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ROOM FOR RENT

 

The size of a cage is very important and can depend on several factors, such as how big your bird is or even how much time you spend with your bird. 

 

Your bird should have room to play, sleep, fly and live comfortably. If your bird can stand, in the centre of its cage, and turn around with its wings stretched out, this is the absolute bare minimum sized cage. Bigger cages are not as important when the bird is always out, but if contained all day it will need room to play.

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CENTRE OF ATTENTION

 

It is a common misconception that you should place newly bought birds in the most eventful area of the house so that they remain stimulated and can see everything that's happening. However, if you were put on stage with nowhere to hide in an unfamiliar house and you had nowhere to retreat to, would you be happy about this? Most of us would likely feel uncomfortable or scared. We all need somewhere to hide, whether that means placing a blanket over the cage, a happy hut or a quiet room. Placing a bird in a high traffic area is one of the most common reasons why they lash out or pluck their feathers.

 

For birds that are only just settling in, try to leave them in either a place that is near activity but is quiet enough that it does not stress the bird out, or a place with no activity that is quiet and calm. If your bird is happy with more activity, try out the first option, but half cover the cage with a blanket so that your bird can still hide away. A good spot is a lounge room, or a nearby study. If this doesn’t work, and your bird shows signs of stress, retreat to option 2. 

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Additionally, a lot of birds also enjoy having half of their cage in view of a window and the other half covered by a wall, so that they can retreat if they feel threatened. This adds some interest to their day when you're not around, and they can keep watch or just enjoy the view. However, it is important to create a makeshift privacy screen by draping a sheet or blanket over half their cage, so that they can choose whether to hide or watch the action. This helps those shy birds feel more comfortable.

WHERE CAN I STAND?

 

It is a good idea to have a variety of perches (wood, plastic, rope etc.) in your bird's cage- perches make a cage feel welcoming and fun! Some perches are specifically designed to help with nail filing and could be placed between food and water sources so that your bird is more likely to step on it (when looking for perches that file nails, however, make sure to buy perches where the part that the bird's feet sit on is flat so that their delicate skin isn't being filed as well). Our birds all love the twisty rainbow rope perches you can get from most pet stores- they're bright and can add interest by bending in different ways. 

HAPPY HUTS AND HIDEY HOLES

 

We personally love happy huts. We add them in most our pet bird’s cages (though not in our breeding pairs as they sleep in their nest boxes). They provide refuge and a safe spot to run into, and a cosy place to sleep in. If we walk into a room after we’ve said goodnight to our birds, all of them are snuggled happily inside the happy hut. No bird that we’ve given the hut to has refused it, although the larger birds do not seem to need or enjoy it as much. 

 

If you do buy a happy hut (from almost anywhere- pet stores or online stock them in many colours), keep a close eye on the strings. As there are may little strings, they could be a hazard to your bird’s health. We’ve never had a bird or known a client’s bird to have suffered from loose strings, but it is something you need to look out for. 

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SHOPPING LIST

 

If you have decided to purchase a baby, ensure you have everything set up before you bring it home. We suggest that you have the following things ready:

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Dry pellet base (may vary according to species; stays in the bird's cage all the time):

  • Vetafarm Nutriblend (size mini or small for the smaller birds)

  • Vetafarm South American Mix

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Treats (can be used for training or mixed into dry mix):

  • Grey striped sunflower seeds

  • ZuPreem FruitBlend

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Health:

  • Vetafarm Wormout Gel 

  • Vetafarm Mite and Lice Spray 

  • Vetafarm Avicare 

  • Shower perch

  • New clean spray bottle for bathing

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Cage and toys:​

  • Cage

  • A variety of perches

  • Toys  

  • Happy Hut or a place to sleep and hide​

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