The abyss - lost in straw.

[smallbluejellybean]

Hi everyone,
I am having a personal debate.
I have a duel level bottom to my aviary. Planter space at top and then a ramp down to the bottom where there is straw at the moment.
On the top level I have put pine shavings.
I have little baby buttons at the moment who were hatched on the top level.
Every hour or so I have to go out and check because the little guys are falling off the top and they can't work out how to get back up, because they are lost in the straw.
Now I want the straw gone, but all I have to replace it with is either dry clean river sand or pine shavings.
The aviary is on a cement slab, but because they share their aviary with canaries and their perches are right over that area. I need to put something down, otherwise I will be on my hands and knees scrubbing the poo off of it.
I have done it before and boy canary poo is sticky stuff. Hard to budge.
What should I do? Which one should I put down?
Either which way I will have to shovle it like I do with the hay anyways.

 

[shawnkfl]

how about laying some plastic down first, then scatter some shavings or sand over it? then when it needs cleaned, just roll it up and throw it away.

 

[smallbluejellybean]

Nope tried the plastic thing before and they scratched right threw it.
Its not a big area, but I rather scoop up sand/straw/shaving up and put it in a bucket and hose it off, than scrub the cement floor.
Are you recommending sand? shawnkfl?

My aviary is in my patio area (we use this area for Barbies and having guests over). So I need something to soak up that canary poo, but still have something comfy for my buttons.

P.S. again. At the moment there is sand in a huge plant water catcher for them (Dust bath). It takes up about 1/4 of the space. Shouldn't I just cover it all? But what I have heard is the babies will eat the sand and not their food and die.

 

[Wifezilla]

I would try sand

 

[Bettacreek]

From what I've heard, the sand is high maintenance. It needs to be scooped every couple of days or the poop stays on top and looks yucky. The pine shavings would last longer between cleanings without looking quite as bad. Shavings can harbor mites; freezing them would null that issue, but that's not realistic in most situations. Unfortunately, the pine shavings are also disposable (compostable though, fortunately) and expensive if you're going through a lot of shavings. IMO, sand is better if you're more concerned about money than time and shavings are better if you're more concerned about time than money.

 

[smallbluejellybean]

I am wifezilla.
Thats it. 4 know there way out of the abyss and the rest dont. I just went in there to show one how to get back up and while I was bent over showing the little guy the way back WACK!!! not once but twice.
I am bleeding, they got me right on my cheek.
By the way my babies have two mommies. Two layed in the same nest (thus the twice).
There are no adult males in the aviary, but wow those girls can wack a bunch.
So desided, going in there with my face protection on. Going in there with my sand, its time to switch.

P.S. what I am going to do is do a thin layer of sand then pine shavings. Why not?

 

[Overeasyplz]

sbjb, the buttons attacked your face? So much for being timid lil birds! wow! hope you are ok..