Natural leafy branches in Birdcage

Hi. I want to add leafy branches/foliage to my GCC's cage on a daily basis, but since I live in the city, my options are limited. I have a mulberry tree, lilac trees and some basil plants in my backyard that I can gather from right now, but once the Autumn hits here in PA, outside leaves are going to be quite limited. Any ideas for how I can add some "naturalness" to my bird's cage on a daily basis through the fall and winter?

I read an article on Birdtricks that talked about making all levels of the cage interesting. The pictures showed some kind of grass or straw or something on the bottom corner of the cage. I'm not sure what that was, but I was curious if anyone had ideas for how to spruce up the cage floor too.

I wouldn't do it. There are lots of "critters" that live inside of cut branches (parasites, fungi, insects, bacteria etc)...You need to make sure that any branches are A. Bird-safe wood (non-toxic), B. Haven't been exposed to pesticides or herbicides (and not near busy roads) during their lifetime and C. Disinfected (Baked at 250 for at least an hour after soaking in hot water)...
I totally can see WHY you want to do this, but it is very risky. I have researched this TO DEATH, as I am working on a natural tree-perch for my bird.


If you want to stick some bird-safe, pesticide free herbs in there, you can, but you will need to be certain that they are safe (confirmed by multiple sources). Make sure to wash well and change them out after a few hours. Your bird may eat them. I know that as a spice, most say sweet basil is safe, but I don't know about the woody branches or the flowers, nor do I know whether large amounts of leaf-chewing could be harmful when fresh.

I did make perches out of natural branches.
If the mulberry is in your yard, and untreated with chemicals, you can put a branch in, with our without leaves. Just hose the cut branch off really well.
Mulberry leaves are rich in calcium, etc., and a great option for your bird.
My friend also cuts things like plantain seed pods and hangs them in her loverbirds' cage. This does inspire natural behavior and is nutritious.

I used this list to pick branches to use for perches.
Bird; Birds: Safe, Toxic Trees, Woods. Safe Tree Wood. Parrots. Parrot cages.

I hope you have true lilac trees in there, (those are safe) but the persian lilac (not related, but the name is confusing) is toxic to horses and dogs


https://articles.extension.org/pages/62059/are-lilac-bushes-toxic-to-horses

I think it's a great idea. I have fruit trees in my garden that has been completely ignored for at least 10 years so no chemicals to worry about. Personally I don't worry about baking or disinfecting them.

I've never heard of birds getting sick from anything that would live on or in trees. What needs to live on a tree to live is unlikely to bother a bird and birds live in trees and so will have resistance to a certain degree. I'd be more bothered by chemicals. Also carry on using safe tree branches even when the leaves have gone, they'll still be fun, new and interesting for your bird.

I wouldn't put anything on the bottom of the cage just because that's where the pooh is! I do want to put a shelf in so I can put foot toys and other bits and pieces on it for a change. Maybe some grass matting could be used as the shelf?

I'm a big fan of BirdTricks too!

Jottlebot said:

I think it's a great idea. I have fruit trees in my garden that has been completely ignored for at least 10 years so no chemicals to worry about. Personally I don't worry about baking or disinfecting them.

I've never heard of birds getting sick from anything that would live on or in trees. What needs to live on a tree to live is unlikely to bother a bird and birds live in trees and so will have resistance to a certain degree. I'd be more bothered by chemicals. Also carry on using safe tree branches even when the leaves have gone, they'll still be fun, new and interesting for your bird.

I wouldn't put anything on the bottom of the cage just because that's where the pooh is! I do want to put a shelf in so I can put foot toys and other bits and pieces on it for a change. Maybe some grass matting could be used as the shelf?

I'm a big fan of BirdTricks too!

Click to expand...

Cut trees aren't the same as living trees....more hazards pop up when detached from the root system etc. There is fungus etc on live trees that also can pose a threat (cut or attached).

As a self-avowed Queen of Paranoia, I'm afraid of outside stuff in general... bugs, parasites, contaminants... really, anything that's not certified for human consumption...

I had friends back in New Mexico who had enclosed greenhouse rooms with safe trees. Sometimes they allowed us to burgle some branches.

Back in those days, I did experiment with branches cut off of fruit trees in our back yard. I froze them first. They were wilty after thawing but still fresh and green. Even with freezing, we had 'outbreaks' of wood mites, who infested our houseplants.

I know wild birds are genetically prepared to resist natural habitat bugs., etc, but a Patagonian in the Great Lakes region... dunno.

Good discussion, though!

So I guess I'll wait on "fresh leafy branches" for my guys cages for now. I'm toying around with picking some organic kale up from the grocery store the next time I go and clipping that in the cage. Sound good?

Sounds great to me! Maybe some carrot tops... broccoli heads... cauliflower?

Just wash verry well before offering it to the bird.
organic does not mean "free of little critters or windblown whosnames".


They might even prefer them still wet...
(only one way to find out)

Ooh, I like the carrot tops idea. It could be fun to try out the broccoli and cauliflower and see what they think of them too.

So, how do I clip them to the cage? Zip ties?

they do sell stainless steel cage clips somewhere, as I have seen them. You could also bundle the herbs using bird-safe straw (it isn't called straw, it is sea-grass or something, but it looks kind of straw-like) and then tie that to one of those steel screwable carabiner type hooks that bird toys come on.

I use various sizes of binder clips. Not stainless but cheap enough to toss when they get a little ugly.

I always offer my birds fresh branches from my backyard and the foresty hill just outside my house. It's fun, healthy, natural enrichment, and when in season I offer them fruit tree branches with fruits for them to pick, berry shrubs with berries for them to pick, etc - very healthy natural foraging! Couldn't imagine any of my cages, aviaries or bird room without being full of natural trees and branches! Being all of the birds' favorite "toys" (chewing bark, picking off leaves, etc) too, I couldn't imagine how unfathomably much more money I'd have to spend to keep them healthy and busy if I didn't have the branches either!
I, of course, make sure they're completely SAFE trees and plants, pesticide free (having a large, overgrown backyard and a forest on a hill that no one except me and a couple of moose have visited in the last 20 years, really helps in being certain that there's been no pesticides even remotely close to these plants and trees), far from any roads, and - the leafy branches I'll wash in HOT, hot water in my shower, perhaps after spritzing some vinegar on there. The big tree trunks I'll scrub for a bit and then they'll have a go in the oven if they'll fit and if they won't I'll wash them with vinegar and hot water too, and then let dry for a couple of days (or months, as was the case with my large ACTUAL tree trunk of a full old apple tree lol).
I make sure I only pick healthy looking trees with healthy looking leaves. I inspect thoroughly and remove any lil twigs where there might be wild bird poop or like... spider eggs or something. (though we have no venomous spiders in Sweden thankfully!)

I've had trees, branches, leaves, plants, shrubs etc indoors for years and years and have never had any sort of parasite or bug infestation (well, I had some very persistent seed moths for a couple of months but those came with a grocery store seed mix I somehow thought would be a good idea to purchase for treats...).
I'm also not subscribed to the idea of removing the bark off of the branches you offer your birds - that's their favorite part to do for themselves!

Oh gosh, those pictures are lovely! That's kind of the idea I want for my birds, but I think it's a little out of reach for me in the city. I was hoping someone had a parrot hack that made leafy branches magically appear in cages, lol.

My parents live back a mile lane, on the top of a forested hill. No pesticides used there for ages. Maybe I can try some of their branches when I visit. I'll inspect like crazy though and use the cleaning methods you shared too.

So I am seeing that fresh branches from the yard are probably not safe for birds. Glad I read this since I have been interested in crafting some perches/toys from nature. Since this is the case what do others tend to use? Do you just go to a hardware store and purchase rods to work with?

Are eucalyptus branches safe?

Yes, I believe so as long as they haven't been exposed to herbicide or insecticide

Let's face it. To my knowledge everything down under that likes veggies eats eucalyptus.

Not knowing what is PC and what's not at the moment, if I have offended ANYONE with the "down under" comment I apologize profusely.

If such is the case I will go down and eat whale excrement. I understand it is the lowest form on this rock.