Shezbug
ASK ME FOR PICTURES OF MY MACAW!
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Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
June 2021 Feathered Estates
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I am very pleased to announce this
month's showcased member
Mizzely
Highlight
I am very pleased to announce this
month's showcased member
Mizzely
1~ What kind of birds do you have and how many birds did you design your setup for?
My set up is for a single Jardine's parrot named Ripley
2~ Is your setup for a handicapped bird?
Technically no, but it is geared towards a bird that rarely flies.
3~ Are there any budgeting tips you discovered while doing your setup?
Honestly, go for quality over a bargain. My most expensive items have lasted years longer than similar items that were half the price. Wait for sales and try to keep in mind what your bird would actually use vs what you think would be cool. I've wasted a lot of money over the years on things I liked that the the birds didn't!
4~ Is your setup changeable or stationary and do you add or make changes continually or do things stay primarily as is?
I would say it primarily stays as is, with some elements designed to be swapped out or rearranged. The cage, hanging hooks, and playstands are fairly stationary, except for when I push the cage out onto the deck.
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?
I love my fellow AA vendors! I truly have stuff from all of them I believe (and wishlists yet to fulfill!)
Wooden Beam: Home Depot
Window Perch: BeMore Birds
Small manilla orb swing: Seriously Nutz
Cotton Rope Highway: Oliver's Garden
Large Cotton Atom: Mother Pluckin Bird Toys (sadly no longer around, but Oliver's Garden and Seriously Nutz have alternatives!)
Playstand: Prevue Pet Products
Cage: King's Aluminum (old style, found on Craigslist!)
6~ Do you have a favorite item that you bought for your setup?
My favorite is still the MPBT atom, which is now almost 10 years old. I'll be sad when it's finally destroyed!
Ripley's favorite is the window perch. He spends a lot of time on it every day!
7~ If you made any DIY toys what is your bird(s) favorite and were there any failures?
Ripley really loves most toys so not a lot of failures luckily. As for DIY, he really likes cardboard boxes, phone books, egg cartons, drink containers, etc, so I usually have a few of those set aside to give him with some almonds to find.
8~ 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?
Since Ripley doesn't really fly, foraging is a huge part of his day to keep him stimulated and moving. I do give him "free" pellets... But they are usually a brand he doesn't like. The rest of his pellets and nuts he has to find throughout his area. I do give him a bowl of chop in the morning that he largely ignores, and a top up bowl of Zupreem pellets before bed as he has a hard time keeping weight on.
9~ What difficulties did you encounter, if any, and how did you remedy them?
I would say the biggest challenge has been finding the balance between encouraging movement (climbing, flying, foraging), with ease of access. Since he doesn't really fly, I have to consider how he can get around.
The other difficultly has been keeping my house from being chewed! I have had to move things slightly or add extra pine to keep him from chewing the walls, beams, and door frames. It's all a matter of monitoring and adjusting.
10~ What do you like least about your set up (if anything)?
Right now my flooring around his set up is carpet and I would like to update it to something easier to clean up.
I also need a better barrier than the baby gate system I have as it's ugly and not user friendly
And it's so hard to take photos of because of the patio door lighting!
11~ What do you like most about your setup?
I love that Ripley loves it. I try to spoil him as much as I can because no one did for almost 2 decades. He genuinely loves playing, and swinging, and chewing, and foraging, and seeing him get excited, or trying out a new climbing path, or figuring out a new foraging toy is really just so fulfilling for me.
12~ 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?
Ripley is basically fearless with anything in his area. As soon as it is near his stuff, he runs over and checks it out... Sometimes while I'm still holding it! He's 22 years old this year and you'd never know he spent 19 years in a small cage without toys!
13~ Any future renovations planned?
My dream is to enclose the balcony and have an area for Ripley so we don't have to move the entire cage out on nice days! Currently waiting for the lumber prices to equalize
I would also like to add a wooden playstand area.
