What do all you cockatoo owners think?

[Bokkapooh]

So I have a large "bird room". I hate it. My guys play on their cages and use the playstands only 25% of their time (50% cage top playing and 25% floor play).

Im thinking of down sizing a couple birds' cages who spend 8-12hrs per day out if their cages. Those birds being Opa and Mali (male and female U2). Moby and Mera's cages will stay the same as theyre in their cages substantially more.

So was are everyone's thoughts on:

Smaller Cages but more playstands and out of cage time

VS.

Large cages but less plplaystands and same amount of cage time as the other option.

I just hate my guys spending their free time ontop of cages. And when Moby and Mera are out of their cages, they spend it on a cage (or me, floor or playstand).

*************


Ive been thinking about moving Mali into Opa's room. But Opa's cage is in a 10'x10' and his cage is 48"x36". Mali's cage is a standard double macaw cage (64"long).

Ive been thinking of downsizing their cages and adding a couple playstands to the room and alallowing them all day access out of their cages.

Moving Mali's cage out of the BIG Room(where Moby and Mera are) and then adding a couple more playstands where Mali's cage is at.

And to throw this out there, there are 4 playstands currently in the BIG bird room. (But they still choose to play ontop of Mali's cage!).

Opinions on this?

Suggestions?

 

[Bokkapooh]

Please excuse typos and grammatical errors, my phone is lpw battery and glitchy when low.

 

[Hrtofau2]

My personal opinion is that the smaller cages are more then fine as long as they get the out of cage time. Add to what they use more, downsize what they use less.

 

[JLcribber]

You forgot the third option. No cage at all (not including sleep cage) and an adequately large secure full time place for each of them.

 

[Bokkapooh]

You forgot the third option. No cage at all (not including sleep cage) and an adequately large secure full time place for each of them.

I would use the smaller cages as a food cage/sleep cage.

I was thinking 32"x24" playtops or 36"x26' play tops. For for sleeping and eating only.

Or I guess I could go cage free in the 10'x10' room. But I have to have their sleep cages in there. And if the sleep cage is too small I fear aggression or over cage use will still happen. Opa and Mali need cages to sleep in/on. Or a metal playstand may make them feel secure and sleep there?

 

[Bokkapooh]

My personal opinion is that the smaller cages are more then fine as long as they get the out of cage time. Add to what they use more, downsize what they use less.

Well right now theyre only using the top of their dumb cages to play.

Whats the point of having a big bird room if all they do is spend time ontop of a cage? I hate it.

 

[Hrtofau2]

Well right now theyre only using the top of their dumb cages to play.

Whats the point of having a big bird room if all they do is spend time ontop of a cage? I hate it.

I understand completely! Ducky is out more often then in his cage. Dave built a huge play gym for him. Where does he spend his time? Sitting on a double ring or his orbit, hanging from the ceiling...If not there he chills in his sleeping location in his cage. His toys rarely touched.

Maybe switch their cages to play tops? Or just making the tops of their cages have more to them. Like toys/perches bolted to outside instead of in?

 

[Bokkapooh]

My ceilings are 8-9ft tall.

My birds have 6ft cages. And the three birds in the BIG room have double macaw and the giant macaw cages. I cant make the top of their cages into playstands.

*****

So I'm thinking now, just an idea maybe, that perhaps I could move Mera and Moby's cages (they both have 80" long giant double macaw cages) into the 10'x10' room). And that'll free up more floor space for playstands and they wont use the tops of those cages anymore. They'd stilll use Mali's and Opa's cage tops though.

Something about my bird rooms I just hate and I NEED to reorganize soon! I'm getting flustered by the cage lay out.

 

[Saemma]

Why does it bother you so much? If they are healthy, happy and using their own free will, why be bothered?

 

[Bokkapooh]

Because they arent utilizing space and they fight over the tallest points. And who likes to spend time ontop of bars? And getting sore marks by clinging to the bars.

When I lived at my apartments my birds used the playstands 80% of the time. They rarely were on top of Moby's cage.

 

[Bokkapooh]

I think Mali is the only one who enjoys spending ALL DAY out of her cage ON the playstands. Opa? Nope. He likes to be ontop of Mali's cage.

 

[Saemma]

Ah, well behaviour is always changing. Maybe this is just a temporary phase?

 

[apples]

I have a huge main cage in my living room and my den right off my living room is a combination human den Too room. She has three prevue 125 cages in her den where I hang out and each cage has bolt on top perches and hoops for hanging toys and all kinds of rope perches going between the three cages. She does actually run around, move around much and flaps on the two ropes going to the ceiling. I have often wondered about cage size myself as my Too is out much each day but when she's in her living room cage I still want her to have a huge cage.

 

[cassiesdad]

Milton's cage is about the same size as Opa's. The only time he uses it is at night. He has his playstand in his room and uses the door of his cage as a front "porch". The porch is where he likes to hang out most of the day,though.
I know this doesn't help much, since Milty is an only 'too....

 

[Bokkapooh]

[quoteweSaemma, post: 2058546, member: 399"]Ah, well behaviour is always changing. Maybe this is just a temporary phase?[/quote]
Since we moved in Feb. I dunno....

 

[Bartleby]

Since they are interested in the cage tops because they are the "highest point" why not take that plus away? You've got a huge room with tons of fun stuff, so why not just block off the tops of the cages? Get some x-pen panels (what John has used to make his aviaries) and simply block them off. It's really a small amount of space that they would be losing and then the play stands would now become the highest points throughout the room.

 

[JosienBB]

I know nothing about cockatoos, but maybe if they like high points, get them hanging playgyms higher than their cagetops? My birds used to spend most of their time on their cagetops, but after I got a few atoms, they almost never go on top of the cages now. I hang the atoms, boings and swings directly above the playstands and they use their playstands a lot more.

 

[KimKim]

I was going to suggest a higher hanging gym(s) too!

 

[shesocalifornia]

do you have a pic of their current set up???

 

[Bokkapooh]

Pics







It doesnt show the entire room but this is close enough.

I CANNOT have hanging gyms. Just floor gyms. And I cannot put up barriers to prevent them from going on the cages.

My only options that I can think of is either move Moby and Mera into the other room and Opa out here or downsize Opa and Mali and put them together in the 10'x10' and buy several more playstands so they can be out together all day.

But I'm liking more and more the idea of putting Moby and Mera in the room instead. Get those big bum cages into the other room and free up more space and make it fun. No one wants to play on a playstand infront of Moby