Enrichment ideas, share yours

[Laurasea]

Thank you so much! Here’s the full cage setup, sorry it’s a little dirty they have been shredding this sea grass mat!View attachment 37325

Beautiful! Mess=fun
Tip, I got acrylic sheet at home depot cheap thst exactly fit the top, or you might have to do 2. This helps keep any mess from your above the cage fun gym from falling in.

Then you can add even more stuff and perches across the top. Put out bowls. I love making use of tge space abd trying to contain the mess ha ha ...it spreads

You can make your own parrot story thread, its fun to visit over time and see how things evolve and we love parrot stories and pictures

 

[DiscotheCockatiel]

Beautiful! Mess=fun
Tip, I got acrylic sheet at home depot cheap thst exactly fit the top, or you might have to do 2. This helps keep any mess from your above the cage fun gym from falling in.

Then you can add even more stuff and perches across the top. Put out bowls. I love making use of tge space abd trying to contain the mess ha ha ...it spreads

You can make your own parrot story thread, its fun to visit over time and see how things evolve and we love parrot stories and pictures

Those are great ideas! I’ll definitely look into them! I put towels on the floor around the cage to contain the mess so I can easily pick them up and shake them in the trash and then wash them it keeps the floor way cleaner!

 

[Cottonoid]

I've been changing up Cotton's whole perch/play setup every few weeks, aside from the paths he takes for food, water, and sleep inside his cage.

He's been really enamored with the birds outside the window lately so today I did this - with cheap curtain rod holders, a tension rod, and poplar branches from my yard that have dried out and sanitized

 

[Laurasea]

I've been changing up Cotton's whole perch/play setup every few weeks, aside from the paths he takes for food, water, and sleep inside his cage.

He's been really enamored with the birds outside the window lately so today I did this - with cheap curtain rod holders, a tension rod, and poplar branches from my yard that have dried out and sanitized

View attachment 41246

Wow!!!amazing! Why have i never thought of this?! Brilliant @Cottonoid thanks for sharing your ideas

 

[Cpoppy]

View attachment 36762





We have Salty's play chain from one side of the room to the other, from his cage to the breakfast bar. ALways populated with new stuff. He loves it, its like his expressway.


View attachment 36763

Big question. I love this. I would love to do this as well. However, what about the pooping. Are they trained to go back to cage. I just don’t want poop all over my office, while he is out enjoying this whole new adventure.

 

[StormyPica]

Big question. I love this. I would love to do this as well. However, what about the pooping. Are they trained to go back to cage. I just don’t want poop all over my office, while he is out enjoying this whole new adventure.

Sorry to say this, but the poop comes with the bird. You just have to deal with it. Teaching a bird to poop in their cage is possible, but NEVER try to teach your bird to poop on command. It can be extremely damaging, making them hold in their poop for hours if you aren't home.

 

[Laurasea]

Big question. I love this. I would love to do this as well. However, what about the pooping. Are they trained to go back to cage. I just don’t want poop all over my office, while he is out enjoying this whole new adventure.

When possible I put cheap dollar store tray with news paper under. Some people use plastic office mats or place mats.

I've been toying with the idea of attaching attaching a hanging tray under...mmmm

Parrots do poop a lot. They are messy. And it is a frustration...but their minds and body's need a lot of enrichment and freedom of movement

 

[Cottonoid]

The room where my parrot lives is carpeted so I use a cheap washable shower curtain on the floor under his suspended bridge area, and towels around his cage.

 

[HeatherG]

I don’t think there’s anything bad about showing your bird where you DO want him to poop, like putting him back on his tree so your shoulder isn’t decorated. But negative consequences for pooping somewhere aren’t good. So I do put my bird in a good potty place and ask him to potty so he doesn’t go on the floor in a public place and get us in trouble. I know if he goes first then we may have ten minutes poop-free.

My bird knows I’d rather him poop on paper, on his basket, into a garbage can, but if I miss a time he will bless any area with his poops. Also he thinks any paper, including important documents and bills are the place to ‘go.’

It’s cued to location and never with scolding for a ‘mistake’.

 

[DiscotheCockatiel]

I know this thread hasn’t been updated in a while but I was thinking about it and I though I would I update my setup because I added quite a bit to it!

 

[wrench13]

THat is a super fun looking set up, for sure. But, on a carpeted floor? Yikes! THat has to be a PIA to remove poops, especially dried poops, from carpeting. When putting together Saltys play area, we gave a lot of thought on easier to clean surfaces. I put some large office floor matts on the floors directly under the play areas, which for Salty are play chains hanging from the ceiling. THose make cleaning a snap.

 

[DiscotheCockatiel]

THat is a super fun looking set up, for sure. But, on a carpeted floor? Yikes! THat has to be a PIA to remove poops, especially dried poops, from carpeting. When putting together Saltys play area, we gave a lot of thought on easier to clean surfaces. I put some large office floor matts on the floors directly under the play areas, which for Salty are play chains hanging from the ceiling. THose make cleaning a snap.

Thank you! It is definitely a pain to clean! Lots of vaccuming which is also hard because I have to unclip everything! I put towels on the floor around the cage and wash them a lot which helps it not be on the carpet and of course spot cleaving every day! But it’s totally worth it for my boys!

 

[Cottonoid]

I have carpet too (and thick blankets in case Cotton falls) and it can be a pain! I found a $3 shower curtain at iKEA that is not plasticky but just slippery enough for poop to rinse off easily, and use that around the bottom of the cages.

I love your updates to the setup!!!!

 

[DiscotheCockatiel]

I have carpet too (and thick blankets in case Cotton falls) and it can be a pain! I found a $3 shower curtain at iKEA that is not plasticky but just slippery enough for poop to rinse off easily, and use that around the bottom of the cages.

I love your updates to the setup!!!!

That’s really smart! Thank you so much!!!!