For 7 years I have always had some sandpaper perch covers or shellgrit perchcovers in my cages for Harley to files his names on.

 

Blue paces the poles and this is what his pole looked like after 2 hours

 

 

yes that is blood he filed one of his nails way back!

 

I was shocked, I mean mum and dad always had this stuff in the breeding cages, I have always had it, almost every pet store carrys it and recommends that you use it.

 

NEVER AGAIN for me!

I don't think they have sandpaper branches in the wild, so for that reason I dont see the need for them in cages or aviaries. A silly idea. I wonder who thought that one up and has made $$$$$'s out of the invention ?!

yup.... they are a horrid invention!!!

l agree , they are so awful :

ive never used them and never will

I use that now! I should stop. thanks goodness I ran out a few weeks ago. My birds eat the little grit from it. I hope its okay. But they don't have that any more.

Yes, definitely NOT the greatest budgie invention of all time, it either hurts their feet or they end up chewing it to pieces.

....and if they chew it up...what kind of glues have been used to create these sand sheets ? :mellow:

when I bought Pretty I read a lot of books that now say not too use sandpaper covers as well as the grit (another issue) so I knew not too. We live and learn.

I used to buy those sand sheets - they loved to bite it, but I don't use it anymore, I thougth it's not good for them to eat so much of it - and they did, because they loved it. It was green, so there had to be some coloring in it too

What bothers me mostly about these is that most petshops and companies that sell "kits" always include these perch covers The majority of people out there who buy birds from pet shops would never thing to join an online forum or research something that the pet store has told them is the right thing to do...

 

I always heard that it was painful on the soft pads of their little feet but I never thought it would do that much damage. Poor little Blue, I hope he is okay now.

What bothers me mostly about these is that most petshops and companies that sell "kits" always include these perch covers The majority of people out there who buy birds from pet shops would never thing to join an online forum or research something that the pet store has told them is the right thing to do...

 

I always heard that it was painful on the soft pads of their little feet but I never thought it would do that much damage. Poor little Blue, I hope he is okay now.

 

 

I was shocked, have always used them and never had an issue now they are banned!, blue has recovered and is currently standing on my head! I like he like the movement on the computer screen!

glad blue is feeling better... i knew it wasnt the beat water (Laughing out loud)

l'm so glad Blue is doing good :dbb1:

I have never used sand paper perches but to keep there nails and beak conditioned I have a *cement* perch that they play on regularly and it seems to do the trick.

That's great, as long as they have "normal" perches as well (which I am sure they have), all is well.

Beep and tundra have many regular perches as well.

i use the cement and mineral blocks perches too... they are down by the seed dish and water bottles, all wood and rope are up high for all night roosting!