Macawnutz
Seriously Nutz!
Super Administrator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
January 2017 Feathered Estates Highlight
I am very pleased to announce this month's showcased member
Aubrey!
1~ What kind of birds do you have and how many birds did you design your setup for?
1) I only have one parrot. He's an approximately 10 year old Maximilian Pionus named Leto.
2~ Is your setup for a handicapped bird?
2) No
3~ Are there any budgeting tips you discovered while doing your setup?
3) Ummm, I'm terrible at budgeting. But do try to take advantage of the AA vendors discounts during the Sidewalk Sale. We love Oliver's Garden and their nautic themed toys, Tweety Pies Bird Toys (can't have enough of these), Avian Stainless, Blu's Bird Toys, Things 4 Wings and more.
4~ Is your setup changeable or stationary and do you add or make changes continually or do things stay primarily as is?
4) Leto's cage/play gym setup is primarily stationary. But I do change out the toys and perches about every 2-3 weeks or if they are turned to rubble. I also tend to take Leto with me when I go into the bathroom or down to the basement to do laundry.
My laundry helper in the bedroom
This is his cage/playgym connected by a rope perch.
Close up of his cage and the cutie waving.
Nommers!
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?
5) I almost exclusively buy my bird toys/ perches from AA vendors. I do buy Leto's pellets, caitec oven fresh bites, from Amazon Prime by the 15 lb bag. And there is an excellent local parrot shop here in St Louis called Varietees. Some stuff is bought there too.
6~ Do you have a favorite item that you bought for your setup?
6) I really like Leto's play gym. I feel like by connecting it to his cage, I added a good amount of square footage to his amusement park area. I also have have small mobile perches in the bathroom and by the TV that Leto can just hang out on.
Here's Leto getting a steam shower on his perch that my husband made. The vet said daily steam is so good for him.
7~ If you made any DIY toys what is your bird(s) favorite and were there any failures?
7) No DIY. I'm not very inventive with the bird toys.
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?
8) I adopted Leto as an 8 year old adult bird. Unfortunately, he's never been a stupendous eater. The most foraging we do for my skinny Pi is hiding nutriberries in coffee filters (that he's watched me fold up).
9~ What difficulties did you encounter, if any, and how did you remedy them?
9) the biggest difficulty is the hight vaulted ceilings. I'd like to hang stuff for him up there but the ceilings pose a bit of a challenge.
10~ What do you like least about your set up (if anything)?
10) the thing i like least is that i don't use the vertical space. I'd love to hang a birdy atom but can't figure out how to do it from this hi vaulted ceilings.
11~ What do you like most about your setup?
11) In addition to the play gym I'm happy I have a sleep cage for Leto set up in the spare bedroom. Since his main cage is only 10 feet from the TV and my husband watches it late into the night, having the sleep cage provides Leto with peace and quiet for 12+ hrs every night.
Here's Leto in his sleep cage.
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?
12) Leto took to his cage and playgym immediately. He's always loves his new toys right away too. He's a very adaptive little guy.
13~ Any future renovations planned?
13) In a perfect world we'd have an aviary, but that is likely a pipe dream.
Thanks to everybody that read through this