Do indoor birds stink?

[PrinceSandwich]

Do indoor birds stink? small birds like finches budgies and canaries?

 

[Imp]

Quote:
If you don't keep the cage clean- Yes

The bird itself in a clean cage- No

Imp- Can't do cage birds anymore. The cats would like me to, but...

 

[ChickenToes]

As long as the cage is kept clean I don't think you'd be able to smell anything. I know someone who keeps a few quail in the house because he likes to hear them sing.

 

[PrinceSandwich]

OK thanks. how often would I have to clean the cage?

 

[Melissakins]

Line the bottom with newspaper (try for no color if at all possible) and change it out every week or bi-weekly depending on how messy yours are/is. Little birds can be QUITE messy, but my finches were never known for being smelly.

 

[silkiechicken]

Well, my two parakeets smell like birds... which smells like.. feathers? Yeah, call me weird, but I've sniffed them. They smell like a down comforter. Chickens on the other hand, usually smell like dirt to me. Earthy instead of fluffy, but that's probably because chickens bathe in sand outside, while the parakeets like to bathe in the sink.

I clean their cage out weekly. The female of the pair I have now is picky about her perches. Her morning ritual is to jump down from the top perch and pick off every last piece of poo off the perches from the night before. Makes my job easier when it comes to cleaning off their toys. LOL

So I wouldn't say they stink, they just make the bird room smell like feathers.

 

[PrinceSandwich]

And do you think that if I fiiled up their feed and water a couple of finches would be alright for a week while we were on vacation?

 

[silkiechicken]

Maybe, but I can't leave my parakeets for more than two days before they soil their water or eat up all their seed at the top of the cup.

I've taught the parakeets to drink from a bottle which leaves their regular water dish for baths, but still have to blow the seed hulls from their dish so they "have" to eat the pelleted part of their diet. If I leave them for a weekend, I leave a spray millet hanging just in case they can't get to the food under the hulls.

 

[KotaDVM]

My little conure does not really have any smell I can distinguish unless he just took a bath. He likes to cuddle under my chin and if his feathers are wet it is a pretty weird odor. As far as feeding goes, I give him the pelleted food Roudybush Maintenance during the day since that is a nutritionally balanced diet and then treat him with some Higgens Seeds and Nuts blend at night in a separate feed dish. In my humble opinion a full week without a water dish change or a check on food status is risky business- would you be able to have a friend or neighbor check on them during your vacation?

 

[Melissakins]

A week might be too long for what others have suggested, soiling their water/food dishes or eating all the seed.

Do you have a neighbor like someone suggested you trust enough to come in and feed/water them daily? Their paper shouldn't need to be changed during that time as they're not huge poopers

My Macaws smell like fruit loops