HOUSING - LARGE BIRDS
(Conures, African Gray Parrots, Amazon Parrots, Macaws and Cockatoos)
General information
A bird is entirely reliant on you for everything in its life. Its happiness
and good health are provided by you, the caring pet bird owner. It is important
to continually strive to better your bird's life and help ensure the maintenance
of a long lasting, healthy relationship between you and your bird.
How big should my bird's cage be?
As a general rule, bigger is better. In the wild a bird would spend much of
it's day flying from tree to tree in search of food and at play. In captivity,
we must allow for some sort of exercise, self expression and entertainment.
The cage must be big enough to move around in with ease from perch to perch
and stretch or flap the wings without striking anything. There are numerous
designs to suite all tastes. Generally a rectangular metal cage, preferably
longer than it is tall, is the best. Tall, narrow cages prove to be rather impractical
as most birds do NOT fly straight up and down. Round cages create a situation
in which every perch across its width is in some way directly over the perch
below it. This leads to constant soiling with feces of all lower perches.
Wood, wicker or bamboo cages may be attractive or decorative but are impossible
to clean and disinfect effectively due to their porous nature. These cages will
NOT confine larger birds as they are quickly chewed apart with great ease.
An all metal cage is the most practical to maintain. The bars on the cage must
be close enough together to prevent the bird from getting its head through the
bars.
What sort of perches should I have?
A bird spends all its time standing on a perch so careful consideration must
be given to this aspect of your pet's environment. Tree branches or wood naturally
make the best perches (heating branches in an oven at 300°F for 30 minutes
will kill any bugs). Providing nontoxic, washed, fresh branches such as apple,
elm, ash, maple or willow will be both functional and attractive in the cage.
Natural branches should be selected such that a variety of diameters are available
to perch on. This affords various textures, choice of grip and good exercise
for the feet. Wood perches seem to help wear the nails down better than other
materials. Branches provide an entertainment value for those birds who like
to chew. Wood is more difficult to disinfect due to its porous nature but can
be washed and replaced often.
Sandpaper perch covers do little to wear the nails down and can lead to serious
foot irritation, sores or deep infections. Remember that no tree in the wild
has sandpaper on it!
Plastic perches are easy to clean and disinfect but may prove slippery
for gripping and seem to only be available in a couple of sizes. Larger
birds may chew and splinter the plastics into sharp pieces.
Natural hemp or cotton rope seems to provide a variety of texture but must
be monitored carefully so that the fine fibers do not become entangled around
the bird's toes. This is a much more serious problem with synthetic fiber
rope and nesting materials. These should never be used. |
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Concrete perches seem to provide an excellent texture for wearing the beak
and the nails. Care must be taken that this is not the only perch to stand on
in the cage.
What sort of food and water dishes should I provide?
Dishes are best made from sturdy nontoxic materials that are easy to clean
and disinfect every day. They should not be on the bottom of the cage since
this is the bird's "toilet". Position the dishes such that they are
easily accessible and will not be accidentally soiled with feces Some dishes
for larger birds are made of stainless steel and attach securely to the side
of the cage. These dishes may prevent your pet from tossing the dishes around.
The dishes should not be too deep or food will be wasted.
What about toys for my bird?
Being cooped up in a cage all day can be a very boring, frustrating experience.
Whether you are home with the bird or not, a pet must have some form of entertainment.
They love to play and explore. Toys may include ladders, rope, swings, mirrors,
bells, hanging toys, pieces of wood to chew on or rawhide chew toys.
Although most companies strive to provide safe toys, there are no quality controls
or regulations. Great care must be taken to ensure the toys you purchase are
free of potential dangers. Be mindful of snaps, clasps, bell clappers, open
chain links, removable parts, easily broken parts, glass or extraneous loose
fibers that may be chewed or swallowed or that the bird could become entangled
in. Rubber toys that are easily chewed apart can be very dangerous and must
be avoided. Make sure toys are large enough not to be swallowed.
Glass mirrors are NOT suitable for large birds since they are easily broken.
Polished stainless steel mirrors may be more appropriate.
Some birds like to hide in boxes or paper bags. Experiment with toys and find
out what your bird enjoys the most. You may wish to have an assortment of toys
that can be rotated on a daily basis to keep the bird from getting bored. Some
birds may appear frightened of new items in their environment. These toys should
be introduced slowly to allow the bird to become accustomed to their presence.
Should I clean my toys?
Occasionally toys get dusty or soiled. Some birds develop such an affection
towards a toy that they may even regurgitate on the toy in a display of courtship
or sexual offering. All toys should be periodically washed and disinfected.
Remember to rinse well with fresh water.
The following is a general guideline for minimum suggested cage sizes. Sizes
will vary depending on the size of the bird.
Conures
2 ft x 2 ft x 3 ft (60 cm x 60 cm x 90 cm)
African Gray, Amazon Parrots
2 ft x 3 ft x 4 ft (60 cm x 90 cm x 120 cm)
Cockatoos
3 ft x 3 ft x 4 ft (90 cm x 90 cm x 120 cm)
Macaws
small species 2 ft x 2 ft x 3 ft (60 cm x 60 cm x 90 cm)
large species 3 ft x 4 ft x 4 ft (90 cm x 120 cm x 120 cm)
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