Best bird perches according to redditors

There is nothing morally wrong with getting parrots from a bird rehab center. They don't breed for profit, just rescue and care for birds. By adopting from them, you are supporting them and making more room for other birds. So, as long as you can adequately take care of the birds, it's not a bad thing to do.

My understanding is that lovebirds are pretty similar to parakeets (which I have), so I could probably give you some information. There's no need to file their talons or beaks, as long as you have the appropriate stuff in the cage. Typically, the kinds of perches that come with most cages are rubbish. Birds need perches with varying widths and textures. Stuff like this or this is awesome. These textures and width variations keep the talons worn down properly, so that they do not need to be clipped. It also is good for their muscles, I believe. Give them lots of things to chew on, and that should keep their beaks in line. This way, you won't have to touch the bird to clip their wings, talons, or beaks, which could really scare the bird if it isn't used to you.

Feeding them the food in those bird food bags at the petstore isn't a good idea in the long run. It's not good for their health. Try feeding them fresh vegetables and fruit if you can, as well as the generic bird food. It's likely they won't like the fresh stuff at first, but give it to them fairly consistently and they may give it a try.

A cage is absolutely necessary, simply because you need to have a place to put them where you know they'll be safe. Like if you're cooking or have all the doors open for moving furniture in or out. The birds should not be loose in the house during those events. I'm not saying you should lock them in their cage all day, just at certain times when it's necessary. Also, keeping them there at night gives them a sense of security in that space. Ideally, you would have a room in the house that you know is bird-proof, where you would feel comfortable leaving them out unsupervised, but you should still have a cage in that room, as a safe haven for them, where they know they will always have food and water. When out flying, they typically like to have a few favorite places to perch. One of these should be the top of the cage.

The cage should be large. One thing to remember, though, is that "tall cages are kind of useless. Birds will typically move to the topmost part of the cage and stay at that height. Instinctively, they prefer to be at the highest available location. So, a cage like this is, in all practical use, much smaller than it looks. A wider cage is better than a taller cage, as far as giving them space. A wider cage might mean that they could fly a short distance from one perch to another. A tall cage is basically a small cage. Also, you want the cage to have horizontal bars if possible, on at least two of the sides. Parrots are big on climbing, and horizontal bars, as opposed to vertical bars, are great for that.

I'm procrastinating right now so can't go into much more detail right now, but if you have any questions, just reply :)

I call these dildo perches. My birds have a few of them.

Welcome to the world of parrots. I'm sure we all wish we knew a bit more when we started out.

Phoenix Landing recommends a minimum cage size for budgies as 27"w x 24"d. Note that height isn't listed as width is the more important factor. You can find various budgie cage set-ups here. Unfortunately most cages marketed for budgies are too small for such active little birds. Upgrading your budgies' cage when you can would be a good idea.

A variety of perches with different diameters and textures are best to avoid bumblefoot. There's a great presentation from Phoenix Landing on Perches and Playstands that goes into the details and shows many options. The small bottlebrush perch from Amazon is popular with our birds since the bark can be chewed off. Perch placement is a lot of trial and error. See how the birds are moving about and make sure the perches are clear of droppings from above. Ditch the dowels when you can.

Swap out the litter on the bottom cage for black and white newspaper, plain brown paper, commercial cage liners or other safe paper. Plus it'll make it easier to monitor their droppings.

A seed only diet isn't great for birds, but you're on the right track with offering them safe new foods. Introducing a good quality pellet to their diet is a good idea. There are many different strategies for converting birds from seeds to pellets: UC Davis VMTH, Drs. Foster and Smith, Roudybush, Zupreem, Harrison's, etc. Do monitor your birds closely to make sure they are still eating and not losing weight.
Some ideas for fresh foods to add can be found here. Seeds can be soaked or sprouted for better nutrition when offering them to your birds. Commercial pet store seed diets aren't usually great candidates for soaking or sprouting though. Some of the better seed options include Sprout People and TOPS.

When it comes to toys, think enrich, but not overwhelm. Each bird will have their own preferences, but in general budgies tend to enjoy anything they can swing on, shred, or make noise with. Cork and balsa toys like the ones found here are good examples. MakeYourOwnBirdToys.com has helpful videos on their YouTube channel. The vendors listed in the sidebar have a nice selection of toys too. Setting up the environment for a happy bird and good behavior takes thought and effort. Avian Enrichment gives a nice overview on parrot care and Kris Porter's Parrot Enrichment for keeping the energy focused on appropriate behavior.

The Gabriel Foundation in Colorado offers an online Beyond Bird Basics class for $40 that's a great overview on parrots. Greyhaven offers a free welcome home e-book. The behavior advice leaves a bit to be desired, but it's overall a nice resource. It's best to get established with an avian vet while you have healthy birds. It'll give you a great chance to get a lot of your questions answered and learn where to take your birds if you an emergency situation after hours.

Two excellent resources for behavior are, Dr. Susan Friedman of Behavior Works and Barbara Heidenreich of Good Bird Inc..

Good luck and enjoy your budgies!

spiral bird rope

bendy bird rope

wooden bridge

Sputnik/space pod

foraging toy

wooden climbing platforms

2-pack lava ledges

foraging wheel

Also a good idea might be to look up some rat safe treat recipes and make a little ratty goodie bag for them (banana chips, oats, dried pasta, certain seeds, etc.)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01C5JJ82E/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1496601060&sr=8-2&keywords=corner+perch

She's fourteen and a bit arthritic and she absolutely loves sleeping on it. She also loves chewing on it.

Certainly!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00OE3C1K6?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

My favorite feature is the long screws attached the bowls. They can be removed easily for cleaning, but provide stability for the bowls. I often unscrew them and thread a toy on them, before putting them back in.

Also, the base provided a nice catcher for food and droppings. Lightweight and portable. Highly recommend!

A vet who is able to do this surgery should have plenty of good recommendations for recovery. But here's what I found worked for my old cockatiel as he declined and grew less mobile (heart disease, a tumor, etc).

While he was still able to sort of get around his normal cage, I added this corner perch (there are also similar solid wood shelves or cloth hammocks) and this branch bridge, used horizontally as a long perch. I also found a crossed rope perch - it was an X with four ends - which I have not seen available again but worked great for getting around.

When he was further along, he moved into a "hospital cage" - really a clear Rubbermaid tub with holes that I cut into it for more airflow. He was far beyond flying at that point so in his case the top was open. Most holes were higher than he could reach, but I cut two just a couple inches up, and attached a rope perch through them. The perch sat just barely above the towel that lined the bottom, but it meant he could be in a perching position (foot-wise) without having any distance to fall. Later still, when he couldn't perch anymore, it was just the towel.

Anyway, sharing this in case any of this is useful (in reverse order from how I did it) as your bird recuperates! Best of luck to both of you!

Edit: links

I just adopted a ten year old female cockatiel, whose previous owner passed away. The cage she was being housed in had two perches, no toys, and her behavior is very similar to what you describe. She's with my other two cockatiels now and LOVES the two thermoperches I have in their cage. I would definitely recommend those, as well as heating pads pinned around the outside of the cage to keep her warm. Fluff tents won't do the job, and tiels can get sick in the winter (just from drafts around the house) pretty easily. Here's the amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/K-H-Thermo-Perch-Small/dp/B000795ZE0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418747885&sr=8-1&keywords=thermoperch&pebp=1418747886436

As for toys, the older tiel hasn't picked up on much yet, but my others like ones that they can destroy, as well as ones with mirrors. It depends a lot on their personality, so I would try a variety. Let me know if you need any help or have more questions!

Sorry about your dog.

Bedding: The purpose of some sort of bedding material is to absorb urine and odors and to minimize your pets' contact with their own waste. Some people use fabric to cover the levels and/or floor of their cage. The benefits of this is it's reusable and there's less waste but fabric is crap at controlling odors so needs to be washed very regularly (every few days) and some rats destroy it pretty quickly. Loose substrates are generally better at absorbing urine and odors/ammonia but can be a little messier and create more waste. Personally, I use a combination of a loose substrate (aspen shavings) on the floor of the cage and fleece mats with an absorbent inner layer on the platforms of the cage.

There are lots of loose substrate bedding options but the main things you want to look for are good absorbency, good odor/ammonia control, as little dust as possible, fragrance free, and low cost. Nothing gets 10s across the board so sometimes it just takes some experimentation to figure out what works best for you, your rats, their cage, and your lifestyle. Some good options I've used include fragrance free paper pellet litter (bags made for cats are sometimes cheaper), "crumbled" paper litter, soft paper substrates like Carefresh or Clean & Cozy, and aspen or kiln-dried pine shaving. You can also just cover the floor with sheets of paper and they'll have a blast shredding it up and carrying it all over the cage. Blank newsprint is pretty cheap at the hardware store and you wouldn't have to worry about inks. Paper would get gross quickly and would need to be changed very often.

Food: The most widely available recommended pellet food is Oxbow. You can get it at PetSmart stores but it's cheaper on Amazon or Chewy. Oxbow is generally free fed (always available) but it's good to supplement it with fresh veggies and/or a little bit of a grain/seed mix every few days. Other recommended pellet options are Envigo Teklad (also available on Amazon - 2014 formula for adult rats and 2018 formula for juveniles) and Mazuri. For nutritional balance reasons, you might want to make sure that 70-80% of their diet is the pellet and 20-25% is supplemental. This equals out to only about 4 to 7 grams of supplemental stuff daily, per rat.

Cage Accessories: For the most part, you can fill the cage with literal garbage and your rats will be happy. You don't really need to spend any money to make a cage fun for your rats. I try my best to avoid purchasing overpriced pet-store items. You can use cardboard boxes from the recycle bin, ropes and small baskets and bins from the basement, thrift shop, or dollar store, scraps cut from old clothes strung up with paper clips as make-shift hammocks, etc. The hardware store is also a good place to find fun cage items. A cluttered cage is a good cage. I like to have as many hammocks and hides as I have rats so they can all have their own spaces if they want to be alone. It's good to have at least a couple sets of hammocks because they need to be washed frequently. I wash all fabric cage items 2 to 3 times a week. Cardboard and paper items get tossed weekly because they also start to smell awful.

While you don't need to spend any money on accessories, there are some things that are worth their weight in gold. Space Pods are wonderful. I drill a hole in the bottom of them so pee drains out. Lava ledges are good for keeping nails trim and when strategically placed, they can be used instead of those stupid ramps. I love bendy rope perches, they're great for creating "steps" to higher hammocks and stuff.

I have the exact same perch. It's this one from Amazon.

Your bird will be fine without sleeping in your room. My cockatoo has her own bedroom where she sleeps every night. The room isn’t used for anything but that.

As far as birdy stations, I have one in my living room and one in my bathroom. She also has a small perch in my bedroom just for when I’m doing small chores in there and she wants to be with me.

You need to replace the perches that you have in that cage though. Perfectly round perches aren’t great for your bird’s feet. I’d go for perches like this instead. I’d also add more toys so when he/she is in the cage, they have plenty to occupy their mind. They need so much stimulation.

Beautiful birds! Don't pay attention to people being aggressive here. This is not how you educate people about things that need to be done or not. They are right about different types of branches, I personally have a few of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002563O0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I also have 1 set of stairs. Your cage is huge! which is really nice for the birds!


Branches like this is also nice: https://www.amazon.com/SNNplapla-Parrot-Natural-Toy-15CM-Birdcage/dp/B075WTWZ9S/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=wood+perch&qid=1562340533&s=gateway&sr=8-7 . I've heard from several places that these type of perches are not that good, but I still have some in my cage. As long as you at least provide other types it's not that bad! They also love toys that can be easily destroyed. Mine love to destroy cardboard, so I cut some squares and attach to the cage.

I wouldn't rely only on the perch to trim the nails. They will never do a good enough job.

Instead work on nail training. You can train your grey to accept you filing down her nails with a simple nail file. This will work to keep them from getting too sharp. It helps if you make it a routine, just do one nail a day over the course of 2 weeks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4xZ5ytrYNY



That being said, the concrete perches do help lengthen the amount of time you can go in between having to file her nails.

http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Feet-Beak-Safety-Pumice/dp/B00243ZK0G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408376545&sr=8-1&keywords=parrot+nail+perch

If birds are in good health, they’re fine at temperatures between 60-85°F (16-29°C). I’ve even had birds at 55 and 90°F (13 and 32°C), and that’s where they started to show signs of being too warm or too cold.

Rather than shrink wrapping the cage so they can’t breathe, you’d be better off getting a thermometer and a vet checkup.

Edit: and an electric heated perch.


https://www.amazon.com/Pet-Products-9010-Thermo-Perch-Heated/dp/B07HML9LX2/ref=sr_1_1?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqLW8jrP85QIVibPtCh3EBQ1VEAAYAiAAEgIvQ_D_BwE&hvadid=176958937402&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9002004&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1783250664748630191&hvtargid=kwd-1932318551&hydadcr=8868_9763335&keywords=thermo-perch&qid=1574376940&sr=8-1

Seagrass is generally fine, it's the attachment parts (strings) that kill the bird. Which is why I would use a corner perch.

Metal https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Hendryx-3100B-Corner-Shelf/dp/B000FHEUBI/

Wood:https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-BPV3300-Laddered-Platform/dp/B004130RSM/

And a seagrass mat / tube / house.

I would line the floor pans with more fleece. One layer will be fine if they aren't heavy chewers. This gives them extra cushion on their feet and makes the whole cage a cozy place to nap.

If you do this, I'd also suggest a slab of some sort. I use countertop samples, but slabs of granite etc. are easy to purchase at a Home Depot or other DIY type store. This will provide a solid, cool surface to lounge on as well as keep the fleece anchored in that corner.

Tunnels! My ratties love their plastic, pvc, and cardboard tunnels. An alternative would be to use an empty tube of Quaker oats and punch out the bottom. Just throw them away after a few days to avoid grossness.

Scrap the wheel. If you can, try to get a solid plastic wheel without any wire. The wire wheels can catch their toes, tails, etc. They're also harsh on the bottoms of their feet.

Hammocks and hanging fleece tubes of all kinds are highly recommended. To name a few:

Pirate Hammock - $14.32

Pyramid Hammock - $10.21

Simple Hanging Tunnel - $7.00

Parrot toys and ladders also work well, just be sure they aren't made of pine. Pine is toxic to rats. Other types of "Soft Wood" are also harmful (softwood trees are cedar, Douglas fir, juniper, pine, redwood, spruce, and yew). Products and tree branches made of these are not safe to use in the cage.

Especially for young rats, it's important to let them climb. A thick rope, such as this parrot perch are excellent climbing toys. The clips attach firmly to any wall of the cage.

You can get as creative or as simple as you like!

See also: "The Grotto"

Here's some of the things others have not stated. Firstly getting a UV bulb like that one. Also you could get a perch with a tent , a bird hammock, or something similar, especially if your bird sleeps on a perch.My bird used to sleep on a specific perch that came with his cage. I bought him a tent perch and he's been sleeping there ever since. He seems happier with it.

If you live somewhere where it gets cold, you could get a bird heater and maybe a heated perch

If your bird is scared of almost everything like my bird. I've noticed putting my bird on the objects(new toys, perches, etc) makes him feel more secure about the object and it may be useful for you.

If you are planning on getting a harness, it's better to get it earlier than later and if your bird doesn't like wearing it, don't use it.

This is optional and maybe not useful (depending on how talkative your bird is). If your bird is talkative try to teach him the concept of "stop it". My bird doesn't like being touched on the chest. To teach him I gently rubbed him on the chest and would say "stop it" 3-5 times. I move my hand away and would say "okay, stop it". Now he will sometimes say stop it when I'm doing something he doesn't like instead of biting.

And it's better and safer to not let him go on the floor.

I love my pet! His name is Oyster and he's a Caique parrot. He has been a jerk this week because it's mating season :/ but I still love him to death!

Check this out: Birds LOVE Small Bottlebrush Cage Perch Birds LOVE https://www.amazon.com/dp/982249792X/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_t1_WbdXDbV2MX65Q

Ideally you want perches with different diameters and different textures. In addition, consider an area in the cage where she can stand on a flat surface, if she doesn't regularly run around on tables/floors out of the cage (so she can stretch her toes out flat sometimes. Budgies in the wild actually spend a lot of time on the ground.)

I don't know where you are or where you shop, these are just examples to give you an idea:

Rope perches are very popular: warm and soft on feet, available in many different lengths, they clip to the bars or can be hung up.

Wood perches also come in various sizes and shapes and different kinds of wood. One thing I like about them is they only need to be attached to one wall of the cage so you have more options for length and placement.

Hope that helps. Beautiful bird!

http://www.amazon.com/K-H-Thermo-Perch-Small/dp/B000795ZE0

A heated perch could be an option as well

Here is one I have used in the past: https://www.amazon.com/Living-World-Pedi-Perch-Medium-Color/dp/B0002DGYZK/

Buy a cheap perch with a tray on amazon . Line the base of it. Every morning take them out of the cage as he wil have to go as soon as he wakes up. Verbally praise him and put him on your shoulder that is the reward.

Every time you take him out have him empty the tank as soon as he comes out and then put him on your shoulder to start a routine. If he just sits there then let him sit until he finally goes no matter how long it takes. ( I recommend placing the perch on the floor during his time as he will be anxious to get to higher ground)

Soon he will realize that he is stuck on a boring perch until he relieves himself and will get significantly faster.

Consistency is key.

This is the perch I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00OE3C1K6?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd&th=1


I actually don’t use the bowls or side branches and screw the T shapes over a piece of bird cage liner. It’s portable and keeps everything in place.

Good to know about the wing trims! There is definitely an art to it - the more feathers that are left on, the better their flying ability. So you can get the first two or three flight feathers trimmed (if you like) which leaves a lot of flying ability intact (just not his full flying ability).

Harnesses are awesome, and get them sunshine which is very important if you can take them outside.

I would look into adding some perches like this, which are bendable so you can make different shapes (here is an example). In my experience birds really love these! Additionally, adding in some branches (cleared of foliage/debris and sterilized, of course, or store bought) would be good, because the width is varied and it provides some vertical climbing opportunities.

Sounds like you are on the right path! Awesome job. :)

https://www.amazon.com/JW-Comfy-Perch-Flexible-Multi-color/dp/B0002AR754

Rope bird perch things are fun. Rope wrapped wire so can make all sort of shelves and bridges.

I get all my fleece from JoAnn stores. They often have fleece at 50% off per yard, so you can buy it in bulk and use it as needed. Any large fabric store will have lots of fleece in stock (I just prefer JoAnn because that's the best one I have in the area I live in). I'm sure you know this already, but just in case, please don't use cedar or pine chips as bedding for your rats; it's harmful to them. You can use fleece or aspen chip bedding (but freeze the aspen for 48 hours prior to use to make sure it's free of parasites).

I buy many rat toys on Amazon, and make some myself. If you're buying any kind of wooden rat toy, do be aware that many of them are made from soft woods like pine and cedar, which are super bad for rat respiratory systems. Hardwood toys are usually safe—just make sure it's not a combination wood that also has pine or cedar in it along with the hardwood. I personally do not buy wood toys on amazon, because the products often don't list what kind of wood they're made of. The only wood product I buy on Amazon is bags of untreated apple branch chewing sticks. I'll link you to some rat-safe toys and accessories I buy on amazon below! :)

Kaytee Lava Ledge
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00176F466/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1

15" Chin Spin - Small Animal Exercise Wheel - Handmade in USA (Expensive, but it's the very best and safest wheel for rats.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GJ6SDBQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bright Starts Lots of Links Accessory Toy (Great for hanging things up in the cage.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ABZGU2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1

Small Animal Activity Toy Cotton Rope Net For Rat and Ferret Pet Bed for Parrot and Hamster Parrot
https://www.amazon.com/Animal-Activity-Cotton-Ferret-Hamster/dp/B0777NWKT9/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1519011945&sr=1-2&keywords=rat+rope+net

Kaytee Igloo Hideout, Large
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068K132/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ACCO Binder Clips, Medium, 2 Boxes, 12/Box (A7072050) (If using fleece as the bedding/liner in your cage, this helps to secure fleece to the Critter Nation pans.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TQ8FDB8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid Soap - Baby Unscented, 32oz. (I don't use any scented products with my rats since rat respiratory systems are so fragile, so this is the non-scented liquid soap I use to wash my hands and their non-fabric toys.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DAI76TC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Pawliss Teeth Grinding Lava Block for Hamster Chinchilla Rabbit
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HGHA6VW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Aspen/Booda Corporation BBX56134 Byrdy Cable Cross Bird Toy, Medium
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WRHTG6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

200g(7oz) Apple Sticks Pet Snacks Chew Toys for Guinea Pigs Chinchilla Squirrel Rabbits Hamster(About 50-70 Sticks) by MAIYUAN (The only wood product I buy on Amazon.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WLL641Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ware Manufacturing Fun Tunnels Play Tube for Small Pets (Medium.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LUMU9M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ware Manufacturing Plastic Scatterless Lock-N-Litter Small Pet Pan- Colors May Vary (Regular size, not jumbo.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SLICDA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

JW Comfy Perch for Birds (Large, 36".)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002AR754/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lixit Critter Space Pod 2 Large (You can hand these on the ceiling of the Critter Nation. My boys LOVE these!)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002X2NBNQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lixit Lbg-16 Glass Small Animal Bottle 16 Oz (16oz is always best for rats because of the bigger water spout. I've found that smaller bottles are a struggle for my boys to get water out of, so I only use the small ones for rat carriers/transporter cages. Tip: filtered water is best for rats, so if you can, get a Britta water filter.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002WYCFK0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yummy Time Tiny Small Stoneware Pet/Dog Bowl
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NAUMYDC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I buy Harlan Teklad (Envigo) food blocks for my rats, which is one of the top two for rats (the other is Oxbow Regal Rat). Harland Teklad is hard to find though, so I buy mine through this animal rescue:
http://weecompanions.org/healthy-food

If you get these blocks, freeze them to extend their shelf life, and take them out from the freezer as needed to fill your ratties' bowls. Harlan Teklad is great because they have several formulas for rats based on their age, which is super helpful for their health. Young rats up to 8 months usually eat Harlan Teklad 2016 (16% protein), and after 8 months they eat Harlan Teklad 2014 (14% protein).

Also, I don't have a link for this, but the best laundry detergents to use to wash your rats' cloth toys or bedding with is one that's non-scented and is sensitive on skins.

Um, if I think of anything else, I'll add it. But for now, it's already a ton. :P Enjoy!

(And feel free to message me if you have any questions!)

Good to hear from you again! Leo is lovely and I'm so glad you are seeing her happy, chirpy, eating, etc. Your patience with her is especially good. One small suggestion: her perches are the standard wooden dowels and they are not good for her feet. It would be great if you could get one of those rope perches https://www.amazon.com/Penn-Plax-Rope-Perch-Small-Diameter/dp/B00K9PFR2W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1511932527&sr=8-3&keywords=rope+perches+for+birds. As to bird toys, plastic rings with a bell on the bottom; chew toys, and another ladder or two to allow her more climbing exercise. That's all I got! I hope you did very well on your exams and I look forward to more updates on the both of you!

You can either get them from a bird shop and they'll have a nice little wing nuts and threaded bolt on them. You can also just go pluck them from some trees in your area. Make sure to debark and disinfect them and also make sure that they're in budgie safe tree. I use cottonwood and crabapple for my babies because they grow in my area. Also be sure to sand down any sharp bits. Any size between your finger and wrist size works well for budgies. I just jam them between the bars

https://www.amazon.com/Grinding-Accessories-Parakeets-Cockatiels-Lovebirds/dp/B07SWSTQYR/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?keywords=natural+wood+perches+for+parakeets&qid=1566506039&s=pet-supplies&sprefix=natural+wood+perch&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyV0FBVU1KQ1VGQk9WJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzM1MTM3MVkwNENWTUoxTkw0TiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMDQ4MDc5M0xVWTRIU1o4RVA1RCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3Bob25lX3NlYXJjaF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

I do like your setup. I would suggest getting baby teething rings to hang across the cage and possible a bird rope that they can walk on. Though I have to warn you about that edible hut. If it's one of those snack shack things. They have alfalfa in it, which some people say rats cannot digest. Usually the rats won't actually eat it, but the honey in it can encourage them to ingest it and cannot digest the alfalfa. Plus, depending on what one you got, it might have pine shavings as an ingredient. This is all things that I have heard or read and have never experienced myself because I erred on the side of caution. You make your own decision based on your little ones, I just wanted to give you the information.

Naya is mostly potty trained. I have a designated "poop perch" that I have trained her to use as a permanent and portable potty. When she needs to go, she gets antsy and flutters her wings in an effort to fly to the perch. I take her over to it, instruct her to "go potty" and she goes. I can take it wherever I go inside my place and she knows its her place to go.

bird rope for the birdies to play on. They like the scramble around and chew on stuff. It's perfect.

Optimus Prime

I agree with the other posters- your little tiel looks a little bored and ready to play! a bigger cage would be surely appreciated, and some toys.
Toys are kind of hard because you never know what they will be into at first- and even then their tastes change!
These comfy perches are a good place to start

they are a little easier on their feet. As for toys, I generally go with 3 types of different toys to give my birdie some variety: something to shred, something that moves (likes a swing) and something shiny.

Planet Pleasures has a lot of great bird toys (funny name but good bird toys...)
These shredders are great and perfectly safe

my baby tiel (well, less than a year old) is rather obsessed with this toy called 'falling beads' (3rd one down from the top) and it meets my criteria of something shiny and something that moves.

as for guessing your bird's mood, this article is very helpful

And finally, as for taming your bird and getting it used to you, have you tried feeding it birdie crack millet by hand through the side of the cage? I wouldn't normally give birds millet just to eat but it works as a 'treat', gets the bird to have a good association with you, and is useful for training later on down the road.

I hope this is helpful! Good Luck!

This is Rufus

I got him...I have no idea how long ago. He was 3 and it was about 7 years ago. Maybe longer. But he's my best friend. He can fly, and I never lock him in his cage unless I'm gone for a long time because if he gets bored, he gets destructive. This morning, I woke up to an adorable screech. He had walked from his cage to the windowsill, slid down the lamp onto my desk, grabbed a pen from my pen jar and sat on my mug chewing it and waiting for me to wake up. He also will fly into my drapes when he's bored...not to mention opening doors and walking out into the kitchen to hang out with someone.

What I'd get him is a tossup between this perch because he needs another in his 2nd cage and this toy.

I also have ducklings. Aren't they cute? Their names are Caspar and Valentina, and week 3 of having them and they've grown exponentially. I personally think that the dictionary definition of happiness should be redefined to "Ducklings in a puddle of water." But that's just me.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002AR754/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1451450357&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX118_SY170_QL70&keywords=parrot+rope+perch&dpPl=1&dpID=31c-hzLsLFL&ref=plSrch

This is what I'm talking about I have one in all my birds cages. My bird is terrified of the springy rope I bought, but he's a cockatiel so it's a little intimidating. I think if you put a rope perch and a smaller like Java wood perch more towards the top you'll have a happy bird.

It's going, don't worry. It's being replaced with this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EH6ELKW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got this

Polly's Pet Products Shower Perch, Small https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00061UUU8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ODZEzbE3ZJ5HD

So, this could be a good time to start potty training him if that interests you. I say that because you ideally want to mix up what happens when you return him to the cage. It sounds like he's learned that going back to the cage means he's probably going to be closed up in there and he doesn't like it so he bites when he realizes you guys are heading there. I suggest potty training (and I use the term very loosely) because I return my bird to the cage to let him poop pretty often and I pick him right back up after he does his business. So you get the double benefit. Getting him used to going to and from the cage often without being locked away and being rewarded for pooping in his cage and not on you or your things.

Ways you can mix things up. Walking my bird back the cage doesn't mean he's going to get locked up, it could mean a couple of things. One, we are going to work on him stepping up for me, in which case he'll get some treats (showing him the treat jar before we start does a lot to get him motivated to train), two that it's time to potty and I'll pick him right up again after he poops, or three it's time to hang out in the cage and entertain himself for a few hours. So I think what you are just going to have to do if the target training doesn't work to target him back into his cage is just work on rewarding him around the cage and hanging our near it when you aren't going to put him away for awhile. It's going to be annoying initially. I think you can make it work through because I was able to do the opposite with my bird when I needed to get him out.

Can he fly? That was another thing I did to get my bird to return to his cage. I'd tell him "Go to your cage" and give him a little boost towards his cage. He'd naturally launch from the momentum of my moving my arm gently towards the cage and fly back. Then I'd call him back to me and reward him, launch towards cage again. Benefits from this are, he returns to his cage, he sometime poops when he gets back, it gives him some exercise and we practice recall flight training.

Last thing I can suggest picking up is this. If he still is stubborn, you can set him on this perch away from the cage. Pick up the perch, and use it to transport him back to his cage. Make sure you reward him a bunch when you return to his cage and he goes back in.

I have a bendy rope perch for my gcc, and it would probably work for your lovebird as well. As I understand it, bumblefoot in perching birds is due to lack of variety more than anything else, but I have also read to avoid things that splinter or could otherwise scratch his feet for the main perch.

Edit: Not this exactly, but something very similar

If you ever have trouble handling him, you might consider using a stiff rope perch to step him up safely and keep him at a distance. I keep mine folded in the U shape by leaving the packaging on.

Grays are intelligent, and their capacity for change is great. Keep up the good work.

I bought this for my conure, he loves it/it's safe and you don't have to clean the bottom if they poop in it.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000OB2I8M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_l74Dzb4ASNJM6

A couple other things to consider:

Ever heard of the canary in the coal mine? Birds are INSANELY sensitive to toxic fumes. One of our cockatiels died because it was near an open window (2nd floor) and one of our apartment neighbors decided to smoke a cigarette on the ground floor below. We also lost a Sun Conure to Teflon poisoning (the non-stick coating on much of today's cookware - if it gets too hot, it will gas off, and that stuff is like insta-death for birds). So, if you or anyone you live with is a smoker, don't get a bird. If one of your neighbors is a smoker, be very conscious of where they like to take their smoke breaks, and mind your windows. Get rid of all you Teflon pots and pans (go for ceramic instead, just don't use metal utensils with it or you'll ruin it). Be careful with paints, cleaners, aerosols, etc. Seriously, don't fuck around with fumes.

Prep your house for your bird; not your bird for your house. I'm talking about wing-clipping. Don't do it. 100% of a bird's body is optimized for flight. Take that away from them and they'll start getting health issues from top to bottom due to inactivity; it'll also kill their mental health. We clipped our Sun Conure's wings due to some behavioral issues with it, and regretted it immediately. Seeing a depressed Sun Conure is fucking heartbreaking... and that was shortly before the Teflon thing, so it never got the chance to grow them back to fly again. That was over 10 years ago and I still feel guilty about it.

ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT PARROTS ARE A PREY ANIMAL! The biggest mistake I see in new bird owners is to treat it like a cat or dog - both of which are predators and respond well to dominance (i.e., they need to know who's the leader of the pack). If you try to show a bird "who's boss" all you'll do is teach it to bite and fear you. You are part of it's flock - you have to gain it's trust, not 'win' its loyalty. Respond to good behavior by giving it positive attention/treats; respond to bad behavior by ignoring it - NOT punishing it (don't ever flick its beak, blow on it, etc). At worst, you can give it "time outs" if it's displaying really bad behavior, but don't use it's main cage for that (or it will start to despise it's cage / misbehave intentionally when it wants to go home) but a small travel cage with nothing but food and water; and don't leave it there for too long (after 10 mins or so, it won't even remember why it's in there anyway).

And finally: parrots can be potty trained!! Get something like this and give it a treat every time is shits while perched on it; don't give it a treat when it shits anywhere else. Eventually it will catch on and actually fly to it when it needs to drop a load; and cleaning shit off the smooth plastic surface is a lot easier than off your clothes/furniture/walls/ceiling (yes ceiling... one of our parakeets managed that, judging by the size of the turd... no idea how the little bastard managed to pull that off). I never did have luck potty training any of our parakeets; but 'tiels can learn it if you stick to it long enough (talking months here). Both of my conures picked it up within a few weeks. Best trick you'll ever teach your bird!! ...I've met folks who have owned parrots for like 30 years, and never thought to try potty training them - just not something some people consider with birds, but now you know, so don't neglect it!

> I appreciate your time and answers!

/salute!

Pardon the wall of text (holy shit, I got carried away with that!!). Lots to consider though!

Look into perch heaters if the room is going to be quite cold.
http://www.amazon.com/Thermo-Perch-Large-Plastic-Non-Toxic/dp/B000795ZE0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414040871&sr=8-1&keywords=heated+perch

Two things

1. Heated perch
   
   
2. Heat panel

Your bird looks fine. Pigment can fade from feathers, especially on young birds, if they're rubbing against things a lot, so if he's in the corner of the cage, it may just be from rubbing against the bars up there where he's sleeping. Each bird sleeps differently. You might try putting a perch up there in that corner or a corner platform.

I'm not a fan of tents because they can cause injuries. I had a pair of GCCs that really enjoyed sleeping in these tunnels - I just drilled a hole in the middle of the tunnel's edge on one side and then used one of the nut/bolt combos from an old toy to secure it in place in the top of the cage.

I picked up a few new toys and then another water dish. I recently broke his dish plastic dish and it’s a perfect time to grab another metal one. So far he’s been bouncing all over his cage with excitement :)

Booda Byrdy Bush

Rope Perch

Shaggy Kabob

I believe it was this: JW Comfy Perch for Birds https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AR71S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_GnzMAb56TC611

That size cage is just fine for two budgies, in my opinion. It's very open in movement space which makes it different from the silly fun-shaped cages.

Look for perches on Amazon.com. I got my manzanita and rope from there SUPER cheap. Petco had sand perches on sale so I grabbed two. There's Manzanitashop and the rope perches. The small 32" fits the cage perfectly.

My parrotlets will sit and groom themselves in the mirror. They'll talk to it and stare at it. I would offer the mirror back to her so she has someone to talk to and keep up your training.

With stepping up.. Try going about doing it differently. She may take to it better if you nudge her from behind rather than in front. Don't push her or force her on, but gently nudge and follow her around the cage. For a while it was easier for me to just grab my boys and sit them in my hand. They'd sit and eat millet out of my hand. Then I'd get them to step up a few times and reward them with a bite of millet.

Be sure to use your voice and over-praise her in a happy tone when she does what you ask. Keep your head above her and look at her with your head tilted so that you don't seem scary to her.

She'll get used to it eventually and you'll have her trained in no time.

Our booda comfy bird perches are a match! although the one on your list is large, and mine is medium!

What zoo do you work for? (Fellow keeper here!)