I am very happy to highlight Andrea's (Birdasaurus) setup for our 2012 July's Feathered Estates! She has put together a fun family room setup for multiple birds environment to ensure her fids get plenty and exercise while having lots of fun!
1~ What kind of birds do you have and how many birds did you design your setup for?
I have 14 birds: Budgies, Lovebird, Black-Capped conure, Hahns Macaw, Patagonian conure and African Grey. Our birdroom is set up for all of them, but the outside setup is designed for our larger birds, and only Tango and Honu actually use it.
View of the whole room
Honu
Tango
Cosmo
Lucky and Petey
The Budgies
The outside play area
2~ Is your setup for a handicapped bird?
I have handicapped budgies, so their cage is set up for them. There are platforms to accommodate Pi with one leg since he likes to lay down at times, and the grate is covered in foam wrapped in fleece (covered in a nylon fabric for easy cleaning) so his foot doesn’t slip through the grate and also to cushion Max who has a permanently broken wing when he falls. An inside look the cage is shown below.
3~ Are there any budgeting tips you discovered while doing your setup?
Outside setups are a great way to use toys that aren’t “safe” for unsupervised cage time. So all of those toys that still have too much stuff on them to throw out, but you aren’t comfortable with your bird having them alone are a great way to accessorize trees and climbing nets if you are always in the room when birds are out.
4~ Is your setup changeable or stationary and do you add or make changes continually or do things stay primarily as is?
It primarily stays the way it is except for the toys being rotated. Soon there will be a change as we swipe out the PVC gym for another tree that will be made from grapevine perches via a suggestion on a playtree thread.
5~ Where did you find your materials if you made it yourself or where did you purchase the setup and do you have favorite places to purchase safe toys and/or supplies that you find reliable?
The PVC came from Home Depot, and was really cheap to make. The only downside is that it falls apart easily without gluing it. The tree was a great steal off CraigsList from someone who bought it too large for their bird’s feet. The atom (and Tango’s favorite!) was from MotherPluckin’ Bird Toys and while I hesitated on the price, it was well worth it! The toys are from all over the place, but I usually buy the majority of my birdy stuff from My Safe Bird Store.
6~ Do you have a favorite item that you bought for your setup?
Definitely the atom! Tango loves hanging upside down from it and singing, sleeping on it, flapping to turn himself in circles….the fun never ends!
7~ Did you incorporate into your setup any foraging toys and how did your bird(s) take to them and was age or inactivity a factor?
The only foraging toys I have constantly set up are buckets on the outside playstand. Both Honu and Tango are the only ones who really took to it, and that was mostly to throw things around and empty the bucket. Typical messy birds!
8~ What do you like least about your set up (if anything)?
The playstand makes it so hard to clean Tango’s cage because his grate and tray are too large to squeeze past it. And when I vacuum, he’s close enough to always bite me on the butt! lol
9~ What do you like most about your setup?
I really like how it fits into our room. Maybe I really am a crazy bird lady, but I feel like it’s a fun birdy station that actually fits into our décor.
10~ Did your bird(s) take to the setup right away or did they approach it tentatively needing time to adjust and do you feel their age was a factor?
Everyone took to their cages and placement really well when we moved in. Most of my birds are youngins so that probably does have something to do with it. For the outside playstand, Honu took to it right away as adventure is his style. Tango took a little bit longer to explore the whole thing, and still balks at things when I change them. I once put a talking toy on the net and he steered clear of it until the evil thing was taken down. Best $11 ever spent.
11~ Any future renovations planned?
Just replacing the PVC with the another tree as mentioned previously. I may find myself living in a cage if I give anyone else size improvements.
1~ What kind of birds do you have and how many birds did you design your setup for?
I have 14 birds: Budgies, Lovebird, Black-Capped conure, Hahns Macaw, Patagonian conure and African Grey. Our birdroom is set up for all of them, but the outside setup is designed for our larger birds, and only Tango and Honu actually use it.
View of the whole room
Honu
Tango
Cosmo
Lucky and Petey
The Budgies
The outside play area
2~ Is your setup for a handicapped bird?
I have handicapped budgies, so their cage is set up for them. There are platforms to accommodate Pi with one leg since he likes to lay down at times, and the grate is covered in foam wrapped in fleece (covered in a nylon fabric for easy cleaning) so his foot doesn’t slip through the grate and also to cushion Max who has a permanently broken wing when he falls. An inside look the cage is shown below.
3~ Are there any budgeting tips you discovered while doing your setup?
Outside setups are a great way to use toys that aren’t “safe” for unsupervised cage time. So all of those toys that still have too much stuff on them to throw out, but you aren’t comfortable with your bird having them alone are a great way to accessorize trees and climbing nets if you are always in the room when birds are out.
4~ Is your setup changeable or stationary and do you add or make changes continually or do things stay primarily as is?
It primarily stays the way it is except for the toys being rotated. Soon there will be a change as we swipe out the PVC gym for another tree that will be made from grapevine perches via a suggestion on a playtree thread.
5~ Where did you find your materials if you made it yourself or where did you purchase the setup and do you have favorite places to purchase safe toys and/or supplies that you find reliable?
The PVC came from Home Depot, and was really cheap to make. The only downside is that it falls apart easily without gluing it. The tree was a great steal off CraigsList from someone who bought it too large for their bird’s feet. The atom (and Tango’s favorite!) was from MotherPluckin’ Bird Toys and while I hesitated on the price, it was well worth it! The toys are from all over the place, but I usually buy the majority of my birdy stuff from My Safe Bird Store.
6~ Do you have a favorite item that you bought for your setup?
Definitely the atom! Tango loves hanging upside down from it and singing, sleeping on it, flapping to turn himself in circles….the fun never ends!
7~ Did you incorporate into your setup any foraging toys and how did your bird(s) take to them and was age or inactivity a factor?
The only foraging toys I have constantly set up are buckets on the outside playstand. Both Honu and Tango are the only ones who really took to it, and that was mostly to throw things around and empty the bucket. Typical messy birds!
8~ What do you like least about your set up (if anything)?
The playstand makes it so hard to clean Tango’s cage because his grate and tray are too large to squeeze past it. And when I vacuum, he’s close enough to always bite me on the butt! lol
9~ What do you like most about your setup?
I really like how it fits into our room. Maybe I really am a crazy bird lady, but I feel like it’s a fun birdy station that actually fits into our décor.
10~ Did your bird(s) take to the setup right away or did they approach it tentatively needing time to adjust and do you feel their age was a factor?
Everyone took to their cages and placement really well when we moved in. Most of my birds are youngins so that probably does have something to do with it. For the outside playstand, Honu took to it right away as adventure is his style. Tango took a little bit longer to explore the whole thing, and still balks at things when I change them. I once put a talking toy on the net and he steered clear of it until the evil thing was taken down. Best $11 ever spent.
11~ Any future renovations planned?
Just replacing the PVC with the another tree as mentioned previously. I may find myself living in a cage if I give anyone else size improvements.
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