I am very happy to announce CKJ (Cindy) for our Sept 2012 featured Feathered Estates Highlight! Cindy's theme is Multi-Room Setups for Medium Birds and she's done a marvelous job designing happy places for Pico to stay busy and motivated.
1~ What kind of birds do you have and how many birds did you design your setup for?
I have a 5 year old White Bellied Caique named Pico, and a 2 year old Budgie named
Bindi.(I rescued Bindi a year ago and still in the process of taming. She's not frighten
of my hands and will step up. Just not able to let her out to play yet.)
2~ Is your setup for a handicapped bird?
No, but would if needed to be.
3~ Are there any budgeting tips you discovered while doing your setup?
Garage Sales, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, & Dollar Stores are the place to go for items to
use in making play tops and buying toy parts. My dad made the play top in the
computer room using a TV tray. A friend gave me the tree parts and I found another
limb in my yard for the play tree stand which were cleaned & disinfected with bleach
before letting Pico on it. I found baby toys (like new) at garage sales one being Pico's
favorite. And, of course, I shop Avian Avenue's Sidewalk Sale. Also, items around the
house can make great activity toys like a kleenex box, egg carton, straws, plastic lids -
which Pico like to chew on all.
4~ Is your setup changeable or stationary and do you add or make changes continually or do things stay primarily as is?
Pico's day cage with playtop and the bathroom bay window are the only stationary ones:
The play top in the computer room, play top & perch at front glass door, and the play tree stand are all movable. I do change out toys in both cages on a regular basis in all play areas:
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?
Garage Sales, Michael's, Hobby Lobby,Dollar Stores, and the dollar area in Target along with AA vendors for toys and toy parts.
6~ Do you have a favorite item that you bought for your setup? I have several favorite items - one being a child's toy I bought at a garage sale along with the Orbit and Jolly Ball.
7~ If you made any DIY toys what is your bird(s) favorite and were there any failures?
Pico (and Bindi's) favorite hanging toys that I make have balsa wood, beads, and a bell.
Majority of the foot toys I make for Pico, she loves. Failures - A couple of hanging
toys that Pico didn't like along with a woven mat that I spent time putting small toys on
it which is still sitting in the toy box. I still offer the mat to her, but she doesn't like
it. Maybe one she will.
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? Pico is not a good forager, but is learning. I have a little wooded pot with top that I put a treat in along with a basket with shredded color paper that I hide treats in. The basket is her favorite! I also wrap treats in paper and put them in toys in her cage. I just recently started hiding an almond or walnut chip in a dried corn husk tied at each end. This one took her a while to figure out. I had to show her that I was hiding something good in it. I think age is a factor as far as Pico is concerned. As she has matured, she has learned to forage better.
9~ What difficulties did you encounter, if any, and how did you remedy them?Difficulties in creating the play areas was not being able to hang something from the ceiling.
10~ What do you like least about your set up (if anything)? I would love to have a designated bird room to hang toys, etc.from the ceiling and decorate it just for the birds.
11~ What do you like most about your setup? I'm able to move Pico around the house from room to room with me where she has a place to play and I can still keep an eye on her.
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? Pico took to all her play areas very quickly except the tree stand which she is gradually getting use to.
13~ Any future renovations planned?
I'd like to get a larger net and some more hanging toys.
1~ What kind of birds do you have and how many birds did you design your setup for?
I have a 5 year old White Bellied Caique named Pico, and a 2 year old Budgie named
Bindi.(I rescued Bindi a year ago and still in the process of taming. She's not frighten
of my hands and will step up. Just not able to let her out to play yet.)
2~ Is your setup for a handicapped bird?
No, but would if needed to be.
3~ Are there any budgeting tips you discovered while doing your setup?
Garage Sales, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, & Dollar Stores are the place to go for items to
use in making play tops and buying toy parts. My dad made the play top in the
computer room using a TV tray. A friend gave me the tree parts and I found another
limb in my yard for the play tree stand which were cleaned & disinfected with bleach
before letting Pico on it. I found baby toys (like new) at garage sales one being Pico's
favorite. And, of course, I shop Avian Avenue's Sidewalk Sale. Also, items around the
house can make great activity toys like a kleenex box, egg carton, straws, plastic lids -
which Pico like to chew on all.
4~ Is your setup changeable or stationary and do you add or make changes continually or do things stay primarily as is?
Pico's day cage with playtop and the bathroom bay window are the only stationary ones:
The play top in the computer room, play top & perch at front glass door, and the play tree stand are all movable. I do change out toys in both cages on a regular basis in all play areas:
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?
Garage Sales, Michael's, Hobby Lobby,Dollar Stores, and the dollar area in Target along with AA vendors for toys and toy parts.
6~ Do you have a favorite item that you bought for your setup? I have several favorite items - one being a child's toy I bought at a garage sale along with the Orbit and Jolly Ball.
7~ If you made any DIY toys what is your bird(s) favorite and were there any failures?
Pico (and Bindi's) favorite hanging toys that I make have balsa wood, beads, and a bell.
Majority of the foot toys I make for Pico, she loves. Failures - A couple of hanging
toys that Pico didn't like along with a woven mat that I spent time putting small toys on
it which is still sitting in the toy box. I still offer the mat to her, but she doesn't like
it. Maybe one she will.
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? Pico is not a good forager, but is learning. I have a little wooded pot with top that I put a treat in along with a basket with shredded color paper that I hide treats in. The basket is her favorite! I also wrap treats in paper and put them in toys in her cage. I just recently started hiding an almond or walnut chip in a dried corn husk tied at each end. This one took her a while to figure out. I had to show her that I was hiding something good in it. I think age is a factor as far as Pico is concerned. As she has matured, she has learned to forage better.
9~ What difficulties did you encounter, if any, and how did you remedy them?Difficulties in creating the play areas was not being able to hang something from the ceiling.
10~ What do you like least about your set up (if anything)? I would love to have a designated bird room to hang toys, etc.from the ceiling and decorate it just for the birds.
11~ What do you like most about your setup? I'm able to move Pico around the house from room to room with me where she has a place to play and I can still keep an eye on her.
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? Pico took to all her play areas very quickly except the tree stand which she is gradually getting use to.
13~ Any future renovations planned?
I'd like to get a larger net and some more hanging toys.
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Wonderful set ups! Congrats
Closing the thread while I work on it.
