Looking for Perch Ideas for New Flight Cage

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Ordered from here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380249204570

I ordered the above flight cage for my new lovebird Max from eBay due to arrive 12/7/10 that I plan on putting on a dresser. My plan is to put natural tree branches in a section of it while leaving a section free for flying. I went to a parrot site that listed a bunch of trees NOT to use and I believe all the trees in my yard are listed as not being good to use. See here: http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/parrots_page1.html

Trees I have are: apple, pear, flowering cherry, wheeping willow, douglas fir, and several other unknowns.

So my question is - what do you all use in your flight cages and where do you recommend putting them for a lovebird - up top or down below?

I've seen those rope things but are they easy to clean?

 

[Whispering Winds]

Petco and Petsmart have those wooden/synthetic looking perches that actually look like a limb in all shapes and sizes and colors. They attach through the cage with the wingnut apparatus and work good. They aren't cheap, but appear to be very durable. Some are even edible I think!!!! Good luck, love that cage. I am going to build an aviary this winter for all my finches. . .they are prolific little breeders!!!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Absolutely don't use the cherry or pitted fruit trees like plums. That list doesn't look right to me, though. Apple should only be a problem if it was sprayed with toxins to combat insects. Pine? That could be a problem if it has the bark on and is fresh. Seasoned pine wood is safe and has been a traditional material for perches and toys for many decades. I thought ash, beech and willow were also safe. I would google for other lists of safe woods for perches and see what they say.

 

[VioletandBodie]

weeping willows are good to

 

[Jillian]

For hookbills, I like perches that can be chewed. Keep those beaks busy! I have a particular love for bottlebrush tree branches. Apple should be fine, just scrub and dry it out properly.
Here is the list of safe woods I use: http://www.birdsafe.com/woods.htm
Info on cleaning perches: http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww8e.htm (this site is also an EXCELLENT resource for many questions a bird owner can have)

Info on bottlebrush (don't have to get them from here, they should have them at good pet stores and they are cheap): http://www.waynesparrotstuff.com/why-bottlebrush

The sisal rope perches are easier to clean, imo, than the cotton rope ones. If you position everything properly so it isn't overlapping too badly it should not be a problem anyway.


I would have some mid/low level perches one one side and higher/mid on the other. Then add toys/swings etc. Putting the lower branches on the side with the food. That way they fly down to the food and back up to the higher perches for roosting. I would probably keep the food and water on the one side, rather than both. That increases roosting options and more room for toys/perches without having to worry about it being over the dishes.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

That is going to be so nice for Max. What a fun space.

I like a smooth wood perch that's easy to scrape clean for where soft food is eaten. Birds are fond of scraping/rubbing their beaks on the perch, to clean off any soft food that's clinging on their beak. For the rest of an enclosure or on playgyms where they won't be eating soft food, I use a variety of different materials, textures and diameters for perches, to help keep their feet healthier. It gives them a chance to stretch the muscles in their toes, when they grip perches of different diameters.

When I was fostering a pair of lovebirds, I put them in a large flight cage. They didn't have much of an interest in flying, they mainly climbed everywhere. If they couldn't get there by moving along a perch, they climbed on the sides of the cage. That may have been because they lived for many years in a small cage and developed the habit of climbing, instead of flying. My parrots and budgies have always had more of an interest in flying when loose in the house, rather than in their cages. Even loose, they do a lot of climbing and walking. Flying for them seems to be a way to cover longer distances, like going to a different room. Or getting someplace they can't get by climbing.

You may want to not clutter the cage, to encourage flight. If you find over time that climbing is still the preferred activity, you could add more perches, ropes and toys to the cage later. One main perch to traverse the cage can be good, then. For the corners, you could angle a perch across, without taking up a lot of space. The short perches that bolt to one side are easy to squeeze in, too. These can be a good place to add another toy for playing or foraging. It can give a bird a reason to move to another area for exercise. You can also have a branch that angles from the bottom of one side to the top of an adjacent side, to change levels.

I think once you get Max moved into that cage, you'll begin to see how he wants to use the space. I often set a cage or playgym up one way and remodel it after I see what the inhabitants really like. They all have their own likes and dislikes.