Bird area coming along

Since moving, I finally got around to getting the bird area set up. It's not done, but coming along well

I already had these things in the pics for years, but couldn't put them up where I lived before, so I couldn't wait to install them here - acrylic ceiling protector disks, swing, boing, jolly ball. I have more too, so I can change them around.

Robin loves having a boing again, although this one is a little big for him. It works fine for him though.



Raven is getting used to the swing


This view shows Raven's cage with Griffin next door... Hanging coconuts rope. It was originally used with a much bigger bird than Griffin, but he likes it I think.



The white window shade in the background will be replaced with a tan/brown one.

I also want to string a rope (or something) going from the top of the coconuts rope thing, to the purple jolly ball, in hopes that Griffin will learn to use the rope to get from the coconuts by his house, to the jolly ball or swing.

The only thing is, Raven needs to be pretty easy going about Griffin crossing over and being so close. So far the introductions have gone well. Raven doesn't want Griffin in his face, but won't purposely go to attack him.

** Many of you probably already know how disease "aware" (if not paranoid:52 I am, BUT the two reasons I did not quarantine Griffin is that I cannot do that here in this place, AND I made sure that Griffin was from a reputable CLOSED AVIARY system meaning it's about as bio secure as you can get against virus and diseases, and no visitors are allowed in the property. So anyway just thought I'd mention it since some of you know Griffin is new.

I'll post more as improvements are made!

Looking good Julie. I'm sure the boys are happy and excited for their new area.

Do they like your Jolly ball ?

Great job!

Sweet, Julie! It really is coming along well! And I love the idea of the bridging rope! I can't wait to see the finished area! Please keep updating as you make progress. I love seeing these things go through their stages, you know?

One thing, though. At the bottom of your spiral boing, I see a bell. Have you removed the clapper thing (the actual name for it eludes me at the moment.) to avoid the potential choking hazard? I know you probably already have, since you tend to be one of the more careful parronts on the forum, but I had to mention it just in case.

Looks great! I'll have to take a pic of my braided rope that I have hanging from the manzanita tree. It might be an option for what you want. It comes in different lengths.

Julie, it's coming along great! Starting to look like an indoor amusement park for parrots. Looking forward to seeing your feathered ones enjoying it.

Wow! It's starting to look like a birdie playground in there. Robin is so cute on his boing. "It may be too big, but it's all mine" Glad the 3 of them are learning to get along.

Looks great so far!

Oh how fun for them. Are they flighted?

Sheryl said:

Oh how fun for them. Are they flighted?

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Ooh trying to start controversy Sheryl?! Kidding...
They are clipped for safety reasons because of certain circumstances in this home as well as the last. Maybe down the road when the situation changes for Raven and Griffin. Robin (I believe) had never fledged. I got him just weaned from a bird store, and flight is foreign to him. He's 20 years old. He maintains a good weight, and you can tell he's a happy guy swinging, climbing, and flapping

Kiwibird said:

Wow! It's starting to look like a birdie playground in there. Robin is so cute on his boing. "It may be too big, but it's all mine" Glad the 3 of them are learning to get along.

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Thanks April! But NOOOO!! Unfortunately they don't ALL get along . Robin is on the separate wall because he wants to KILL the others Which is kind of good Raven and Griffin don't fly? :52: Even still they'll fly short distances so I have to really watch they don't get too close to Robin's cage or that will be the death of them!

Raven and Griffin still being young, I figure have a good chance of getting used to each other, so they're getting that socialization now.

Anansi said:

Sweet, Julie! It really is coming along well! And I love the idea of the bridging rope! I can't wait to see the finished area! Please keep updating as you make progress. I love seeing these things go through their stages, you know?

One thing, though. At the bottom of your spiral boing, I see a bell. Have you removed the clapper thing (the actual name for it eludes me at the moment.) to avoid the potential choking hazard? I know you probably already have, since you tend to be one of the more careful parronts on the forum, but I had to mention it just in case.

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I realized that too Stephen. Thanks, I'll cut it off today. I figure though he doesn't go way down there and I never leave them out unattended, but better to be overly safe I agree. Thanks for the kind reminder.
What bugs me is the metal wire that the bell is attached to! ALL boings it seems and swings have this non-shiny grayish metal wire frame

Pinkbirdy said:

Do they like your Jolly ball ?

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You know... I bought that thing last year, and never used it til now! So far, Griffin gets put into it, and he's fine just sitting there... I have to remember not to forget him in there lol!
I would like to decorate it with more toys. I originally bought it for Raven, but got to thinking how he is such a pill sometimes, it might be hard to get him out. We'll see. I want everyone to be able to use all the playground equipment

Wow, Julie, that is looking wonderful! I love those ceiling protectors, I have never seen those before. I am going to have to get one of those Jolly Balls, I think that Phoe would really like that.
Your fids are so lucky to have you as their Mommy

RavensGryf said:

acrylic ceiling protector disks

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The room looks GREAT Julie!! I love the ball but I don't think they will have one in the size I would need LOL beach ball sized?
I know about having things stored that I can't use right now, So Glad you can use them now !!

I never saw those ceiling protectors, where did you get them?

I LOVE the support beam across the room, Perfect for a "hanging birdie highway" LOL

SO HAPPY for you, getting settled in and all !!

Anansi said:

I see a bell. Have you removed the clapper thing (the actual name for it eludes me at the moment.)

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The clapper, it is !!

I love your bird area!! That's awesome. I'm hoping I can come up with something like that when we finally move. (I don't think my apartment complex would be too happy with my mental ideas of cargo nets and ropes hanging from the ceiling/walls.. lol)

If it makes you feel any better, my two boings are way oversized for my fids. But the conures think they're huge anyways, and Pascal really only uses it for sitting.. so it's okay.

GW.Joe said:

The room looks GREAT Julie!! I love the ball but I don't think they will have one in the size I would need LOL beach ball sized?
I know about having things stored that I can't use right now, So Glad you can use them now !!

I never saw those ceiling protectors, where did you get them?

I LOVE the support beam across the room, Perfect for a "hanging birdie highway" LOL

SO HAPPY for you, getting settled in and all!

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Thanks Joe! I don't feel too settled in, but the birds are right at home already!

The ceiling disks are made I believe exclusively(?) for Omar's Exotic Birds OMAR'S Exotic Birds :: Parrots and Bird Supplies, Orange County and Santa Monica, CA They have them on each of their hanging stands that their birds for sale sit on. It's like one of their trademark 'things'.

I love that beam in the ceiling too. It's there because of an add on the room had some decades ago it's nice for hanging bird stuff. The hanging coconuts are the only thing not anchored into wood, so I hope it holds the weight (couple or few lbs tops). Everyone here thought it would be okay. What do you think handyman guy?

RavensGryf said:

GW.Joe said:

The room looks GREAT Julie!! I love the ball but I don't think they will have one in the size I would need LOL beach ball sized?
I know about having things stored that I can't use right now, So Glad you can use them now !!

I never saw those ceiling protectors, where did you get them?

I LOVE the support beam across the room, Perfect for a "hanging birdie highway" LOL

SO HAPPY for you, getting settled in and all!

Click to expand...

Thanks Joe! I don't feel too settled in, but the birds are right at home already!

The ceiling disks are made I believe exclusively(?) for Omar's Exotic Birds OMAR'S Exotic Birds :: Parrots and Bird Supplies, Orange County and Santa Monica, CA They have them on each of their hanging stands that their birds for sale sit on. It's like one of their trademark 'things'.

I love that beam in the ceiling too. It's there because of an add on the room had some decades ago it's nice for hanging bird stuff. The hanging coconuts are the only thing not anchored into wood, so I hope it holds the weight (couple or few lbs tops). Everyone here thought it would be okay. What do you think handyman guy?

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Thanks for the info Julie

Assuming the coconuts are hung in sheetrock there is really only one safe way (for light things that "move" to be hung in sheetrock)

Anything works on walls, a few things work on ceilings, but when you add movement and ceilings plastic "anchors" come loose and fall right out
Pictured here:


Then you have the metal "anchors"

They hold better but they come loose real easy with constant movement, the sheetrock around the anchor disintegrates and they fall out
Pictured here: (the one on the left in unused, the right is how it looks after tightened into the rock)


Toggle bolts are the safest




Most of the time You can use a $10 electronic stud finder and just hang your thing there

In some situations where you need exact placement (or more weight), one trick is to find 2 studs (they run like 16 inches apart from each other) then screw a board between them (each end of the board screwed through the rock to the stud) now you have a very stable platform to mount anything across the 16 inch span AND Much heaver loads also

So.... What did you use to mount them?

Looks great so far I'm still trying to figure out how to hang things from my ceiling. Those protectors are such a good idea! I'm pretty sure mine are going to climb all the way up and then sit there and smirk at me when I want them to come down... So having something like that while they sit there and be smug is a good idea!

Well "I" (looking proud lol) drilled the OTHER holes in the beam (sheetrock then wood right above it)....
But for the coconuts, hubby just screwed the eyehook right into the ceiling without regard to finding wood. No drilling, he just pushed it in the ceiling. The eyehook has about a 3" long screw. Still, even though the toy is no more than a couple or few lbs at most just guessing, and my birds add virtually no weight, and they won't get it swinging violently like a Macaw would , I hear you... I don't feel it's as safe as it probably could be. Hubby thought it would be just fine. My dad said it's fine too, and though he has more construction experience, with his 'elderly' state of mind these days, I don't always trust his accuracy. MY gut feeling is that it needs to be anchored better.

So you're saying that on those lovely 'cottage cheese' ceilings, it's hollow right above the sheetrock where a toggle bolt could be used? I think I'll do that.
And that should hold up to how many pounds? Not that it would be that much, but just curious how much a toggle bolt in only sheetrock could hold.
I really don't want to find a stud now because 1) I don't want another hole in the ceiling 2) it's right where I want it!

Wait... Is this a construction forum LOL, thanks Joe.

RavensGryf said:

Well "I" (looking proud lol) drilled the OTHER holes in the beam (sheetrock then wood right above it)....
But for the coconuts, hubby just screwed the eyehook right into the ceiling without regard to finding wood. No drilling, he just pushed it in the ceiling. The eyehook has about a 3" long screw. Still, even though the toy is no more than a couple or few lbs at most just guessing, and my birds add virtually no weight, and they won't get it swinging violently like a Macaw would , I hear you... I don't feel it's as safe as it probably could be. Hubby thought it would be just fine. My dad said it's fine too, and though he has more construction experience, with his 'elderly' state of mind these days, I don't always trust his accuracy. MY gut feeling is that it needs to be anchored better.

So you're saying that on those lovely 'cottage cheese' ceilings, it's hollow right above the sheetrock where a toggle bolt could be used? I think I'll do that.
And that should hold up to how many pounds? Not that it would be that much, but just curious how much a toggle bolt in only sheetrock could hold.
I really don't want to find a stud now because 1) I don't want another hole in the ceiling 2) it's right where I want it!

Wait... Is this a construction forum LOL, thanks Joe.

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If the hook he used is one of the "new" kinds with the real FAT screw threads (it is designed for sheetrock) and will hold a bit better

Pictured here:



If it is just a screw in hook meant for wood then it will come out soon

Pictured here:


'cottage cheese' ceilings, it's hollow right above the sheetrock where a toggle bolt could be used?

Yes, should be hollow, it looks like sheetrock with "popcorn" texture paint (spray on with a gun)

RavensGryf said:

Well "I" (looking proud lol) drilled the OTHER holes in the beam (sheetrock then wood right above it)....
But for the coconuts, hubby just screwed the eyehook right into the ceiling without regard to finding wood. No drilling, he just pushed it in the ceiling. The eyehook has about a 3" long screw. Still, even though the toy is no more than a couple or few lbs at most just guessing, and my birds add virtually no weight, and they won't get it swinging violently like a Macaw would , I hear you... I don't feel it's as safe as it probably could be. Hubby thought it would be just fine. My dad said it's fine too, and though he has more construction experience, with his 'elderly' state of mind these days, I don't always trust his accuracy. MY gut feeling is that it needs to be anchored better.

So you're saying that on those lovely 'cottage cheese' ceilings, it's hollow right above the sheetrock where a toggle bolt could be used? I think I'll do that.
And that should hold up to how many pounds? Not that it would be that much, but just curious how much a toggle bolt in only sheetrock could hold.
I really don't want to find a stud now because 1) I don't want another hole in the ceiling 2) it's right where I want it!

Wait... Is this a construction forum LOL, thanks Joe.

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Hey, Julie! Joe is exactly right. (Nice job with the detailed explanations and diagrams, Joe.)
As you've pointed out, Julie, there won't be a lot of weight or movement on that screw. So even if your hubby did use one of the less dependable screws referenced by Joe, the danger likely isn't immediate. Buuuuuut... there is that dreaded EVENTUALLY. One day, when you least expect it, you would hear a loud crash and an indignant squawk.
For YOUR birds, though, a toggle bolt should be more than good enough. I couldn't tell you exactly how many pounds a toggle bolt could hold, but assuming an undamaged, standard thickness sheetrock ceiling, I can say with all confidence that it could safely withstand an avian rave party wherein all of your birds jumped and swung violently about on it at once... mosh pit style! Lol!