Disinfect new cage or not?

[Virulentsx]

I just finished putting together a brand new HQ cage I received from Windy City parrot and I was wondering if I should disinfect the cage before placing my new bird in it? I also purchased a couple of perches. Should I disinfect these as well? If so what is the best way? Thank you.

[GuineaGirl]

If it were me, I would probably disinfect it, just to be on the safe side, although theoretically if you just put it together there shouldn't be any problem. You will want to disinfect the cage on a regular basis in the future though.
I'm assuming your cage is metal and/or plastic. You can buy special cage cleaners, but I have a ringneck dove and 2 guinea pigs and clean their cages using a weak mixture of water and bleach in a spray bottle. You don't need much bleach at all - I would say maybe 1 part bleach to 10 parts water, or even less. I spray down the cages (not with the animals in them, obviously), let it sit for about 30 seconds, then wipe it dry.
Birds are very sensitive to fumes and chemicals, so you'll want your bird well away from the cage in a ventilated area, and to make sure the cage is completely dry before you put your bird in it.
As for the perches, I don't usually disinfect mine, as I have one wooden and one sand-covered and don't want the bleach and moisture to soak into them, so I just wipe them down as needed.
Congrats on your new friend - it sounds like you'll be very conscientious. What kind of bird do you have?

[Lori~D]

Steamer works great - no chemicals either

[Ashling]

When in doubt, it's better to be safe than sorry. I use vinegar- it's a natural disinfectant and non- poisonous to birds (my lory loves the taste!) but I wash it off afterwards! Yes what kind of birdy!?

[Virulentsx]

Thank you for the replies. I decided to disinfect the cage using vinegar but the smell was awful. I just picked up some GSE for next time.

I purchased a Dusky Headed Conure and should be picking him up next week.AC

[Valo's Moirana]

congrats on the new fid.....

regarding the vinegar - from what i've heard it works for cleaning, but for disinfection there's nothing as powerful as a dilute bleach solution followed by a thorough rinse.

[tonys2k6]

Has anyone used those Clorox Disinfecting Wipes? I would think those would be pretty good as well. The surface dries very quickly as well.

[dancelady]

To Virulentsx, you mentioned GSE. You might want to look at the other thread where cleaning cages, and perches, and GSE is mentioned there. GSE can be a problem especially to certain birds, and it can also be a problem in water for birds, too.

Dancelady