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Bird room or Aviary?

Grigals

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Hi Everyone! I know this might be a silly question but I need the best for my birds. My 2 green cheeks now one/one and a half are living in the same cage together after a year of outside cage bonding time (male and female pair). I take them out 4 hours everyday but they are still turning more to each other and away from me everyday. I'm struggling having them in a small townhouse contained to a tiny room (there's other family members animals every other room of the house, it wouldn't be safe to let them out of their room.) i feel they are bored in here no matter how many stands and toys and love I give them. In about a year we plan to move to a farm but I don't think I can wait to do something different. They are in their "don't touch me mum I'm independent" hormones phase. I feel they get crabby even being locked away in their appropriately sized cage for some of the day. Now, I have bought a 2m x 1.5m indoor aviary a few months ago, I planned to set it up on the farm in a year. I'm thinking of setting it up for them in their room now however it would take up most of the whole room and there won't be much space if any for them to be let out with me. The other thing I was thinking is to just bird proof the whole room and let them roam free, the problem with that is they are cheeky little things and even with completely nothing in the room they would somehow find a way to chew up the walls and floor. Please give me suggestions!!
 

expressmailtome

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webchirp

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Yes, when I let carlton and Giggie roam, one day they removed the paper from the drywall. They are very adept at peeling. But the cage was close to the wall so they could reach. Think about heights. If they are on the floor and you add a 1 ft non chewable barrier such as plexiglass and then keep the items away from the wall so they can't reach out and grab. It's feasible, you just have to think ahead from their points of view.
 

Sparkles!

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Free ranging hormonal birds will find things to destroy. They’re just doing something that’s natural and biologically appropriate- but to the cost of everything in the room.
I don’t relish digging out a nesty bird from wherever they’ve tried to hole up, so I do not let a breeding pair or hormonal female free range.

What makes you think they’re bored? Are they excessively vocalizing or showing stress signs?
 

Shannan

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You know your birds best but I would say give them the most caged space you can as you can not be stressed out the whole time thinking of what they are getting into. Then I would do frequent cage rearranging. By. rearranging nearly everything in their cage a few times a year, it keeps their minds and bodies engaged as they learn to navigate the new set up. I used to do this about 4 times a year when Walter was young (and not arthritic and nearly blind). As you said, it is only for a year before you move and they get improved conditions. You also mentioned other pets in the home and all it takes is one door not quite latched to have a problem. As long as there is enough room for you to comfortably sit in the room and play with them, you are good.
 

Grigals

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Free ranging hormonal birds will find things to destroy. They’re just doing something that’s natural and biologically appropriate- but to the cost of everything in the room.
I don’t relish digging out a nesty bird from wherever they’ve tried to hole up, so I do not let a breeding pair or hormonal female free range.

What makes you think they’re bored? Are they excessively vocalizing or showing stress signs?
They scream a lot as soon as I put them back into their cage but otherwise they are healthy. I think they just want to be out and flying all the time and they dont like going back into their cage. Its the biggest cage I could find with small enough bar spacing. They have so many toys and stands and good healthy food (chop and pellets) maybe they aren't bored they just want to be out? As soon as they are let out they are off flying, sitting at the window, playing with toys. I feel its hard to provide them with a lot of activities in a cage because there's really not much room.
 

Grigals

Meeting neighbors
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You know your birds best but I would say give them the most caged space you can as you can not be stressed out the whole time thinking of what they are getting into. Then I would do frequent cage rearranging. By. rearranging nearly everything in their cage a few times a year, it keeps their minds and bodies engaged as they learn to navigate the new set up. I used to do this about 4 times a year when Walter was young (and not arthritic and nearly blind). As you said, it is only for a year before you move and they get improved conditions. You also mentioned other pets in the home and all it takes is one door not quite latched to have a problem. As long as there is enough room for you to comfortably sit in the room and play with them, you are good.
the cage rearranging is a brilliant idea thank you :) you're right If I did turn this room into a free range room I would be constantly worried my birds would be getting into mischief and about them escaping.
 

Shannan

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Walter always had fun re exploring his cage whenever I did a total cage make over. I noticed it the first time I upgraded his cage. He was so excited for his new cage that he spent hours exploring it and it was amazingly peaceful for a few days. At the time I was in college, so I rearranged him just before finals so I could get a little peace and quiet while I studied. Then I just continued until his near blindness and arthritis made it more stressful then fun. Now I just rotate one thing at a time and I have to be careful of his movement patterns. Yours are young so you have a lot of years of cage makeovers!
 
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