Ideas for new cage layout please

[Marianne Marlow]

I have three perches and 3 "stepping stones perches", but I am not sure how to lay them out in Penny and Lyras cage so that it is more interesting/fulfilling for them.



Any ideas would be great. They live in a large hagen vision.

All I have are tired old ideas and I need some new perspective!

Thanks in advance.

[Hezz]

I’d put the perches between the stepping stones as birds don’t like having their feet flat for overly long periods of time, but other than that not sure how to help. Whenever you think you have just the right answer to a budgie problem, they decide they are not going to have a bar of it so I think you might be doing a bit of shuffling around to find whatever it is that works for them.

[ladybird]

Just feeling jealous that you can move anything around….my Charlie freaks out if I move even one perch an inch. Your cage looks so interesting and playful for them Marianne.

[Ira]

Probably some trial and error. I want to suggest propping a ladder on one of the platforms with the hooks around the cage bars so they have a sloping ladder that's not on the cage floor, but that only works if you have a spare because I imagine they need the one that's at the bottom of the cage.

Bend one of the rope perches into a spiral in one corner?

[Marianne Marlow]

Hezz thanks for reminding me of them not liking having their feet on flat perches for long periods of time, that's helpful.

Dec 28, 2021 0:26:26 GMT Hezz said:

I’d put the perches between the stepping stones as birds don’t like having their feet flat for overly long periods of time, but other than that not sure how to help. Whenever you think you have just the right answer to a budgie problem, they decide they are not going to have a bar of it so I think you might be doing a bit of shuffling around to find whatever it is that works for them.

ladybird Thanks for saying that the cage looks interesting, but I think they are really bored with it as they just sit still for most of the day. Especially Lyra, she either sits at the back, sits at the front or eats on the seed pots. She shows no interest in toys or shredding balsa.

I do not know if they will accept the changes, I am not even sure how I will make the changes without upsetting them. I can grab Penny and put her in another cage, but Lyra is a whole different kettle of fish, she is fast! She can also hover a little as despite her featherlessness, she can flap her wings very fast!

Dec 28, 2021 9:14:33 GMT ladybird said:

Just feeling jealous that you can move anything around….my Charlie freaks out if I move even one perch an inch. Your cage looks so interesting and playful for them Marianne.

Those are interesting ideas that I had not considered, thanks Ira I do have spare ladders.

Actually, neither of them need the ladder to climb up. The reason I have it is that Iris sometimes tries to bite their feet when they climb the cage bars. So the ladder means that they do not have to climb the bars as much. Lyra can actually jump pretty high cos she can flap!

Dec 28, 2021 14:31:09 GMT Ira said:

Probably some trial and error. I want to suggest propping a ladder on one of the platforms with the hooks around the cage bars so they have a sloping ladder that's not on the cage floor, but that only works if you have a spare because I imagine they need the one that's at the bottom of the cage.

Bend one of the rope perches into a spiral in one corner?

[Hezz]

Has Penny’s posture straightened up any since you first got her, M? If it hasn’t, something that Mango seems to appreciate is a ladder on the horizontal. It gives her something to rest her body on but her legs have something to hook around, bearing in mind that she has a lot of trouble with one of her legs - she struggles to get it to do what she needs it to do sometimes. When she “sits”, lies on her swing, she lies with her feet on the perch and her chest resting on the middle piece. it is one of those swings like a seesaw with a mirror in the middle which I’ve removed. I’ve recently put a vertical ladder in for her as well, but yet to see her use it.

[Marianne Marlow]

No, Penny's posture is still the same. JoJo's was like that too, she would waddle along.

Sadly not been able to make the cage arrangements yet (it's hard with a toddler lurking that does not nap anymore) but I'll take the ladder thing into consideration too.

Need to make a plan and stick to it!

Dec 29, 2021 0:24:59 GMT Hezz said:

Has Penny’s posture straightened up any since you first got her, M? If it hasn’t, something that Mango seems to appreciate is a ladder on the horizontal. It gives her something to rest her body on but her legs have something to hook around, bearing in mind that she has a lot of trouble with one of her legs - she struggles to get it to do what she needs it to do sometimes. When she “sits”, lies on her swing, she lies with her feet on the perch and her chest resting on the middle piece. it is one of those swings like a seesaw with a mirror in the middle which I’ve removed. I’ve recently put a vertical ladder in for her as well, but yet to see her use it.

[Hezz]

Mango has a flat perch but I never see her resting on it. She uses it but not as a resting place. To do that she seems to favour the ladders, I think the ladder rungs give her more control of her leg and toes. One of the toes on her crook foot is the one that Loki bit and is now crooked as well - that happened ages ago, I think it is what caused the bumblefoot she had once. I think it only happened because her toe was out of joint and pressure was happening where it hadn’t before.

[obionee]

I commend the efforts for anyone who keeps these bandits in their homes!!! The indoor Avery is very difficult to achieve (in my limited opinion). I have gone external with as much of a natural set up as possible, branches making up perches and sings.

We have tried to read as much as is possible and incorporate this learning as we have gone on, please see our journey - I hope it helps.

We never wanted a budgie until we saved one from a magpie

They are very clever and I guess the key is keeping them interested, mind you if I move anything within the Avery the birds take a few hours before they settle to the changes.