Last Updated on April 20, 2020 by Mitch Rezman

Cagescaping

to improve the caged bird’s home environment.

alter the appearance of a bird cage by arranging all the components to give the bird a sense for living in the wild.

1. Improve the aesthetic appearance of (a bird cage) by changing adding the proper mixtue of toys accessories and feeders..

2. “the site has been tastefully cagescaped”

Cagescaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of a bird cage  including:

1. Placement of various of perches & ladders made from multiple textures

2. Synthesize natural elements like creating a privacy canopy of toys in the upper ? of the cage

3. Ensuring some food to be worked for not simply place in easily accessible feeding dishes

4. Fixture(s) providing timed cycles of full spectrum lighting .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

T3 Paper We have a couple of Macaw parrots that we rescued about a year ago. One is a green wing and the other a scarlet. We moved the birds from our horse barn into our new house before the winter……and the “aroma” was a bit much…..this paper has changed all that. It keeps the smell down a whole lot and is very absorbent of …..everything. It cuts and lays down really easily. Yes, its expensive, but once you use it, its tough to stop because of all the benefits. Reviewed by: Bill from Virginia. on 4/5/2012

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mariella  wrote:

Hello Mitch, I hope this email finds you, your pretty lady and your lovely

birdies all well and happy.

I was hoping you could advise me on a current issue with our Senegal Parrot,

Creature.

 

He has recently developed a habit of biting on and lifting his food parrot dishes

inside the birdcage. I am concerned that he is Chewing off tiny particles of plastic that could harm him. He also chews on the enameled metal food dishes I have tried as a substitute.

 

He is a happy, sweet bird who laughs a lot, sneezes back to my

allergy-sufferer husband, and he is a light in our lives. Creature is more

than 20 years old now.

 

He is with me all day in my painting studio. He has 2 birdcages and an open

perch where he sits when we watch tv at night. He has a diet of nutriberries

and fruit/vegetable pieces, peanuts and walnuts.

 

He is very insistent about this biting/lifting behavior. I use distractions

— toys, and moving him around on a carrying stick, but I worry about this.

 

I would value your advice on this and please let me know if you have any

suggestions.

Thanks and thank you all for the Sunday emailings. Always enjoyable and

valuable information-

 

Your friend in Woodstock,NY

 

Mariella

 

Hi Mariella

 

My guess is he’s a bit bored with his food situation. Birds do not get parrot dishes filled with food in the wild, they work for food spending their day foraging. That’s how they are wired. Peaches our Sennie is quite needy to the point I can’t get work done.I work from my home office alot as she’s only in her cage to sleep

 

We created foraging boxes in addition existing bird dishes throughout our apartment so I can set her on a stand or on top of her cage and she keeps plenty busy

 

You just need a small box, then pour nutriberries (I break them down with my fingers)  , peanuts, walnuts almonds sunflower kernels.into the bottom of the box then fill it with parts (old bird toys) vine balls, finger traps, drinking straws – use your imagination.

This what a bird foraging box looks in action

:

 

You mentioned Creature is with you in your painting studio. Most paints in including artist oils emit VOC (volatile organic compounds) just like house paint. This is not good for the avian respiratory system.

 

FYI: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-non-voc-paints-for-crafters-artists.html

 

Best of luck and let us know how this works out.

 

mitch

I enjoy your bird Sunday emails. I have a cockatiel that I caught in my front yard ! and have had for maybe 10 months, and as I type she is sitting under my desk on two eggs which ain’t going to hatch. She’s been at it for 3 or 4 days …… all seems OK, but …. what to do ???

Thanks, Will

Hey Will

Get her out from under the desk where it’s dark and encouraging her to continue this (egg laying behavior).

Throw away the eggs. – Remove anything in her cage that would allow her to feel like she can find another place to lay more eggs.

Reduce her visible food supply –  do not provide abundant food because it is a trigger for further egg production if she knows she doesn’t have to worry about feeding the babies.

There’s much more you can do, I would advocate that you start by reading this blog post about our prolific egg laying cockatiel

Best of luck – mitchr

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Captive bird keepers that allow birds to damage house hold items like furniture and molding have not taken the time to look at the bird’s outside of the cage environment. Put a bird on the back of a chair – expect the chair to get damaged. Put a bird on a play stand – no damaged furniture.

Large birds like macaws and cockatoos should have the equivalent of children’s toy chest at they disposal when out of the cage. Dozens of fisher Price type bird safe toys will keep a bird active and away from home destruction. Smaller birds get foraging boxes and opportunities like tinkle turf that keep them active, inquisitive and rewarded (with food) for the enrichment activity.

Bird’s will be destructive – it’s up to the care giving humans to determine what gets destroyed – not the bird

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Loving to chew, birds love wood toys. There are colors, shapes, sizes and textures that are certain to suit every feathered pal of every species or size.

Some of the items you’ll find listed in this area are for creating toys of your own design and the parts are very inexpensive. Other toys made from wood are huge colorful wooden and chain designs as large as five feet in height for those really big birds Read more.