La Hacienda de Cairo!

[charmedbyekkie]

I’m absolutely just mentally exhausted (but hearing Cairo do his bedtime vocal practice is definitely putting a smile on my face - he’s practicing a clicking sound he heard from our next door neighbours who absolutely adore him), so I wanted to post something nice and positive to look forward to and to hear your input on!

Big news: WE’RE MOVING!!! I had been so hesitant of jinxing it, but in less than a month, we’ll be out and into a Cairo-friendly place. So that means we finally bought his new cage I’ve been dying for, and it’ll be arriving within the next week or two

Avian Adventures's Hacienda!

(The Chinese characters translate to: "America - MidWest", literally the brand. We're buying direct from the manufacturers.)

It’s 122*86*152 cm (or) 48*34*72 inches, and I am so relieved! My partner is planning on going back to full-time work some time this year, so this helps put my mind at ease a little that Cairo will have enough space to stretch his wings and play around inside.

I found some other examples of this exact model on the forum (I scoured everywhere for inspiration and size comparison):

Howie’s

Macky’s

Sherlock’s (for height comparison)

….

So I guess a few thoughts/concerns/questions:

• Is there any specific toy or specific toy placement that you recommend? (I’ve seen things about having a perch on the door, etc.
• I want him to be able to flap his wings and maybe fly/hop a little inside; how should I layout his toys to encourage this?
• Should I attach a plank inside for him to walk around on and play with some foot toys on? I’m thinking of placing it in the dome top area.
• I am aware there might be a poop bowl problem, but we’d likely 3d-print a cover/awning for the bowls in that case. Any foreseeable problems with that solution?
• Am I missing anything? Forgetting to consider anything?

 

[clark_conure]

I'm sorry I stopped reading, last picture, how do you buy a wife already in a cage? Is that an amazon purchase? Does she make sammiches?

The wonders of modern science!


Any who......

Have a water bowl near the food bowl, and a water bowl seperate that won't be susceptible to dipping so always clean.

A lot of people put perches at right angles, at least three of my perches for my birds I put at angles that are not above any other perch except maybe for one crossing point, feel free to be creative, its more natural.

Bells swings mirrors and those basketball hoops and abacus toys are VERY popular with my birds.

Get a concrete perch (for toe nails) and place it high in the cage.

try a few logic puzzel toys (aka) foraging toys for treats....make them think....

Every time you go to the store buy a 5 dollar item and try it out...if bird doesn't like oh well you would have bought a mcdonalds meal instead anyways...no biggie.

 

[clark_conure]

oh and those toys meant to be destroyed.....those are fun too.....

 

[charmedbyekkie]

I'm sorry I stopped reading, last picture, how do you buy a wife already in a cage? Is that an amazon purchase? Does she make sammiches?

The wonders of modern science!

Haha! I wish! (Whenever I help my partner out, I always tell him, "I want a girlfriend/fiancee too...." He just looks at me and goes, "uh huh..." *sigh)


I've got a huge box of perches/toys waiting to be used:
- foraging toys
- shredding toys
- wood/chewing toys
- concrete perches (noted on the high in the cage part)
- rope perches (he doesn't bite/chew them)
- wood perches (interesting about the right angles!)

Good point about swings - he loves his hoop right now, so I'm thinking about getting him another. I'm still deciding on where to find an abacus since I know he'll chew on it, so I can't just buy one from IKEA or a random toy store.

 

[Scott]

Congratulations on your upcoming move, always exciting.

That is a magnificent palace fit for Cairo! Other than placing perches at ergonomic positions to assist feeding, you'll have to experiment with toy placement. So many options! If a toy is ignored at one location, you'll have the luxury of moving.

 

[Laurasea]

Hole e cow!! That is a huge giant palace. To be featured on lives of the rich and famous!!! Congratulations.

 

[HEEDLESS]

Congraz on your moving... You have made me want to move quickly too...


Your beloved Cairo loves his new big cage...

how do you buy a wife already in a cage? Is that an amazon purchase? Does she make sammiches?

Hahahahah.. **LOL**


I want a wife already in the cage too... Oh... and she (wife) comes with knowledge of how to cook and clean...



​

 

[ChristaNL]

That is going to be a very nice cage indeed!


(lol@ the last photo. its how I look too when I clean the cage and am lucky enough to get the bottomplate out. It the easiest way to really clean those monsters)

 

[charmedbyekkie]

And it arrived!!

I've tried to make as much space in the middle between perches for him to flap his wings for short little flighted hops (he loves flipping upside down on his hoops and flying off from there). The hardest part was trying to think of where to put things so he wouldn't poop on them

So far, he's obsessed with all his different toys - there's too many varieties for him to choose from, which I'm absolutely thrilled about. He is feeling a bit insecure about sleeping there though. Last night was his first night not sleeping in his baby cage (the cage he grew up in with his previous family). He was whistling (flock calling) for us left and right until he was tuckered out, then he started up again early this morning. But once he knows we're around, he's happy to ignore us and play inside his cage

I'm hoping to replace the dowel perch soon with some natural wood, but it's a bit tricky to find locally any safe wood, and I'm scared of importing wood again in case he gets ill again. And it looks like I need to put in some 'connecting' perches, so he can get to his knock-off Seedmate easier.

But I'm so happy it arrived - he just started growing out three beautiful tail feathers, and I didn't want those yellow tips to disappear from damage of a small cage. And, despite his night time insecurity, he seems happier and less stressed in this one.

 

[SailBoat]

Try creating a protective sleeping area for him in one of the upper corners. We have seen that Amazons like to have a place that they can sit on a perch and because of the placement of hanging toys around them feel safe, secure /separated.
Using the outside of the cage, place a number of hanging toys from the top outside of the cage so that they create a semi-open screen (blind) and repeat on the inside of the cage. The goal is to create a place that is easy to get in and out of and also provides just enough of a block of viewing him that one has to take a double-look to confirm that he is in there.
Poop on hanging toys is reality. Commonly, you will note that there are places that he enjoys Perching /Sleeping and stuff located below that area should be limited and it should not be a place in which food and water are located.
Love the full height front door. They really make life with Parrots easier.

 

[Scott]

A magnificent palace, Cairo will be pleased!!

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Thanks!

I just adjusted some toys around the top of his boing, since I noticed he has decided that is his sleeping area. I also put a blanket on one of the sides of his cage at night, so three sides of his cage are completely covered for him to go to sleep.

We're both slowly getting used to his cage. Mealtime has proven tricky because he would prefer his Seedmate with us in his view, but he typically doesn't eat finish if we are moving around in front of him, which is why I thought putting it on the other side would be better for him.

I also learned to add toys on the outside of the cage for when he climbs to the top. There was nothing to chew up there, so he started trying to chew on the plastic clips that hold the cloths in place. I initially though that dometops are just unusable on the outside. LOL. Thanks for the lesson, Cairo. He enjoys preening and playing up there. FYI for people considering dometops versus playtops: Cairo doesn't know the difference - they're all playable areas for him.

I'm trying not to overhaul his cage each time I see a way to improve it because I do want it to become HIS cage, HIS safe haven. So I've just been changing maximum two things each evening (change the location of a perch, add in a toy).

And yes! The full height door is AMAZING! When I first put toys in, I had left out his grating and trays, so I could step inside and attach everything. It's so helpful in reaching all the far corners when cleaning as well.

I can't stress how glad I am that we have this cage now. Cairo, while anxious about the change of homes (both our new house and his new cage), is significantly less frenetic in this cage. He's not as nervous about being left inside there. He's happy to be in there when we are around, whereas he was also calling to get out of his previous cage. I felt so guilty keeping his previous cage, but it was the only home he knew since he was a baby and he always spent so much time outside of it anyway. I'm just happy for him to have a proper place now.

Will try to keep updating this thread with any new knowledge for future Avian Adventure Hacienda owners.

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Gah! Just came home to a broken primary feather (old one anyway). Is it possible he broke it in a short flighted hop in his cage? Is there some way I can prevent it? I don't want to take away his ability to stretch his wings inside. It's just that I know he loves to fly; and this broken feather has on one side a half-grown pin feather and on the other side another broken feather. I'm worried he'll fly like he's growing out a lopsided clip.... His first three primaries on his left wing are half their length now.

What should I do?

 

[Scott]

Hard to know whether coincidence or potential problem caused by new-found freedom. I'd wait and observe Cairo's behavior and possible repeat actions before making major change.

 

[EllenD]

I'm sorry I stopped reading, last picture, how do you buy a wife already in a cage? Is that an amazon purchase? Does she make sammiches?

The wonders of modern science!


Any who......

Have a water bowl near the food bowl, and a water bowl seperate that won't be susceptible to dipping so always clean.

A lot of people put perches at right angles, at least three of my perches for my birds I put at angles that are not above any other perch except maybe for one crossing point, feel free to be creative, its more natural.

Bells swings mirrors and those basketball hoops and abacus toys are VERY popular with my birds.

Get a concrete perch (for toe nails) and place it high in the cage.

try a few logic puzzel toys (aka) foraging toys for treats....make them think....

Every time you go to the store buy a 5 dollar item and try it out...if bird doesn't like oh well you would have bought a mcdonalds meal instead anyways...no biggie.

You joke, but I'm absolutely certain this is actually possible somewhere online...

 

[EllenD]

Well my two years of Spanish in high-school allowed me to understand your thread title! Yay, that was two years well-spent...

I love the cage, it's HUGE and Cairo is a lucky, lucky boy!!! I think it's an awesome idea to 3D-Print poop-covers for his dishes, and I don't see any issues with it at all as long as the plastic you use isn't toxic, because we all know they'll most-likely be chewed on, but it's a great idea.

All I can tell you as far as him being able to fly/hop around in the cage is that they typically won't attempt flying/jumping anywhere they see possible "traffic", this is why usually the larger parrots like Macaws and Cockatoos don't often even bother trying to fly inside and they walk around the house on the floor, because they perceive it as being too small...So whether or not Cairo will do so remains to be seen, but if you clear an open area, maybe up at the top, where he has something to go from one side to the other regularly for, like he has to go back and forth at the top for some reason, to get from one ladder to the other or from one toy to the other, or one dish to the other, etc., that would probably be enough encouragement for him to eventually start opening up those wings and using them once he's gotten used to the space...Either way he's going to love that cage...

 

[Laurasea]

Beautiful cage!!! Life style of the rich and famous that cage is!!!! Or that show Cribs!

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Just updating here, since as a beginner, I was looking for these kinds of details.



Second layout, with side blanket for night time sleeping; toy on top of cage for playtop fun

Full angle on his favourite places - he loves colourful wooden toys and hoops/boings. I wanted all of his comforting things to be near him as he sleeps.

He likes to hide behind these toys to go sleep.

He'll sleep on the rope perch (long night time sleeping) or the boing (more for napping)

Foraging corner on the left (the TOPs pellets drop into the bowl for him to grab later, but he typically doesn't eat the pellets), water corner on the right

Alt view

Shredding and hanging upside down on the left, temporary dowel for preening, Seedmate (instead of nestbox) for chop flinging/eating, shredding on the far right

Second layout, with side blanket for night time sleeping; he actually likes chilling out in this cage

 

[Scott]

Phenomenal, a toy of most every shape and color!!

How is Cairo reacting, noticing bite marks on toys yet?

 

[charmedbyekkie]

He's tried a little of every toy. Before his big cage arrived, I had a little hanging play area for him to try out different toys, so about 1/3 of the toys in the cage were already familiar to him and I kept many of those 'old' toys near his sleep area. But he is sampling the new toys, which I'm pleased to see. He kinda bounces from one to another - he'll be working at one for 5-10 minutes, then the next second he's at another toy.

Overall, I think he's much happier and more independent with this cage. He's more calm about the whole house move now (we made sure to do a lot of his normal activities like flying this past weekend), so he's really settled into his cage these past few days. It also helps me feel a bit more relieved since my partner's work is picking up, so Cairo only gets about 6 hours outside of the cage during weekdays. Knowing that the other 4-6 hours that he's awake is inside a large cage he's entertained in and comfortable with puts my mind at rest a little bit easier.