing the hormonal behaviour before it gets to the nesting point. You can also reduce the amount of substrate or remove it temporarily to break the nesting cycle too (which is a small benefit of using it) Normally, cockatiel's especially will mate and nest if there is substrate there or not! The only difference is substrate makes it a little more comfortable and can be removed! You could consider another alternative from the list if you feel carefresh might be a little too easy to nest in!

[@alteredfold]

Thank you for the quick answer. I'm going to try it and monitor our cockatiels behavior. I know my conure will love it.

[@TheParrotTeacher]

@@alteredfold Sounds good!

[@victoriawestover7054]

where do you buy your substrate? I'm looking on amazon and I'm not finding the same kind you have

[@TheParrotTeacher]

We get ours direct from Easichick here in the uk! I’d do some googling!

[@josephk9992]

Thank you for the video! Will be doing the switch and see how it goes. Just curious by shredded white paper do you mean only non-printed on paper? My office has a ton of shredded paper, if I could use that it would be awesome/free but if the ink/toner is a no go I will avoid it. Thanks again!

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Joseph, Usually it's best to go for white in case they chew it/to be safe! Ink, toner etc can potentially be toxic. It's a low risk, but still a risk not worth taking!

[@josephk9992]

@@TheParrotTeacher Thank you for the reply! Good to know, wouldnt want to risk anything harmful

[@TheParrotTeacher]

@@josephk9992 Awesome!

[@sherrie2tube]

How do you clean or pick it clean daily? Thanks

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Sherrie, I think that was mentioned in the video! But, we basically inspect the base each morning and evening and remove any droppings/old food etc. We do a full change and clean once every week.

[@lareinedubois]

Hi Davy, your accent is so cute! Hemp pellets?

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey there, Thank you lol. I'm not sure I've heard of hemp pellets before as a type of substrate. I would be a little concerned they'd be more likely to chew it. Sadly as we don't know who makes them/what's in them I can't say yay or nay either way!

[@flockofrcbirds]

Substrate is great apart from all the advantages you mentioned, it is more natural for the birds. Forest have no bars on the ground, even not in Australia😉

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Definitely! As much as I understand bars to a point, there is no comparison in terms of advantages!

[@missy4cdts]

Hi I can’t find the stuff that you’re showing to put in the bottom of the cage I’m getting a cocktail in a week can you please help me find where to get it I live in the United States thank you

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Missy, Sadly Easichick/Easibed is UK only. The video does mention other types you can try out! Carefresh is fairly readily available in the US.

[@SearchfortheMeaning]

I have a steady supply of Alder sawdust, can I use this for the bottom of my Amazon parrot cages? I already use it for my cockatiels inside the nesting boxes. I've been so tempted to try using this very nice sawdust as a substrate sawdust as a substrate.

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Provided it’s not red alder it’s fine!

[@SearchfortheMeaning]

@@TheParrotTeacher I'll look into that. This is a hardwood but quite soft and years of use for my cockatiels.

[@meiyughost8098]

My birds tend to like munching on their droppings (even if they have pellets available). Wouldn't substrate make their droppings more accessible?

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey there, If anything it'd make it much less accessible. As you'll be picking them out twice a day! Also depending on what substrate you use it absorbs some of the dropping or they fall through. One thing I'd like to mention though. If your bird is regularly eating droppings it might indicate a health issue or dietary deficiency. It could be worth getting a vet check up!

[@meiyughost8098]

@@TheParrotTeacher Thanks for the reply! I didn't consider health problems at all and I'll definitely bring it up to my vet. With the way you put it, substrate definitely sounds way better than bars. I'll try it out soon!

[@TheParrotTeacher]

@@meiyughost8098 No problems. It's something we've encountered before through past work/voluntary work! I certainly prefer it anyway lol

[@pavlopotapenko2686]

How do you control poopse quality? I mean is it easy to see if your bird gets diarrhea?

[@TheParrotTeacher]

You can observe it outside of the cage or see it on the substrate

[@pavlopotapenko2686]

@@TheParrotTeacher Thank you

[@amigodeasas]

L 👍 👍 👍 garantido 🙏

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Thank you!

[@mansishah6579]

Wouldn’t it cause hormonal issues since it looks a lot like nesting materials and bedding?

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Mansi, Damn, I knew I had forgotten something in my myths section! I tried to cover them all >.< The short reply is no! Substrate is not proven to cause hormonal behaviour. HOWEVER if your parrot is already hormonal they may end up attempting to nest in it. This can also happen even on plain bars. The small benefit of this is, if you remove the substrate temporarily along with putting hormone management in place you can use it to snap them out of a hormonal state and then replace it again.

[@jaynependle7001]

Where can u buy

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Depends where in the world you are! Google is useful for searching out suppliers for various types!

[@futurefreefliers5861]

I just put normal paper :) But when they fly around it happens often that the sheets go all around the cage lol

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Lol that can happen with sheets of paper for sure!

[@janiceanita]

We don't have easichick in USA :(

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Janice! There are all the other types you can try out too!

[@chloenatal9333]

My conure hears yours in the video and goes crazy squawking , based on other videos they’re doing a flock call. Is this bad for my bird ? We are also getting them a buddy ASAP. “They/them” because we haven’t gotten a dna test yet from a vet.

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Chloe, It’s ok to let them see or hear videos of other conures provided it’s not constant and doesn’t stress them out! Our conures enjoy “movie time” sometimes in front of my pc screen watching conure videos. Awesome on getting them a friend too, hopefully they get on very well!

[@jennifersoto4525]

What type of substrate can I buy for the bottom of the cage

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Jennifer, The video covers some of the different types you can try! We use easichick!

[@jennifersoto4525]

@@TheParrotTeacher oh okay but I don’t live in the uk i live California

[@TheParrotTeacher]

@@jennifersoto4525 You can still get carefresh over there plus many of the constituent parts are available just not all combined!

[@TheParrotTeacher]

@@jennifersoto4525 Hey Jennifer, I think KZbin auto blocks direct links to outside sites in comments now.

[@jennifersoto4525]

@@TheParrotTeacher oh okay do u have Instagram

[@4everSlayz]

Too bad they don’t sell easichick in the states . Most of the bedding here is ridiculously overpriced

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Erik, They would make a killing in the US! The amount of people who ask about them! There are alternatives though. The best competitor there seems to be carefresh. You can also try shredded white printer paper!

[@jasminahaverinen5759]

Oh sand is NOT ok for lizards, other than sandfish a type of skink that swims im sand 🦎 in my country they do sell sand for bigger birds to use as substrate but I have never really warmed up to it as I already kinda dislike sand as a reptile keeper.

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Hey Jasmina! Thanks for the heads up! Sadly my expertise is kinda limited for reptiles (beyond actually looking after some skinks for someone and a bearded dragon in the past!) Sand is terrible as a substrate for birds as it can lead to so many issues, I presume just like for many types of lizard!

[@ferrets4]

So informative, thank you!

[@TheParrotTeacher]

Glad it was helpful!