Cage

how should i set up a bird cage?

i got a cage and its completely empty so im the one who would be putting the stick?!?! where yhe bird will be standing etc... how should i do it?

Public Comments

1. Follow the directions...
2. the 'stick' is called a perch. :) You'll need a few perches in your cage. At least 2. put one closer to the bottom and one higher up so that the birds head doesn't touch the top fo the cage when they are standing at their tallest. You'll need toys usually 3 is good. 1 acrylic, 1 foraging toy, and 1 wooden toy. I like to put my food just a tiny bit below the highest perch. This usually keeps them from sleeping on their dishes. put the water dish at the same level as the food dish but make sure both are not able to be pooped in from the perch. you can get a smaller concrete file perch which you will place at the bottom of the cage so that the bird doesn't spend alot of time there. This will help keep their nails filed but you don't want them to always stand on it as it can cause sores. So, what I do is put their cuttlebone right there where they sandy perch is so that they perch on it when they are eating their cuttle bone.
3. You'll need a LOT more than that stick. How big is the cage? It has to be big enough for the bird to fly and exercise in when it can't be out of the cage and supervised. The best judgment of this is to make sure it's no smaller than twice the size of the bird with both wings fully spanned. If you got anything smaller, I'm sorry to tell you that you've just wasted your money. You'll need a variety of perches. I say at least three in the cage is good, and they should be different textures, sizes, and shapes. Natural wood perches are great because they exercise the feet muscles with their natural shapes (the stick you have now is useless alone and will cause arthritis and foot pain if it's the only one you're using). Manzanita, dragon wood, grapevine, lava, cholla, etc. Rope perches are also great for tired bird feet. They're very comfortable, especially for napping. Never use sand or sand paper perches because they can cut the bottoms of the feet and be painful or uncomfortable. Set them up at all different heights and sections of the cage and try to keep them going straight (but sometimes diagonal perches can be fun, and rope perches leave a lot of room for creativity if you want to twist and bend them), but try to avoid placing them over a food or water bowl so they don't get pooped in. Toys, toys, toys. You'll need lots of toys to keep a bird busy. Beads, mirrors, squishy shapes, chain links, bells, wood toys, shreddable toys, plastic toys, spinning toys, foraging toys, the list goes on. These need to be scattered around the cage so the bird can play in different areas and has a variety to choose from, rather than having one dull toy and becoming bored (which can lead to bad behavioural problems, such as screaming, plucking, biting, etc.). If possible, these should be hung at different heights and levels of the cage as well. At least once a week, totally rearrange the cage. Birds love mental stimulation and they NEED it to stay happy. Make sure you get enough toys and perches so that you can keep them in constant rotation - not one thing should remain in that cage for more than one week. EVERYTHING should change.
4. I found this book to be very informative for all my birds needs. :) http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0764551396.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
5. Basics depending on size 2-4 perches. Get a bathtub for them, a mirror is another must and a cuttlebone of some sort or a flavored block so they can trim their beaks and get the proper nutriton they need. Also a must if more than one bird is in there u need two bathtubs and two water dishes and two food dishes so they dont fight. Also bring in toys. hanging toys with bells are lots of fun. A swinging perch is always fun too. As far as where to put the perches i recommend putting one by the door one by each food and water dish and of course by our toys. Try hanging some millet oo we love that. One more thing if you let your bird out alot like i go out get a big perch and hang it from a ceiling for them and make sure they have a way to get to it like a cable cord or something going from the floor up like we do.
6. You will need at least two perches; one for the top more to the back, and one for the bottom in the front right next to the food and water containers. And if you want any extra, put one just below the one in the back but on the bottom of the cage, and one just above the one in the front. If they don't stay where they are supposed to, use twist-ties to hold them in place.