4. CAGE BOTTOM

Most cages have a plastic base with a wire grate. The function of the latter is to keep the parrot from stepping in its own droppings on the floor, but some of the droppings always stick to the grate so it might as well be taken out right away. One good use for the wire grate is as a separator when two incompatible parrots which normally have their own cages must be in one cage for a short time during transport. For a long period, naturally, this is not a solution.

The plastic base gradually becomes worn by the sprinkled sand, and the material itself becomes brittle in time. When purchasing the cage one should ask whether the shop will be able to supply a replacement base should the first one break or become unusable. Cages that have a pull-out tray are more practical. It is easier to clean the floor without having to cet the wire top aside. On the other hand, there is no possibility of putting only the top over a bird which does not return to the cage willingly.

5. LOCATION

The stand offered with the cage is usually 50-60 cm. high. This is too low, because the parrot should be at eye level with the observer. It is disturbing to the parrot if one looks into the cage from above. Consider hanging the cage on a wall; this gives the animal cover on one side. The location should not be exposed to full sunlight. Drafts are to be avoided, as is the immediate proximity of a radiator. The room itself should receive sunlight once a day. Since parrots always want to be one of the party, it is recommended that space be reserved for the cage in several places throughout the house. In the appropriate rooms two hooks should be fastened to the wall, where the cage can be hung as needed. This way, the parrot can be brought along, without one worrying that it will damage something with its beak. The kitchen and the bedroom are no place for an parrot; this must be mentioned to keep the reader from drawing the wrong conclusion. With a recently purchased animal, a certain reticence in this respect is normally exercised. However, as the years pass, one becomes more intimate with an parrot, but this should not be at the cost of hygiene.

Stand and Climbing Tree

To keep an parrot on a parrot stand all day long, chained by one foot, is simply mistreatment of the animal. When a parrot stand is mentioned here, it must be understood that it is to be used in addition to the cage. The tray catches droppings and other debris produced by the parrot. Naturally, a single perch offers few climbing possibilities, so one should provide a climbing tree as well. This can easily be constructed by trimming branches to the desired size and then screwing or nailing them together. The whole is set into a Christmas-tree stand or an outdoor umbrella stand. First, the branches must be brushed while wet, so that neither dirt nor possible insecticides continue to adhere to them. In addition, the leaves should be checked for "little beasties" which are not wanted in the house. The branches should be arranged so that the parrot does not expel its droppings onto the lower ones. In actuality this can be difficult, because they always hit something. Another possibility is an artificial climbing tree; its design will allow the problem of the droppings to be taken into consideration. A flat, ladderlike structure has proven itself. It is held vertical by a rectangular umbrella stand.

Bird Rooms

A bird room must be heatable and should receive some sunlight daily. In winter, the photoperiod must be lengthened artificially to twelve hours, for which it is best to use "truelite" tubes. The light they produce approximates natural daylight. With a timer, they can be turned on at 4:00 AM, so the end of the twelve-hour "day" will coincide with the time of sunset. Even at night, the room should not be pitch dark. If there is no light entering from outside, an 8-watt bulb should remain burning.

A window allows direct contact with the outside air. A grating which can be set into the window opening as needed permits air flow without giving the birds an opportunity to get away. The interior furnishings must be such that neither they nor the parrots can be injured. If the heat source becomes so hot that the birds could burn their feet, it must be enclosed with a grating. The unpapered walls should be provided with a coating of whitewash, with roofer's tin or Resopal, or with a washable paint of the kind used for bathrooms. The floor must be such that it can be kept clean. It should be caulked and then covered with sand.

A. Gemein renovated a massive brick house for keeping parrots, covering the interior rooms with a layer of unpolluted earth from the forest, 30 cm. thick. On this he piled tree roots, rotted tree parts, and large, room-high tree trunks. Such bird rooms are optimal, but not everyone can recreate the primeval forest as perfectly as Gemein has described in his book. Anyone who lives in a rented dwelling must exercise restraint. The use of sand as a floor covering is not possible; one must compromise. Bird rooms can look very different, depending on circumstances. The comments in this site are intended only as examples; this is also true for the next section on aviaries.

Parrot aviaries, aviaries for doves, bird aviary plan