Bar spacing/new cage and lighting confusion!

[stephM]

Hi Everyone!
First time poster, love how supportive this whole site is after reading around! I actually have what feels like a ton of questions, hopefully its okay I put them in one thread, but please let me know if its better to seperate them out!

A little background on me - I have had my boy Eclectus for about 19-20 years now that I got right after graduating college, he‘s my absolute soulmate. I also had a sassy, girl Jenday conure for about 6 years - unfortunately she was from Petco and had several health issues (heart Arythmia and joint issues, feather loss) and last year I had to put her to sleep because she was in constant pain from the joint issues, (which the vet could never tell me why it happened except possible bad genetics.. ). I was heart broken and devastated And thought I would never get another bird, but fast forward a year, and I miss having a little sassy bird (my Eclectus man is, by contract, so laid back and sweet!)

I now have a down payment on a Sun conure from the breeder I got my Ekkie from, but I find myself being very anxious this time around to get everything perfect, and trying to see where I could have gone wrong or make improvements like in diet (I know she ate too many safflower seeds for ex!) One thing that I discovered was the bar spacing on the cage I previously used for my Jenday girl all those years was possibly dangerous! I have a huge macaw size King’s cage - 47in L X 35in W X 50in H with the dometop, but the bar spacing 1 in. I read a lot on this, and found conflicting opinions saying this could possibly be okay, to absolutely not. I work from home, so I would be around almost all of the time to monitor the new bird around the cage and see if its head fits between the bars. My Jenday never seemed able fully stick her head out, just her beak up to the base) and she never showed any desire to try to escape or squeeze through, so I’m not sure if I should buy a new cage now, or wait and see how it goes? In the meantime I have my Jendays old sleep cage which was 30in L X 17.5in L X 16 in H to use while the bird is being quarentined.. Is that okay for that time? Or should I run out and by an intermediate size cage to use in the interim before I can try to acclimate the bird to the big cage? Soo many questions! LOL (I should also mention that I can’t even remove that huge cage from the bedroom it is in, where the new bird will be quarentining in so I’m not even sure how I would keep them off of it long term if it is that dangerous…hopefully its not )

The other thing really confusing me is the lighting. I had a OTT light for the big cage, but if I am planning on having the bird out with me the majority of the day while I work, and not in the cage/bedroom I feel like I should actually get additional lighting for the bird’s playstand near my desk. I have been researching the CRI and K needed for birds (100 CRI and 5000 K ideally I have read) and it seems really hard to find exactly this. I grow orchids and other plants with a very simple desk lamp and an LED bulb thats a little higher K so I wouldn’t use that… but can I do the same for my bird if I find an LED bulb that matches those requirements above? I found one on Amazon that is pretty close to that, it says over 90 CRI and the right K… but does anyone else use desk lamps for their birds lighting needs?? I know it also has to be a certain distance away… so many considerations! And I have read wildly different requirements regarding the amount of time needed with the light on - anywhere from a couple hours, 3-4, to 12… can anyone set me straight? Or I would love to hear about anyone else’s lighting setup!!

Thank you all in advance for reading all of this and bearing with an anxious new expectant conure mom!!
-Steph M

 

[owlsthetic]

& welcome!

I'm sorry to hear about your Jenday

I think 1" bar spacing is too big personally for Suns (worried about head getting stuck) but I only have a GCC so you might wanna hear of other people's opinions before deciding

I think the sleep cage would work fine for a quarantine cage since you mentioned you can have the bird out for the majority of the day as you work.

I've read some older threads here relating to lighting as well when I was doing my research! And there was a lot of conflicting information on pros and cons of avian lighting so I decided to follow the advice on this thread where I don't use any special "avian lighting" but just LED lights overhead when it's dim (mine are adjustable from 3000k to 5000k, not sure what CRI though).

I have found my bird is definitely more active when I turned the lights on his cage during the day in the winter season. So I would definitely go for lights in dimmer conditions. I personally don't like having the light directly overhead the cage so I do place it on top his cage perches which I find obstructs it enough to be not directly in his face.


I would love to see pictures of your Ekkie boy though

And of course of your new Sun when you get them! Do you have a date already?

 

[stephM]

Thank you @owlsthetic for the welcome and advice!! I‘m glad the smaller cage will do for the quarentine period, phew! I’m excited I just bought a cool playstand for the new bird as well! At least this will give me more time to make a decision re: new cage or not! I really love your cage and set up though, if you bought the cage online, I’d love a link to where you bought it!

Also thanks for that info on the lighting, that was helpful ! Looks like the LED bulbs I was planning to get are prob fine , and confirmed there’s nothing special about all these special avian lights I am seeing. I’ll have to play around with the setup to make sure its not directly above or shining in their eyes .

Oh, I def have pictures! (My Ekkie, being older, also has some health issues, so pardon his bald head/feather loss! LOL Of course, I still find him handome as ever ). I don’t have a date yet for the new Sun, at least 3-4 more weeks he said, but I already have some pics!

-Steph M

 

[Kiwi's Dad]

Your babies are so cute

I'd say 1in is too big, but 3/4in or 1/2in is a good size.

 

[Kiwi's Dad]

I believe this is the cage @owlsthetic uses: Cage

This cage is also a great option: Cage

 

[owlsthetic]

Thank you @owlsthetic for the welcome and advice!! I‘m glad the smaller cage will do for the quarentine period, phew! I’m excited I just bought a cool playstand for the new bird as well! At least this will give me more time to make a decision re: new cage or not! I really love your cage and set up though, if you bought the cage online, I’d love a link to where you bought it!

Also thanks for that info on the lighting, that was helpful ! Looks like the LED bulbs I was planning to get are prob fine , and confirmed there’s nothing special about all these special avian lights I am seeing. I’ll have to play around with the setup to make sure its not directly above or shining in their eyes .

Oh, I def have pictures! (My Ekkie, being older, also has some health issues, so pardon his bald head/feather loss! LOL Of course, I still find him handome as ever ). I don’t have a date yet for the new Sun, at least 3-4 more weeks he said, but I already have some pics!

-Steph M

Ooh so exciting! I'd love see some pictures of the playstand when you have it set up!

I bought my cage from my local shop in BC since shipping is cheaper locally, but here's a link for it on King's Cages website SLF 2818 SUPERIOR LINE FLIGHT CAGE

Yup that's the idea I got from reading all the threads I could find on AA too. Just plain old LED lights seem to do the trick

AWWW you're Ekkie is soooo cute. The feathers on his face looks like a little beardstache What's the sweet boy's name?

The Sun baby looks adorable too! I bet you can't wait

 

[owlsthetic]

I believe this is the cage @owlsthetic uses: Cage

This cage is also a great option: Cage

You found it faster than me!

 

[stephM]

Your babies are so cute

I'd say 1in is too big, but 3/4in or 1/2in is a good size.

Thank you!!

 

[Kiwi's Dad]

Thank you!!

No Problem

 

[stephM]

Ooh so exciting! I'd love see some pictures of the playstand when you have it set up!

I bought my cage from my local shop in BC since shipping is cheaper locally, but here's a link for it

Yup that's the idea I got from reading all the threads I could find on AA too. Just plain old LED lights seem to do the trick

AWWW you're Ekkie is soooo cute. The feathers on his face looks like a little beardstache What's the sweet boy's name?

The Sun baby looks adorable too! I bet you can't wait

Ohh thank you (both! ) for the link - that’s a beautiful cage!! I was actually looking at Kings too because I’ve had that huge cage for as long as I’ve had my boy and I was giving it a thorough cleaning this week - darn thing still looks brand new !! But it was very overwhelming with so many choices on their site this helps tremendously! I will def send a pic of the playstand once it’s here and assembled!

My boy’s name is Bingey, or Binger, because when he was younger and hormonal he always used to binge out on a ton of food and then go feed his “bappy” (which happened to be a flip flop he would flip upside down and gurge for!! LOL). He doesn’t do that so much anymore, but he still gets manly bird urges!!

Is your little buddy in your profile pic a pineapple conure ? They’re so cute !

 

[Shezbug]

What lighting needs are you referring to can I ask?

 

[stephM]

Oh, I had read a bunch of places how birds need special full spectrum UVA/UVB lighting to maintain their feathers, but in varying amounts everywhere but also read how the full spectrum bulbs are a myth and can accomplish the same with LED bulbs

 

[Shezbug]

I don’t use any special lighting for my birds, they have the normal lights the house has and I turn them on when needed lol.

If you do a search on here you will find some really informative posts about lighting by @Ripshod.

I haven’t heard about led lights being beneficial for D3 production- is that what you’re referring to?

 

[stephM]

Yes exactly, some sites say I need these special fluorescent lights for D3 and healthy feather production , even to see food right ?! (My birds have never had that problem lol)

 

[Zara]

I need these special fluorescent lights for D3 and healthy feather production

If your bird is eating pellets, they will get some D3 from those (check the ingredients to be sure they contain it, some don´t). If you feel your bird is deficient, you can discuss this with your vet and they can run tests to see if they think your bird will benefit from a vitamin D3 supplement.

 

[owlsthetic]

Ohh thank you (both! ) for the link - that’s a beautiful cage!! I was actually looking at Kings too because I’ve had that huge cage for as long as I’ve had my boy and I was giving it a thorough cleaning this week - darn thing still looks brand new !! But it was very overwhelming with so many choices on their site this helps tremendously! I will def send a pic of the playstand once it’s here and assembled!

No problem! I really liked the cage when I first saw it too! And I went with white cause I just think it looks neat and clean (although the sandstone looked pretty nice in person too)

Yeah Kings' quality is what made me go for it too! I wanted to get a cage that would last a good while.

Good luck finding that perfect cage though! I know it can be very overwhelming haha. If there's a physical store that carries bird cages near you I think it can be worth it to check out in person. I found seeing the cages in person helped me a lot in deciding which one I wanted to go with!

Yay I look forward to it! I love seeing other people's setups

My boy’s name is Bingey, or Binger, because when he was younger and hormonal he always used to binge out on a ton of food and then go feed his “bappy” (which happened to be a flip flop he would flip upside down and gurge for!! LOL). He doesn’t do that so much anymore, but he still gets manly bird urges!!

Is your little buddy in your profile pic a pineapple conure ? They’re so cute !

Oh Bingey/Binger is a cute name (Bingey the Binger haha) ! "Bappy" would make a good name too lol. He seems like quite the character

Yeah! My profile is my buddy Pico he is a pineapple! Haha thank you I don't know whatvit is but all birds just seem to be so photogenic

 

[stephM]

Thank you @owlsthetic , he definitely is a character and the light of my life and I agree, something about their faces just always looks adorable to me !

It’s been crazy here the last few days as I wasn’t prepared for the new baby to come home so soon! but the breeder had called and said she’s ready as she is eating a ton and had been refusing hand feedings, so she came home yesterday and it’s been like a new mom!! Lol she IS eating a ton, which is great, and already tried two new soft foods today -warmed up soft baby carrots and two little whole wheat pasta but I was hoping you all here might settle a debate I am having with my dad! Little Nipper is afraid of my hands which I know is totally normal for a new baby parrot. When I saw her at the breeder, he picked her up by grabbing her from the back, which I could tell she did not like obviously. And she was very frightened when I moved her from the travel carrier into her new cage and bit me a bunch and freaked out for obvious reasons lol. Since then, I have not attempted to force her out or grab her from the back like that I have slowly been putting my hands closer to her and backing off when she starts getting very scared. I feel like it’s not a big deal, and I have all the time in the world to build my relationship with her so I don’t see the point in rushing it, and forcing her out by grabbing her like that even if she would like to come out,( and I can tell that she does really want to come out near me)) ! My dad said he is old-fashioned and would just grab her and take her out and start holding her right away to get her used to it… but I just don’t feel right, forcing her and grabbing her when I can just wait a while…Do you think she is worse off if I don’t try to hold her until she comes out on my hand on her own?? I don’t think (at least I hope ) that taking it slow will stop her from liking holding, and scritchies in the future ? What do you all think ?

thanks in advance !! This place is so great to come to for advice!

 

[owlsthetic]

Thank you @owlsthetic , he definitely is a character and the light of my life and I agree, something about their faces just always looks adorable to me !

It’s been crazy here the last few days as I wasn’t prepared for the new baby to come home so soon! but the breeder had called and said she’s ready as she is eating a ton and had been refusing hand feedings, so she came home yesterday and it’s been like a new mom!! Lol she IS eating a ton, which is great, and already tried two new soft foods today -warmed up soft baby carrots and two little whole wheat pasta but I was hoping you all here might settle a debate I am having with my dad! Little Nipper is afraid of my hands which I know is totally normal for a new baby parrot. When I saw her at the breeder, he picked her up by grabbing her from the back, which I could tell she did not like obviously. And she was very frightened when I moved her from the travel carrier into her new cage and bit me a bunch and freaked out for obvious reasons lol. Since then, I have not attempted to force her out or grab her from the back like that I have slowly been putting my hands closer to her and backing off when she starts getting very scared. I feel like it’s not a big deal, and I have all the time in the world to build my relationship with her so I don’t see the point in rushing it, and forcing her out by grabbing her like that even if she would like to come out,( and I can tell that she does really want to come out near me)) ! My dad said he is old-fashioned and would just grab her and take her out and start holding her right away to get her used to it… but I just don’t feel right, forcing her and grabbing her when I can just wait a while…Do you think she is worse off if I don’t try to hold her until she comes out on my hand on her own?? I don’t think (at least I hope ) that taking it slow will stop her from liking holding, and scritchies in the future ? What do you all think ?

thanks in advance !! This place is so great to come to for advice!

Oh the new baby is home It must've been super busy! But so exciting!

Its great to hear she's eating a lot! I would definitely side with you in the debate though. I wouldn't try to force her with hands. I think having her associate your hands with positive things (like treats, out of cage time) is very important. I would feed her some treats, millet through cage bars so she can start to trust your hands. Also encouraging her to come out on her own/step up with treats. Especially since conures to tend be be a bit nippier side if you force her and ignore her body language she might start resorting to biting you to get her point across.

I wouldn't worry about her not wanting to be held or scritches. Conures tend to be pretty velcro birds

I used to treat encouragement method with my bird and he was still veryyyy clingy. I think it actually helped us bond more simce he associated me with treats and out of cage fun times lol.

Can she fly right now btw? Or did the breeder clip her?

I can't wait to see any more pictures of your baby girl once she settles down more

Oh btw have you made a post in the "Welcome Lane" yet? Sometimes people don't necessarily check species specific posts (like Conures) so it might help to make a post there too! Lots of members usually have great general advice for new birds regardless of species

 

[Tyrion]

and

 

[Emma&pico]

Welcome and congratulations on your new baby

your boy is so cute

sorry about your loss

I am on your side don’t grab her go at her pace she will respond so much better in long run just keep offering treats and leaving cage door open sit and chat to her