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Some Aracari Questions

Calpurnia

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If I were making a cage that big in my house I would probably just go for some cheap vinyl flooring. Cover it with newspaper in the worst spots then scrape/sweep clean as necessary. It would probably be a bit more work to maintain (considering the splatter caused by poop bombs), but I also don't think there would be a way to make a mess pan that is big enough. And designing an aviary that sits on the floor is much easier than designing a cage that is lifted off the floor high enough to accommodate a grate/drop pan.
 

MinkFeathers

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Hmmm...you have very good points!

Just curious though. What about ceder or pine shavings? I know they are terrible for rofents and reptiles, but what about birds? It's usually super cheap too, so I can buy it in bulk.

How deep do you do your paper bedding?

I have revisited my design idea, and think I figured something out that can work for both me and the aracari!

I'll explain my idea as best as I can. Please point out any flaws you may see with this.

Dimensions would be 3 feet deep, 6 feet long, and 5.5 feet high.

6 inches will be the 'pan' which is just the floor like you suggested. It can be filled with paper, wood shavings, ect, and wouldn't fall out when the doors are opened.

It will be 'solid' on the back, roof, and one side (for me the right side, which would be flush with the wall).

There wll be 4 main doors, each 1/4th of the total front. The bottom 2 doors will be acrylic paneled to keep the mess in, but the top 2 doors will be wire or mesh to allow airflow. The same design will be on the other side. This side would also have an opening for food/water dishes. Inside I could do a PVC jungle gym of all kinds of perches and play things.

The whole cage would sit on top of a 2.5 feet base that I could nake into drawers for storing some of his things in, or just leave it open under the platform for...whatever reason.

The main structure would be made of wood which I will stain to a color of my choosing, then seal to protect it from poops. I figure that I can use a generic sponge mop to scrub the walls that I can't reach. (This would be once a month, right?)

In my mind this will be a great flight area for any times that I can't have him out all day for some reason (company, or an extended shopping trip, ect) but would also contain the mess. It will also give him a hight advantage, giving that 'up in the trees' feeling.

Sound good so far?
 

Calpurnia

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Avoid cedar and pine. The reason why they are terrible for small animals is they contain many aromatic compounds that irritate their respiratory systems. Considering the respiratory systems of birds are even MORE sensitive and efficient at filtering out these compounds it's definitely a no go. Aspen is probably your most safe bet if you want to go for some sort of wood shavings.

I do like the paper bedding because it is generally less dusty and more absorbent than wood shavings. I use as thin a layer as possible in all of my cages, so maybe 1/2 an inch?

Your plans look pretty good, though I am definitely far from an expert when it comes to building structures like this. I recommend swinging by the cages sections of AA to pick the brains of some of our more gifted carpenters/builders. :)

Having space for storage under the cage is a good idea. Overall I do like the idea of plexiglass on the bottom to contain the mess, but feel like you'd want to really be careful that airflow is good inside the cage. The nice thing about aracaris (compared to Lories) is they poop straight down and do not projectile it all over the walls. Also you'd probably want to also cover the closed wall and side with big plexiglass panels. Other than that, I think my only personal pet peeve would be keeping the food and water dishes separate (and probably higher up). Kevin bathes daily and in this time more than half of the water in his dish ends up on the everything in the immediate vicinity, so any food nearby would get soaked and gross.
 

MinkFeathers

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I would love to put it higher, but that structure is 8 foot tall and I'm a shortie at only 5 foot five lol. I can certainly move the food dish however, and yes, the sixe that will be against the wall will be fully enclosed. I can still add a fan in the upper corner as well to assist with air flow. Also, the cage will probably be fully open (the acrylic panneled dooes open as well)

I will certainly take it to the caging area of the forumand let them rip it up a bit lol. I have 2 years to get it right after all!

Also, if all you use is half an inch, I can probably do the paper stuff. I was thinking it had to be at least 6 inches!

Thanks so much for your insite and support!
 

MinkFeathers

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How much fruit by volume does a curl need daily?

Aka, 1 cup, 2 cups, ect.
 

MinkFeathers

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Thanks!

Should each serving have a mixof fruites, or can a serving be all 1 kind and then change it up each serving?
 

Calpurnia

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Definitely strive for daily variety. Remember these are birds that in the wild eat over 150 different types of fruits, leaves, insects, etc. Even if it is seasonal they still may eat a dozen or more different foods a day. Offering variety is one of the easiest (and I think most important) ways bird owners can provide mental and physical stimulation or enrichment.

Birds spend the majority of their time in the wild searching for, handling, and eating their food. So it only makes sense that we, as pet owners striving to keep them as happy and stimulated as possible, should try to mimic these conditions.

A little while after acquiring Kevin I met and talked to the owner of a toco toucan (who is now quite internet famous) who insisted that the only "responsible" diet for a ramphastid was blueberries, papaya, and mazuri pellets. Nothing else was "good" enough i.e. had a low enough iron content (and I am a terrible owner for feeding Kevin high iron foods like sweet potato, greens, blackberries, etc).

Of course, me showing them that other reputable breeders/zoos feed their birds a wide variety of seasonal foods for enrichment, or the food chart explaining in detail the actual iron contents of many foods did not help convince him to try other foods. Which makes me just feed bad for his toco as anyone would be able to see just how much Kevin enjoys have the ability to pick and choose what he eats, as well as how he eats it. Grapes, pomegranate, and blueberries are his hands-down favorites but he will immediately go for anything stuck on a skewer first when breakfast is served. Even if it's just boring old papaya. He loves to rip it off, shake it around, and hang from perches to nibble off every last bit. Foraging boards (basically pieces of wood with holes drilled through them in which I stuff berries or harder foods like carrots) are another favorite, especially when I thread long colorful strips of paper through some of the holes which he can then pull out. Greens are a whole other story. He often likes to quickly throw them all out of his bowl right away, then chase them down to the bottom of his cage where he flicks them over his head before finally deciding they are "dead" and eating them.

Sorry for the rant lol. I guess it's just scary how many people I've heard of who seem to think that toucans/aracaris, unlike parrots, are good with just papaya or that they don't enjoy foraging. At least one other people admitted to only feeding cantaloupe and their aracari died from gout and other complications within a couple years. So here's to spreading the word that you should try to let your aracari's have fun with their food!
 

MinkFeathers

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Cantalope causes goute? O_O

Or is that just of its the only fruit offered?

I like the idea of the scewers too! Could you provide a pic of how you set it in the cage?

Also, I loved your fruit spread sheet! Very informative!

I may make little food pockets as well and hang them in his cage to let him find them. Figure some cut PVC pipe should do the trick. Just gotta make sure the hole is big enough for his beak lol.

They can find their fruit by smell, right?
 

expressmailtome

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Cantalope causes goute? O_O
I believe that she meant that the bird was only fed cantaloupe, and suffered health problems from the lack of varied vitamins and minerals.

Matt
 

MinkFeathers

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Good to know!

I plan on having a fully diverse diet. This bird will be sooooo spoiled lol.

But I would still like to make food pockets. If I do something like rake the bird out of it'scage before feeding and put a bit of food in each pocket, then put the bird back in, would they be able to smell where the fruit is?

The idea is to just use corner bend PVC, put the fruit in the top and let the bird find it in the bottom space. Also easy to clean with a simple rinse and can be mounted by drilling a larger hole with a slot up so I can hang it on a nail head.

I'm not good with technical terms but Iknow that's how they hang things like picture frames and stuff.
 

Calpurnia

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Yep, Matt is right. The person fed ONLY cantaloupe which killed their bird in 3 years due to malnutrition.

PVC pipe could be used to hide food (acting almost like tree "hollows"). You'll have to experiment to see how difficult your can make them. To my knowledge they do not use smell to locate for at all. Instead it's mainly visual/exploratory/by taste. For example, if Kevin finds a bright red bead his is immediately interested in it because it looks like a little piece of fruit. But once he chomps on it for a second and feels how rock hard it is he drops it and loses interest. So in general I'm assuming the bird would need to be able to see the food in the pipe to be interested enough to try and fish it out.
 

MinkFeathers

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Ah, thanks for the info. Sounds like it will be fun learning the new baby and what works for him.

I so wish I had the ability to get him right now!!!

Are there any other reputable breeders other than Jennings?
 

MinkFeathers

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Thank you, but I am wanting a curl crested. Know of anyone who sells those?
 

Calpurnia

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I don't know any other breeders by name that have curls. Other than with Jennings the only places I've seen them is on softbillsforsale.com being sold by small private breeders/individuals and in specialized pet stores. Personally for any species other than a Green I would most likely go with Jennings, only because he has a more diverse breeding stock. For example, given Kevin's birth defect I can't say there wasn't a problem with his breeder breeding only a couple pairs of bird.
 

expressmailtome

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Thank you, but I am wanting a curl crested. Know of anyone who sells those?
If there are other breeders, he would likely know. You could try emailing him.

Matt
 

MinkFeathers

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I would love to go with Jennings, however he did mention he may be retired in 2 years and may not have any birds for sale. =(
 

Morgan1202

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I have Two Aracaris that I just recently purchased. I have a male and female. They are extremely skittish. I am trying to get them so that they do not stress every time that I enter their cage. The male seems to alarm call every time I enter. The female just sits and is calming down and starting to trust me. Right now, I am just placing my hand in the cage for a short period of time for them to get used to my hand in the cage. They will not take food off of tongs from me. Is there anything anyone can suggest that I do to speed up this desensitization?? I would love some advice!!
 
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