tasty branches & cozy rooms?

hey guys its mrs pants! hope everyones having a spiffy time! was wondering if anyone can help me with a couple of questions that have my scratchin my head.

is there any place in particular you guys get tasty branches? I'd love to give the Sarge some more natural foraging options and some nice branches and vines to chew on, but I'm not sure where you would get those things? I was thinking home depot, or seeing if the local orchard would give me some branches (i worry about pesticides, so any cleaning options are great!). So far all I've got are grape vines that came with his grapes. Any ideas?

Also, whats the best way to keep Sgt. Nanners warm on cool nights? Its been getting steadily colder and our landlord still hasn't fixed the heating :\ we went into the computer room where he's at (its the warmest room in the apartment) and it was definitely cold! We cover his cage, and he seemed fine, but I dont wanna take any chances. I know our space heater is a big nope cause its got that teflon coating. Other than getting a grass hut I'm not sure what to do.

Any advice would be great thanks!

I use the K&H panel heaters, they also make heated perches.

As far as the branches I don't know what to tell you. I've never been to NY state and don't know the laws.

I would look into bird-safe alternatives to huts...and get a cage cover if you bird isn't prone to night frights. The huts can lead to a hormonal bird, which presents its own set of dangers. If you get a heated perch, just be cautious about your bird's chewing (yes, designed for birds...but...some birds are more motivated chewers than others).


Branches also are not the safest when fresh.
There is the risk of fungus on the bark and in the wood, as well as dangerous bacteria and/or parasites which become more of a risk once the branch is cut from the living tree.

Yes, people have put branches in cages and birds have survived, but there is a a good reason why most tree-stand DIY sites say to bake the wood at a high temperature for a long period of time. Any chemicals are absorbed, so that is not really an option to disinfect (or at the very least, it is a highly controversial one).

Then, there is the risk of the wood type, as well as any past pesticide usage..You don't want branches from a tree that would have been exposed to lots of run off or road salting during the winter, as it can be absorbed by the wood.

Thanks guys! A heated perch would probably make me too nervous lol but Ill look into that heater! We currently use a cover, Im just worried it wont be enough especially when the temp gets into the 20s and teens :/ I was considering grass huts as most people I talked to said it was a good alternative to happy huts which are not good for Caiques, but yeah Id rather not create a situation where hed become territorial or lash out.

Branches was more something extra I wanted to add as Id seen some breeders recommend them as part of a good diet and for active chewers which our lil boi definitely is! Thanks for all the things to consider :3

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This seems to be the same heater that Avitech used to sell, I have use it for 17 years I hang it vertical on the outside if cage in a corner with cord kept away, it's nit a light it's an infrared Heater

mrs.pants said:

Thanks guys! A heated perch would probably make me too nervous lol but Ill look into that heater! We currently use a cover, Im just worried it wont be enough especially when the temp gets into the 20s and teens :/ I was considering grass huts as most people I talked to said it was a good alternative to happy huts which are not good for Caiques, but yeah Id rather not create a situation where hed become territorial or lash out.

Branches was more something extra I wanted to add as Id seen some breeders recommend them as part of a good diet and for active chewers which our lil boi definitely is! Thanks for all the things to consider :3

Click to expand...

The heated perches only get to about 100d F same as the panels which is below normal body temperature. Also they are 12v DC running off a wall wart, so if the cord gets chewed(not likely) it will not harm the fid.

And no I'm not selling these items or any items.

A couple options I have used.
Ceramic heat lamp any fixture rated for the wattage will do.

K&H snuggle up bird warmer

hut alternative: cardboard packing tubes

Maple is a great option, not red though! Sycamore also! Avoid apple!

Edit: most sites are saying Apple is safe!

I was under the impression that red maple was bad but that even the other types posed he fungal risk (hence the recommendation of baking and bark removal). I am using a sugar maple to make a perch and it has been a bit of a pain with all of the baking and reconstructing/bark removing.

Oh nice Ill have to do a search for those!

Maple branches would be out since apparently Drew (mr pants lol) is allergic to maple good thing i never used maple syrup on his pancakes!

Id heard apple was good oh boy glad to know! Thanks guys!

I may be wrong about apple! Several sites are saying it is good!
Allergic to maple? Usually the pollen, not the wood!

As far as the heating issue, I would not use ANY "HUTS" at all, not only do they cause hormonal episodes that will only frustrate your bird and cause bad-behavior that is detrimental to their health, but most of them are also very dangerous if they even chew on them a bit, often causing death; they also often have loose-threads that we don't see and they end-up getting their necks or their legs caught in them and they literally hang themselves...Instead, I'd either buy a Bird-Safe, non-Teflon, non-Fluorinated Compound Space Heater, or even better is to buy an electric heating-pad that you can control the heat settings on (low, medium, high, etc.), and then attach it to the outside of her cage right next to the perch she usually sleeps on. Start with the heating-pad on "Low", and cover her cage, and that should definitely be enough heat for her at night...

As for the branches, I collect natural branches that I know are safe for birds to chew-on/eat, but I always bake them in my oven, right on the rack, at 250 degrees for 30 minutes. This will kill-off any and all parasites, fungi, and bacteria that might be inside or on the branches. If you cannot be certain that the branches you're gathering have not been sprayed or been treated with chemicals, then don't use them...I have my own large Grape-Arbor built-into my backyard fence, and I never treat it with anything, so I can actually cut my own large, woody Grapevine branches and bake them, and they love them...

You can order bird-safe branches online all over the place, such as Manzanita, Grapevine, Pear, Apple, etc., OR you can also order "Java Wood" branches, which are actually not straight from a tree/plant but made from safe, natural branches that are ground-up and pressed together...

****Just a tip, the Manzanita branches are probably the nicest and best shaped branches to put inside your bird's cages or to make stands/gyms out of for your birds. Unfortunately I live in Pennsylvania, and there are no Manzanita Trees in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic US States, but they are EVERYWHERE all over the Mid-West and Western US States, and many, many people who have tons of Manzanita Trees all over their properties, or that just go out and cut branches to sell them, post Manzanita branches for sale on Craigslist, eBay, and then Etsy, although the ones on Etsy are usually not "raw", but rather they have already made something out of them. But if you look on Craigslist or eBay you'll find tons of Manzanita branches that you can buy by the branch, or in bulk-quantities, and sorted by size, and they are cheap! Or, depending on where you live, you can just go out to the woods and cut your own!