I am very excited to announce August's 2012 Feathered Estates Highlight! This month we are showcasing Holiday's awesome multiple birds and bedroom setup! Holiday has successfully put together a fun space to keep her busy fids happy and healthy!
1~ What kind of birds do you have and how many birds did you design your setup for?
I have 7 parrots: 2 large macaws (Blue & Gold, Red Fronted), 4 mini-macaws (2 Hahn's, 2 Illiger's), 1 Congo African Grey. I don't know that I "designed" my setup. It just sort of happened on a catch-as-catch-can basis. But, it works well enough for now.
Elvis's Cage (King's 64"x32"):
Zoe's Cage (new King's 40"x40"x22"*3 corner cage):
Patrick's Cage (HQ 40"x30"):
Lily's Cage (Avian Adventures 42"x30"):
Keene's Cage (King's 34"x26" playtop):
2~ Is your setup for a handicapped bird?
No. If anything, my setups work better for highly mobile and flighted birds.
3~ Is your setup changeable or stationary and do you add or make changes continually or do things stay primarily as is?
These setups are primarily stationary. The cages and manzanita stands may be moved but usually are only moved for cleaning.
4~ 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 Flyer came from Donna at Exotic Wood Dreams; the bottlebrush gym came from Windy City Parrot. I order toys/parts from My Safe Bird Store, Birdie Boutique, Things 4 Wings, Mother Pluckin' Bird Toys, CA Bird Nerds, and I occasionally order certain supplies and perches (boings/rope perches) from larger chains like Foster and Smith.
5~ Do you have a favorite item that you bought for your setup?
The large EWD Flyer is probably the favorite item. I don't know what Elvis would do without it.
6~ 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?
I used several foraging toys when I first began but don't purchase as many as I did. Except for Elvis and her can o' nuts (of which she never tires), my birds tend to figure them out and get bored with them quickly. I do sometimes hide treats in paper or cardboard for them.
7~ What difficulties did you encounter, if any, and how did you remedy them?
The main difficulty was readying a suitable area for Elvis, my Blue and Gold macaw, to play--she needed space, but she also needed an area in which she could be a bird (i.e. not my living room). I eventually settled on the backdoor nook area off the kitchen, and I used the EWD flyer as the focal point.
8~ What do you like least about your set up (if anything)?
The main thing I dislike is the lack of space and cramped feel in the main bird room right now, but at least most of my birds (except Keene) have cages that are not only acceptable but roomy. Larger cages take up more floor space, but they're worth it. If Lily and Patrick can ever share a cage (fingers crossed!), I may be able to solve both of those issues.
9~ What do you like most about your setup?
I like that I am able to provide separate areas for birds of different sizes to some degree. My Hahn's are completely separate, and the Illiger's usually have their out time in the main bird room, whereas the larger birds tend to flock together in Elvis's area (much to her chagrin).
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?
Macaws are usually pretty adaptable, and Zoe is the only one who usually needs adjustment time. As I recall, she needed a week or two to get used to the bottlebrush gym. Keene is a Congo African Grey, so you'd think she would need time too, but except for the avian scale, Keene is afraid of absolutely nothing. She routinely goes places the macaws would fear to tread.
11~ Any future renovations planned?
As my budget allows, yes. I will need to replace cages (especially Keene's--she needs a larger one) and perches in cages on an as-needed basis, and I would like to get a a small flyer for the Hahn's someday. And, they need more new toys. That is for the future, though. Right now, I have a little recovering to do from my most recent adjustments related to upgrading Zoe's cage and adding Lily, my rescue Illiger's.
The main bird room setup is the cage area and has a central play area:
Nearby, there is a play area for the large macaws, which I will include with the main bird room for the purposes of this overview:
And, finally, there is the bedroom setup for the Hahn's macaws:
1~ What kind of birds do you have and how many birds did you design your setup for?
I have 7 parrots: 2 large macaws (Blue & Gold, Red Fronted), 4 mini-macaws (2 Hahn's, 2 Illiger's), 1 Congo African Grey. I don't know that I "designed" my setup. It just sort of happened on a catch-as-catch-can basis. But, it works well enough for now.
Elvis's Cage (King's 64"x32"):
Zoe's Cage (new King's 40"x40"x22"*3 corner cage):
Patrick's Cage (HQ 40"x30"):
Lily's Cage (Avian Adventures 42"x30"):
Keene's Cage (King's 34"x26" playtop):
2~ Is your setup for a handicapped bird?
No. If anything, my setups work better for highly mobile and flighted birds.
3~ Is your setup changeable or stationary and do you add or make changes continually or do things stay primarily as is?
These setups are primarily stationary. The cages and manzanita stands may be moved but usually are only moved for cleaning.
4~ 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 Flyer came from Donna at Exotic Wood Dreams; the bottlebrush gym came from Windy City Parrot. I order toys/parts from My Safe Bird Store, Birdie Boutique, Things 4 Wings, Mother Pluckin' Bird Toys, CA Bird Nerds, and I occasionally order certain supplies and perches (boings/rope perches) from larger chains like Foster and Smith.
5~ Do you have a favorite item that you bought for your setup?
The large EWD Flyer is probably the favorite item. I don't know what Elvis would do without it.
6~ 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?
I used several foraging toys when I first began but don't purchase as many as I did. Except for Elvis and her can o' nuts (of which she never tires), my birds tend to figure them out and get bored with them quickly. I do sometimes hide treats in paper or cardboard for them.
7~ What difficulties did you encounter, if any, and how did you remedy them?
The main difficulty was readying a suitable area for Elvis, my Blue and Gold macaw, to play--she needed space, but she also needed an area in which she could be a bird (i.e. not my living room). I eventually settled on the backdoor nook area off the kitchen, and I used the EWD flyer as the focal point.
8~ What do you like least about your set up (if anything)?
The main thing I dislike is the lack of space and cramped feel in the main bird room right now, but at least most of my birds (except Keene) have cages that are not only acceptable but roomy. Larger cages take up more floor space, but they're worth it. If Lily and Patrick can ever share a cage (fingers crossed!), I may be able to solve both of those issues.
9~ What do you like most about your setup?
I like that I am able to provide separate areas for birds of different sizes to some degree. My Hahn's are completely separate, and the Illiger's usually have their out time in the main bird room, whereas the larger birds tend to flock together in Elvis's area (much to her chagrin).
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?
Macaws are usually pretty adaptable, and Zoe is the only one who usually needs adjustment time. As I recall, she needed a week or two to get used to the bottlebrush gym. Keene is a Congo African Grey, so you'd think she would need time too, but except for the avian scale, Keene is afraid of absolutely nothing. She routinely goes places the macaws would fear to tread.
11~ Any future renovations planned?
As my budget allows, yes. I will need to replace cages (especially Keene's--she needs a larger one) and perches in cages on an as-needed basis, and I would like to get a a small flyer for the Hahn's someday. And, they need more new toys. That is for the future, though. Right now, I have a little recovering to do from my most recent adjustments related to upgrading Zoe's cage and adding Lily, my rescue Illiger's.
The main bird room setup is the cage area and has a central play area:
Nearby, there is a play area for the large macaws, which I will include with the main bird room for the purposes of this overview:
And, finally, there is the bedroom setup for the Hahn's macaws:
I didn't realize that Sonny and Max don't share a cage. Is that just because of the cage size, or a different reason?
