Update!

[ProbablyHarrison]

Okay, so I have some big news, guys! I've finished setting up my cage for how I want it to be when my little guy comes home, and I've got some pictures to share. The even bigger news is: I put down the deposit on my bird on Sunday!!!! So he's in my name! I forgot to snag pictures when I went to the breeder's house but I'll get some the next time I visit. He's beautiful! I can't wait to bring him home. He's not fully weaned so I'm waiting on that and I'm also waiting to finish saving up the last bit I'll need for purchasing him.

You guys have no idea how much time I'm spending thinking about him (and moreso, trying to think of his name! Haha.)

Well, this thread is basically where I'm going to post any future updates regarding getting him and posting pictures and stuff until he actually comes home. I can't wait!!

Anyway, Here are the pictures of his cage:

There are still a few minor changes to be made, but overall, this is how it will look!

Thanks for everyone's help getting here! I wouldn't have made it this far without the help of this forum.

 

[ProbablyHarrison]

Oh and I still have lots to do before my baby gets here! My mom and I are replacing half of the carpet in my room with vinyl tile and hanging vinyl wall protection this week, and I still have to make and hang my ladder/swing from my ceiling! And I'm sure half a dozen other little things. I can't wait to show you guys pictures!

 

[Chikoo]

So you went with the local breeder?

 

[ProbablyHarrison]

I did! I decided having her close by + being able to visit the bird ahead of time and other reasons were worth the extra money.

 

[weco]

Nice cage & it even has an access door to allow mounting a nest box in the future.....

Your concrete perch may not get much use where it's mounted.....think of you standing on a concrete driveway that's at a 35-45 degree angle...pretty uncomfortable.....

If you mount it next to a feed bowl or water bowl, it'll probably get more use.....

Unless you have 9-12 foot ceilings, I might re-think hanging the ladder swing from the ceiling. If you do hang them, you will need an excluder, something between the ladder/swing & the ceiling to prevent the bird's access to the ceiling.....drywall/sheetrock is calcium based & some birds will supplement their calcium intake with it.....not to mention the big holes they will create.....

Become familiar with quick links, threaded eyebolts with long shanks, eye nuts, pad eyes, Rod coupling nuts & S-hooks as you could need any or all of those for your ceiling hangings.....in stainless of course. Lowes usually will have what you need.

You will want to use an eyebolt with at least 1.5 inches of thread (wood screw thread) to mount to a ceiling joist, as some jurisdictions require 5/8 inch ceiling drywall/sheetrock.

If you need help setting up a mount with an excluder, send me a private message.....by the way, I'm just up the road about 70 miles.

 

[moni.k]

AWESOME!! Love how you went for the dome top!!! I'm glad you invested in foraging toys. I think instead of having all that bulky wood perches, have two wood perches maybe three and opt out for a bendable rope perch that leads to the bottom of the cage.

Natural Sisal Perches for Bird Cages

Also, try to have the lamp hood not touch the cage if it is right now. If he gets curious and decides to put his mouth on it, his little tongue can get burned.

Other than that, I have no other suggestions. haha, great job!!! and congratulations on your new baby boy!!!

Personally, I am glad you went for the breeder nearby. Now you can visit and play with the little guy before you bring him home.

 

[wenz2712]

Very nice Cage set up

 

[Joshuwaaa]

Wow that's an ace set up, lots of space and toys ! Congratulations on the new addition, have fun !!

 

[JerseyWendy]

How SUPER exciting! LOVE the setup! You will have one very happy birdy boy, no doubt in my mind.

And your excitement shines through.

CONGRATS!!!!!

 

[ProbablyHarrison]

Thanks everyone for your support! I appreciate all the suggestions.
@weco I will definitely have to reevaluate my swing/ladder idea. I may need to buy an extra ceiling protector from my breeder (she sells them for her acrylic swings). I'll let you know if I need any help!
@moni.k I have the perches reasonable distant so I don't think it will be too crowded, but I'll be paying close attention when my little guy arrives and I will go from there. The only major changes I'm going to make right now are cut my plank perch to actually fit flat against the back and get the proper bolts to finish hanging the perch on the cage door (the one I have is just a bit too small, which is why it's just hanging there via quicklink). I actually have a twisty rope perch there in the bottom corner (organic cotton and food grade dyes). And don't worry, the lamp is not touching the cage, and its cord will be pinned to the wall far from the bird's reach!

 

[kesma]

I love the set-up. He will have plenty to do and you can watch to see what his favorite toys are. I agree that you may want to consider moving the concrete perch. I also found that I had to be careful not to put any perch over his food bowls or else he would poop in his food.

 

[ProbablyHarrison]

I did move the perch, I forgot to mention that. Thanks for the tip, guys. But yeah, it's hard to tell but none of the perches are anywhere that would land his droppings in the bowls.

 

[CathnPoe]

I dare say you're going to have one happy little chappy.
Funny thing is, after all that work setting up, I bet you find he'll spend almost no time actually in the cage.

 

[ProbablyHarrison]

Haha I've thought about that, but even thought that'll probably be the case, it'll still mean I'm just doing my job!

 

[Joshuwaaa]

How much time do you have now until his arrival?

 

[ProbablyHarrison]

The breeder estimates another month or even two. We have to wait for the little guy to wean on his own. She never forces any bird to wean.

 

[drlisaort]

Congratulations! I know first hand how excited you are as I was so excited all the months leading up to Oliver coming home. And now that he's here it's a million times better than I could have ever dreamt. I can't wait to follow your updates....

 

[CathnPoe]

Haha I've thought about that, but even thought that'll probably be the case, it'll still mean I'm just doing my job!

It's a good attitude to have.

In the mean time, a brilliant book to read is Sally Blanchard's, "The Companion Parrot Handbook". It talks you through every step - feeding, handling, aggression, talking, training, etc. Some things need to be supplemented, but it's easy to read and obviously comes from personal experience.
If you can find it second-hand (abebooks.uk) then do it. (It's quite expensive new.)

 

[MikeyTN]

I have that same exact cage! Is that purple perch a concrete perch? If so, your placing it in the wrong place, it should be attached to the sides of the cage where it can be used for their nails and beak. I'm sure you'll do some rearranging over time as you'll figure out by having that natural wood on the bottom would be a pain especially if you feed fruits and veggies in their cage, he'll get it everywhere and it is very tough to remove. Same with some of those toy placement.

 

[ProbablyHarrison]

@CathnPoe Yes! You recommended that book on my suggested reading thread and I got it! I'm about half way through and it's by far my favorite parrot book! Thanks for the pointer!

@MikeyTN I imagine I have a lot of rearranging to do. I've already moved that perch down some but I read that they should be high up to encourage use. Is your personal experience different? I'm not too worried, though, because my breeder is giving me a great swing with a better concrete perch that he'll be spending more time on anyway. I've actually been reconsidering that bottom perch too since it takes up so much room. I may just take it out and turn it into a play gym instead. I appreciate the pointers. It's hard to find much advice on cage setups.