Hi
Below was written by the chicago area person who made the vidio
you purchased from windy city parrot. Hope it helps
http://www.windycityparrot.com/page/Windycityparrot/CTGY/library
web page for more
One of the first things I evaluate with a problem bird is their
cage. Where it is located, size, shape, and how it is set up.
Many behavior problems can be attributed to having your parrot
in improper surroundings. Their cage should be a safe haven for
them with plenty of things to keep them busy.
Type of Cage
A good cage should be easy to keep clean, and it should not be
round. The bar spacing should be appropriate for the type of
bird that is housed in it. Whether or not you have a play top
or a dome top is up to you. One of the best gifts you can give
yourself and your parrot is a top of the line cage. When you
skimp on a cage you just end up replacing it again and again.
Do your research and get a cage that will last the lifetime of
your parrot.
Placement
The cage should be placed in an area where you are sure your
parrot will be able to view his surroundings safely without
feeling threatened. You do not want to place a parrot directly
in front of a window or in the center of a room. Our first
response is to assume that they would enjoy the outside view or
being right in the middle of a room so they can see everything.
The truth is that this type of placement may be fine while your
parrot is young. But once your parrot becomes sexually mature
and aware that it is a prey animal, this type of placement will
cause extreme stress upon him. Knowing this, a parrot should be
placed against a solid wall, if this is not possible then the
back half of the cage should be covered at all times. This will
give him the sense of security that is needed. Parrots do not
live out in the open in the wild. They build nests inside of
trees or in dense forest areas. So they may live and raise
young safely. Therefore we should try to mock this type of
environment by placing the cage in a more indiscreet area or our
homes. One where they can take pleasure in their surroundings
and not feel threatened. You will need also to consider your
parrots sleep requirements. Does the placement of the cage
allow for the proper amounts of undisturbed quite darkness? If
not do you have a sleeping cage in another room? Sleep
deprivation is a problem with many parrots I see. So if your
parrot is not receiving at least ten to twelve hours of rest
each night you will need to re evaluate his cage placement.
Do’s and don’ts for cage placement
Don’t place directly in front of a window
Don’t place in center of a room
Don’t place right on the edge of a doorway
Don’t place next to the TV that is watched late into the niter.
Don’t place in the kitchen because of toxic fumes
Don’t place in an unfinished basement
Don’t place in a utility room
Don’t place in the garage
Don’t place them in your bedroom
Do place them in a corner of the family room with a sleeping
cage in another room
Do place them in a frequently used office or sitting room
Do have a bird room if you have multiple birds
Do place in an alcove or visible dining room
Do place them against a wall
Do place them so they have a view of the entire room without
putting them as a focal point.
You want your parrot to be able to observe his environment so he
learns to trust his surroundings.
Perches
There should be three different size perches in the cage. These
perches should also different textures with at least one of the
perches being a rope or Booda perch. The rope perch should be
the one that is placed at the highest point for sleeping. Place
this perch in a U shape in an upper back corner of the cage.
This is especially important if you have a feather picker. It
gives a sense of safety to the parrot, plus if they turn to
pick, the rope is right there and they will opt to shred that.
The other two perches should be wood or one wood one of a
different texture of choice. I would also like to add that
there does not have to be perches in front of every food dish.
We tend to make life just a little too easy for these busy
birds. Make them work a little.
Cage Set up
Three different perches with the main wood one going
horizontally across the middle. The rope perch should be in a U
shape in an upper back corner. The third should be place just
inside of the door so that when the door is opened the perch is
brought out of the cage. By doing this you do not have to reach
into the cage for step up commands that may be refused. When
you want your parrot to come out you have him come down to this
perch first, open the door once he is on it and request the step
up. This is a must if your bird has aggression issues.
Now it is time to add the toys. You should have at least three
working toys in the cage at all times. Working toys are toys
that make them work for their treats or favored foods. The
other toys should be things that are easily shredded such as
soft wood, paper, and leather, preferably all of the above.
Good toys have many different shapes and textures for the bird
to explore and destroy. Your parrot should have a minimum of
ten toys in his cage at all time. You should not be able to see
the parrot easily when he is in his cage. This is his home and
he should feel camouflaged as he would if he was in the wild.
Place one of the working toys in front of the U shape perch,
with the other working toy towards the front of the opposite
corner. Place one of the other toys directly on the side of the
U perch so that perch is surrounded by hanging toys. This
allows your parrot a hiding place to feel secure. Now take
paper towels, shredders, newspaper, leather, or brown paper bags
and fold them up and weave into the cage bars making a little
square section on the side and to the back of the U perch.
Again this gives a sense of security to the parrot. Plus if you
have a feather picker it gives them another option to chew
instead of their feathers.
We have to remember that we took these birds from the wild and
it is up to us to learn to understand their needs. Set their
cage up in a way that is fun for them and keep it interesting.
Busy beaks are happy beaks!
Thank You,
Michelle Karras
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