Cage floor ideas?

[taxidermynerd]

Chirp likes to spend a lot of time on the cage floor. Not in a "I'm sick so I can't perch" way, but running around looking for food (even though he can't get to whatever he dropped) or playing with things that have fallen or whatever. I know 'keets are ground foragers, so I've tried to set up some stuff for him. I tied some toy bits I've made to the sides near the bottom, and he seems like he's having a blast with that. He also has a foraging tray on the other side. I'll include pictures.

The blue tray has some millet on it (as a treat). The blue bowl with toy parts has seed mix in it (he'll put them out to get to the seed) and there's a similar bowl higher up with large wooden beads. The clear cup with pony beads has pellets in it, he tips it over to get to the food.

To cut to the chase, does anyone have any ideas to foster more of his natural behaviors? He also seems to play with toys more if they're near the bottom, so he has a couple of balls with bells in them that he likes to play with.

 

[Math Bird]

What if you put the newspaper on top of the cage grate so Chirp could go looking for the seeds/pellets he dropped? Just a thought

 

[Lady Jane]

How did you attach the tray? I would hang a nice, safe swing from the top. Budgies usually love them. Also I don't see a ladder so he can climb up to investigate. Not those ladders with metal hooks. I had to search for one that had wide bars and no hooks.

Of course these are not floor ideas. Never had a budgie that prefers to be low in a cage. He may be just used to that. Birds naturally want to be high up. How about adding platform perches and rope perches that gradually incline up higher? Oh I see a swing. Two are good.

I don't like my birds feet walking on a grate. I use newspaper over grate.

 

[taxidermynerd]

What if you put the newspaper on top of the cage grate so Chirp could go looking for the seeds/pellets he dropped? Just a thought

I used to have it that way, but I'm not a fan of Chirp walking through his poop so I took it off.

How did you attach the tray? I would hang a nice, safe swing from the top. Budgies usually love them. Also I don't see a ladder so he can climb up to investigate. Not those ladders with metal hooks. I had to search for one that had wide bars and no hooks.

Of course these are not floor ideas. Never had a budgie that prefers to be low in a cage. He may be just used to that. Birds naturally want to be high up. How about adding platform perches and rope perches that gradually incline up higher? Oh I see a swing. Two are good.

I don't like my birds feet walking on a grate. I use newspaper over grate.

It's just set on top of the grate. Chirp does have 2 swings and a small boing, although he doesn't use the swings much. He's not a fan of ladders, he prefers climbing on the cage bars. He actually does that anyway lol. He'll fly down, but if he wants to go up, he doesn't fly to the next perch, he just climbs there. He has 3 platforms from Tweety Pie's, and 2 sundeck platforms wrapped in vet wrap. He will go sit up higher later in the day, and he likes to sleep on his forked manzanita perch next to his heater.

I guess he's just odd. He will fly lots out of the cage, or if he gets really worked up or scared in the cage. He does love his platforms, although part of it might be that there are lots of foraging things on the sundeck!

ETA: I did use to have a swing that was just like the one he was sitting on when I saw him, but it had a little mirror on each side and he would sit there all day chattering to himself, trying to kiss his reflection if I let him. So I just took it out. Plus the perch was plastic and I didn't like that.

 

[Math Bird]

I'm not a fan of Chirp walking through his poop so I took it off.

No offense or anything, but I remember reading somewhere that it didn’t matter since their toys and perches will usually have some them.

 

[Diesel13]

Offer him some wet leafy greens with seed sprinkled in! He may eat or even bath in them

To me it looks like you're already offering him a lot of fun floor things to do. I would just not offer any seed sitting open like that on the tray. Make him work for it by mixing the seed with toy parts/shredded paper he has to climb over and move around. Challenge his brain!

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

Maybe a little strip of asto turf?
https://www.windycityparrot.com/all...m-tinkle-turf-for-dogs-grass-tray-p-2124.html

 

[MnGuy]

My CAG is a floor bird, so I place large glass casserole dish in her cage, layer it with crinkled paper strips from the dollar store, and scatter seeds, wood blocks, cardboard boxes and treats inside. I'll do the same with a large steel bowl and a large plastic tray.

Good luck.

 

[Math Bird]

Sorry this is late, but I found this: Little Guy’s Ground Foraging Mat « Foraging for Parrots I think it’s like what CrazyBirdChick posted, but cheaper.

 

[Mizzely]

I use the astro turf stuff, but my bird's favorite (also heavy cage floor foragers!) are foraging baskets. Similar to your bowl ideas but they can climb right in!

Forage/Foot Toy Basket – Parrot 1-2-3