Hi All!

I remembered reading this article in a magazine a while ago, and went looking for it last night to try to help out a nice lady adopting a bird/bringing one into her life for the first time yesterday. Of COURSE I found it at my fav birdie store on the web EVER! Windy city- they have great stuff that I just can't live without/find anywhere else.. like the cool swing out shower perch, heated perches (I LOVE THEM!), night/full spectrum lights, the lixit birdie bath/snapple h2o kit etc etc all at pretty good prices and awesome service.

At any rate, this is a great article about how to set up a cage properly- it has helped me immensely in making frightened newbies comfortable, happy etc. Diet and cage I think are the biggest influences to birdies happiness, adjustment and health. After that, just loving and interaction tends to turn around even the most "hopeless" cases. I love the instruction for perch placement/cozy corner/toys, Toys TOYS! The only thing I do different, for all teils and other birdies that get night fright, is put one of those little blue led night lighties in that corner. Some birdies really like the dark for nightie nights, but they don't. Also, I put night lights in for the first week or so when a new bird arrives, until he realizes this new place is home!

http://www.windycityparrot.com/page/windycityparrot/MKCOVER

I hope that helps some of you that are bringing home babies and have questions about how to help them adjust and be happy quickly and with ease. Not to mention, I also think bird decorating is FUN! Tee Hee!



J

Thank you for that great post. I'm NOT a newbie - I've got 2 Quakers - and I'd never seen that information before. Now you'll have to excuse me, because I've gotta go rearrange some cages!

No problem! The great thing about our fids is we are always learning! I only heard about that a few years ago, and I know that it has made a huge difference with the guys I work with. It is VERY contra "traditional" advice of only 2-3 toys that you alternate. The perch on the swing out door is very helpful- I don't haven't had a qp yet, but I know it helps with cage aggression and just plain shy birds as a breach to step up on a perch. Not to mention, it makes cages LOOK very grooovy!

Have fun!



J

Wow! Thats a realy good article. A lot of that stuff I had to learn by trial and ERROR! Lots of error. I have very forgiving fids though.

The one thing I question, and I totally understand the reasoning behind the "rule", but my guys love being near the window. I figure if they grow up that way, they eventually realize the window offers safety, and don't freak out. Kinda like after you hold them up to the mirror a few times, they figure it out. I think they're smart enough to adapt to their surroundings.

Obviously though, if a bird looks uncomfortable near a window, then don't park the cage there.

Yup, Uncle Z- I agree with you on that one! Each bird is an individual- and deserves to be treated as such. I think it holds true as a general rule though. I personally avoid cage placement near a window because I live in an older home in a northern environment. There can be cold draughts in the winter, condensation spring and fall, glaring sun in the summer in my birdie room. That, and I work with rescues who tend to be really nervous as it is. (We have 3 birdie rooms- one for my permies, one for new intake/sick, and one for long term/clear quarentined). But, I say- at the end of the day, take advice with a grain of salt and do what works best for YOUR family!



J

Very good article! Ten toys... I think I need to do some shopping

Haha! I am right!! And my hubby said that Verde has too many toys! He only has 13...lol. Great article!

why shouldnt they be in your bedroom? is it just for people who dont spend time in there?

that is where i spend the majority of my time(and he is my bird so my family doesnt really mess with him and they wouldnt be able to get him out of his cage anyway)

oh well
oliver has too many toys too he has about 16 toys lol

Mine are in my bedroom too in the perfect spot. I did everything right except that. Oh and I don't have wood perches in their cage. They have lots of toys and get lots of attenttion. I spend much time in my room as my desk and working area are in there.

I have heard the thing about round cages. My motehr kept our two budgies in a round/cylinder type cage. What is wrong with round cages again. I forgot the reason why they are not recommended. The girls have a square cage with a flat top.

I believe the recommendation about bedrooms is partly because most people who do not work from home like myself and others here are only in the bedroom to go to bed at night. This means the birds won't see much activity during the day anyway- unless, like most of us here, there are playgyms/perches everywhere! Also, if people put their birds to sleep at say, 8pm for a good 10-12 hours rest, and then go to bed late like most of us- it could very easily disturb their sleep.

The reason round cages are not recommended is the same as the wall recommendation. In nature, birds like to have shelter and protection from preditors and a round cage offers no nice quiet corners to sleep/rest/observe/hide in. This is why there is much time in the article devoted to creating a nice corner high up. Now, hopefully a healthy well adjusted fid never feels the need to hide- put, I think psychologically, it helps them?

Hope that helps!



J

oh ok

i live with my parents so i spend almost all my time in my room so he gets plenty of attention lol

and we go to bed at the same time he isnt bothered my when i go to sleep

Thanks for posting. I am going to make a few changes to Sammy's cage. That was a great article.

This morning I spent over an hour weaving torn brown paper bags through the bars of just on the back of Seeley's cage. I just did the back of his cage, thinking this would give him something to pick at and MIGHT protect the wall from his "poop painting". I was going to do a side when I got home from court (I'm a cop... It's my day off so of course I'd have court!). When I got home Seeley had shredded every bit of paper I put in the bars of his cage and was LAUGHING as I walked in the door. The funny thing is was I didn't find it as funny as he did. I loved the article, but with my OCD I like everything to be symmetrical. I thing Seeley might cure the OCD. I will be spending the rest of the day working on filling up the boy's cage.