Happy Hut Alternatives

[Kalidasa]

My GCC loves brown paper bags to hang out in, and sometimes sleep in. He goes nuts when I bring home a fresh paper bag from the grocery store, and plays in and out of it for hours. He used to also sleep in paper lunch bags for the first year I got him (4 yrs old), but has outgrown sleeping in enclosed spaces. But he still loves playing in paper bags...which have zero chance of strangulation loose strings, etc.

 

[BoomBoom]

Hi Kali! It's nice to see you are still active on the boards! I literally just popped in right now and was glad to see your avatar. I have been so busy with work and life in general that I haven't had the time to visit. How is Kumar and the budgies? I hope they are well!

Since many are still looking for an alternative, I wanted to share what I've been using in Boomer's cage for over a year now. It's safe and he uses it often during the day - although he prefers sleeping on perches now. He likes it more as a hide-out or play area.

 

[Davida]

I have prepared a grass bird house for my little Kitney. It is made of grass fiber. I think it great to keep it warm and make it feel familiar.

 

[EllenD]

I have prepared a grass bird house for my little Kitney. It is made of grass fiber. I think it great to keep it warm and make it feel familiar.

As far as the "safety" aspect in-comparison to the "Happy Huts", what you're using looks pretty safe, as it doesn't have any fabric/fleece/material that they can pick at and eat little bits of over-time, nor does it have any threads in it that come loose and can hang them/get wrapped around their legs. So that's good...

However, this wouldn't work well for a lot of birds because it's still creating a small, dark place for them to get into, which typically will cause their hormones to go crazy...Especially if you have a female bird, anything like this at all can and usually does encourage not only hormonal behavior, but chronic egg-laying. Anything that creates a small, dark place that they can get inside of or underneath, or anything that resembles a "nest" like this can cause their hormones to kick into action, so you're likely to get all kinds of unwanted, hormonal behavior, everything from continual/constant regurgitation and masturbation to egg-laying to sudden aggression/biting to plucking/self-mutilation.

The thing that most people don't realize or understand is that "pet" parrots, even when bred in captivity and hand-raised/hand-fed by a person, are still "wild", and they all possess their natural, innate instincts...In the wild, parrots don't have issues like this because they don't sleep inside of boxes, Happy-Huts, etc., and they don't sleep on their backs; they sleep on tree-branches/perches. So there is a very fine-line between us wanting to make them a part of our families and wanting them to be comfortable and giving them "beds", nests, etc., all of which is done with a well-meaning intent, and us doing things/encouraging things/giving them things that cause very unnatural behaviors and uncommon physical/health issues. For example, you certainly don't want to cause your parrot to start laying clutches of eggs over and over and over again, which can not only cause nutritional-deficiencies but often leads to egg-binding and death, all because we want them to be able to sleep in a "bed" or inside of a "nest" or confined-space that we think "makes them feel comfortable", when in-fact it's not making them feel "comfortable" at all, but rather causing them chronic/constant, unnatural hormonal-behaviors.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I use empty tissue boxes. I just cut off the plastic and glue parts. I take two tissue boxes and place one upside down and the other right side up to make a 'tunnel'. I then place plain paper towels or unscented tissues to form a 'padding' (since the empty tissue boxes have parts removed, only half of it is usable for this task).

Skittles loves these though they don't last long, just a few days (if that) so he doesn't always have one cause it depends on the availability of empty boxes, but when one isn't available I just make a tunnel with paper towels and he goes inside them.

 

[birbsRcool]

Seagrass huts are a great alternative. all huts can cause nesting behaviour and cause your birds to get hormonal but if boomer is only using it for sleep then it's okay. It might not be comfortable though

 

[noodles123]

You guys.. I just read through this thread and I am not liking what I see.
These tents and dark places trigger hormones which will be harmful to your bird and to you. Boxes are very unsafe in terms of hormones (although less dangerous in terms of strangulation and blockages--risks which are amplified by fabric huts).
In the wild, they DO NOT sleep in a "tent", "hut" or "nest" unless breeding...SOOOO....any shadowy space will alter their hormone production and increase their risk for egg-binding etc.

No alternatives are needed.
Get rid of shadowy spaces... period.

 

[Talven]

I'll just post some links
Please read The Most Dangerous Parrot Cage Accessory, Bird Toy Safety and Happy Hut Injury
And for an alternate opinion watch
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU04WH1LCfc&feature=youtu.be"]Happy Huts don't kill birds - YouTube[/ame]

Personally I'd rather just not have to deal with a hormonal bird let alone the potential for serious injury or death. Make your own decision certainly but please check out all the info before you do.

 

[BoomBoom]

Hi guys! Looks like this old thread got necro'ed from the dead

I actually haven't used any happy hut alternatives for Boomer in years. He prefers sleeping on his perch now. I agree that dark hidey holes can trigger nesting behavior so it's better to do without them.

 

[Talven]

Sometimes it's a good thing that old threads get to see the light of day so new members, lurkers and google bots get see the information rather than it being left archived.

 

[EdgesofTwilight]

My Cosmo sleeps in his hut since the day I got him. It's been 5 years and wonder if it would stress him out of he suddenly didn't have it.


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[noodles123]

probably but he'd readjust eventually. If you take it, i'd do it while he is in the other room or something so he doesn't see you do it.

 

[EdgesofTwilight]

Every time I leave the room he's in he has to come and find me and see what I'm doing. I'd have to do it fast. [emoji23] I'll probably do it when I get a couple more perches. He has 5 now, but I have to replace a rope one because it's getting a little worn. I want to get some more natural ones, but the place I usually order from is always out of stock. I'm taking him tomorrow to the local shop to get groomed, so I'll see what they have.


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