Ask Gandalf

Q&A With a Wise Old Bird

Well, here I am for my first month as an authority on everything.  I have 3 questions that were submitted to my email so here goes:

Disclaimer:  The information in this column is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and no promises.  Feel free to disagree with me, but I reserve the right to bite when confronted in a negative manner.  Gandalf

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by Gandalf are his and his alone and do not necessarily express the opinions and views of Birdie Britches or any employee thereof.  Ms. Britches 

My Cage is My Home   

by Lisa McManus

I don't know about you, but when my birds have been out and are ready to go back in their cage, I always ask them if they are ready to go back to their house.  It seems when you think of a birdcage in this way it takes on a new meaning.  I'd like to discuss how to make a cage a home.

One of the most important aspects of a home is the architecture.  What is the cage made of?  If it's painted, the paint must be non-toxic.  Horizontal bars allow easy climbing; however birds do seem to enjoy sliding down the vertical bars like little monkeys.  Bar spacing is important.  If the bird can get its head between the bars it's too wide.   Make sure the wires do not come together in tight spaces where wings and feet might get caught.  Some of the fancy designs are attractive for us to look at, but have hidden dangers.  Size is important!  At the very least, birds need to be able to comfortably spread and flap their wings, but there also needs to be plenty of room for climbing and exercising.   Door size is another important consideration.    It needs to be large enough for your bird to easily go in and out, and an adequate latch is necessary to keep all those Houdini's at home!     

Most birds need to have a security roost for nighttime.  Usually this is in an upper corner of their house.  Some prefer an enclosed space such as a tent-like structure or a sleeping bag hung in the cage.  Some prefer to sleep under the stars, and some like to have the whole house covered.   

Now it's time to decorate.  You know how your feet get tired from standing in the same shoes, in the same place for a long period of time?  Our birds need to exercise their feet to keep them in shape.  This can be accomplished with different size perches and different textures.  Rope perches are a good example of interesting texture and differing size.  These perches give the feet a good exercise with the smaller and larger diameter of the coiled rope.  Branches collected from your trees are great for differing texture and size.  Just make sure the trees have not been sprayed with an insecticide, which could be harmful to your bird.  If you prefer to use the normal dowel perch, use a couple of different diameters.   You can also sand or file these to add texture.  Perches need to give ready access to food and water bowls, being careful not to place any over the bowls.  Concrete perches are good for grooming nails, but not for a central perch.  Can you imagine standing on grainy concrete all day?  

Next are the accents. Most birds love to swing, climb and chew.  Providing them with plenty of toys will keep them happy and entertained.  Just like our human kids, our feathered kids get bored with the same thing day after day.  You might want to have a toy box with extra toys to change monthly or weekly.  Chewing is a natural instinct, and our birds need to be able to chew and shred.  Destructible toys are a necessity, and variety is essential.  Most birds love colorful and chewable toys.   

If the home is happy, safe and fun, your bird will enjoy spending time there.  This will encourage independence and the ability to entertain themselves.  None of us know what the future holds, and we can't guarantee that our lifestyle won't change.  And if ours changes, so does our birds.  Maybe we won't have as much time, or they will have to be adopted by someone else.  If they are happy and secure in their houses, adjustments will be much easier.  But, of course they will always look forward to their time with you!