introducing Lilianna

[Ladybug]

I just brought home my 8 week old baby, Lilianna. She is a sweetheart. The only problem I have is she hates being caged. I usually leave her out all day and she's on her stand or on my shoulder but at night when it's bedtime she refuses to go in her cage. I have to place her in and then she starts trying to get her head through the bars and trying to chew her way out. I have been talking to my husband about making our spare room into the bird room. In a few weeks I'll introduce Lilianna to my tiels and see how they get along. If they get along then would it be a good idea for them to live together in a bird room? I am at home all the time and used to have the tiels out in the living room all day with me but I have been working on converting the spare room for them and have moved them in there so they can have fun and I can go sit in there and interact with them but not have to worry about someone knocking on the door and me answering it and one of my babies getting out.
Here's some pics of Lilianna:

 

[MonicaMc]

Sounds like a plan! Although Lilianna could potentially hurt the tiels if she doesn't like them.

As far as going back into the cage, you might try giving her her favorite foods *only* when she returns to her cage and pay a little extra attention to her once you put her up. Don't put her in and walk away, but sit and interact with her for a short bit. This may help.

 

[Ladybug]

I tried introducing Lilianna to the tiels and they don't like each other. Oh well at least I tried so the spare room will be the tiels room and I have Lilianna in my bedroom and she goes with me into the living room. I spend several hours with the tiels throughout the day so they don't feel abandoned but it's mostly me sitting in there while they play together and sometimes Callie comes and wants scratches. My tiels are bonded to each other and Callie likes me, Azazel still doesn't like people.
With Lilianna's cage being in my bedroom I can leave the top open and it has made her happier to go to bed at night.

 

[Terry57]

Liliana is gorgeous! What a great cage she has as well. I'm glad to hear that you figured out the best solution for them all

 

[MonicaMc]

Glad you were able to figure out a situation that works for your birds!


I'm not a fan of open cage tops (have now heard of two deaths caused by them - when they were closed!), so I don't recommend using them. Better yet, lock them shut!


What are you using on the cage bottom?

 

[thekarens]

She's beautiful!

 

[Kiwibird]

She's beautiful I think thats a great solution if the birds don't get along. I will say, I would figure out somewhere she can sleep that is not just 'loose'. Just wait until the first nighttime thunderstorm rolls around and you may be rolling over sweet Liliana because she got spook and nosedived into the bed. During the day, she's fine to be out, since she can see, but at night, they need to be protected by a cage in case they get spooked. I would strongly suggest putting a higher branch in the cage, or a platform (near the top). Parrots like to sleep up high, it's instinctual to keep them safe from predators. It is actually a sign of illness if a parrot sleeps on a low perch. She may also like if you provided her a little, cozy sleeping hut Plenty of birds like to snuggle up in something at night- https://www.google.com/shopping/pro....3&ei=zlN9U-DmHsGxoQSqxoGYCA&ved=0CIgBEKYrMAE
Bird Nests: Doctors Foster and Smith Bird Tent and Cage Perch Cover
Our bird sleeps in his little hut every night, positioned over the highest branch in the cage. Just be sure to get the right size hut!

Also, out amazon has a (larger of course) open-top cage and loves it. I am *extremely* careful to position the branch so it is very secure and his cage at least has a very good latch for when it's shut. In fact, I became concerned he could chew the wood from under himself, so I cut down a thick plastic broom handle to fit instead. It takes a human being to remove or dislodge the plastic 'branch' we have now, and it is too thick for him to chew. The cage you have does not appear to have a latch on the top (?) so when it is closed, it would be a good idea to use a lock. They can (if determined) pop that top up and have it fall on their head if theres nothing propping it open. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Ladybug]

Glad you were able to figure out a situation that works for your birds!


I'm not a fan of open cage tops (have now heard of two deaths caused by them - when they were closed!), so I don't recommend using them. Better yet, lock them shut!


What are you using on the cage bottom?

I use a crushed walnut bedding that I got from the bird store. It's safe for them and it's easy to keep clean and to vacuum up any that gets knocked out of the cage. I really want to get her this cage but got to wait until she is done recall training. If she was to get on top of it I can't reach her and she could end up getting somewhere and getting hurt so I'm working on training her to come to me when I call her name. [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Hendryx-F050-Products-Hammertone/dp/B0002AQ228/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1400729755&sr=8-3&keywords=bird+flight+cages]Amazon.com : Prevue Hendryx F050 Pet Products Wrought Iron Flight Cage, X-Large, Hammertone Black : Prevue Bird Cages : Pet Supplies[/ame]

I'm a paraplegic and use a wheelchair to get around so have to make sure that everything is bird proof and easy for me to get to also. So I decided to start out with a smaller cage and upgrade when she is trained to come to me when called. She is very smart and is learning. She already knows step up and the meaning of "no" and when she gets on the floor and starts chasing the dog and I call her name she stops and comes running back to me.

She's beautiful I think thats a great solution if the birds don't get along. I will say, I would figure out somewhere she can sleep that is not just 'loose'. Just wait until the first nighttime thunderstorm rolls around and you may be rolling over sweet Liliana because she got spook and nosedived into the bed. During the day, she's fine to be out, since she can see, but at night, they need to be protected by a cage in case they get spooked. I would strongly suggest putting a higher branch in the cage, or a platform (near the top). Parrots like to sleep up high, it's instinctual to keep them safe from predators. It is actually a sign of illness if a parrot sleeps on a low perch. She may also like if you provided her a little, cozy sleeping hut Plenty of birds like to snuggle up in something at night- https://www.google.com/shopping/pro....3&ei=zlN9U-DmHsGxoQSqxoGYCA&ved=0CIgBEKYrMAE
Bird Nests: Doctors Foster and Smith Bird Tent and Cage Perch Cover
Our bird sleeps in his little hut every night, positioned over the highest branch in the cage. Just be sure to get the right size hut!

Also, out amazon has a (larger of course) open-top cage and loves it. I am *extremely* careful to position the branch so it is very secure and his cage at least has a very good latch for when it's shut. In fact, I became concerned he could chew the wood from under himself, so I cut down a thick plastic broom handle to fit instead. It takes a human being to remove or dislodge the plastic 'branch' we have now, and it is too thick for him to chew. The cage you have does not appear to have a latch on the top (?) so when it is closed, it would be a good idea to use a lock. They can (if determined) pop that top up and have it fall on their head if theres nothing propping it open. Better safe than sorry.

Yeah I make sure the perch is secure but have been brainstorming a better idea for a perch. There is a latch to secure the top closed which I do at night. Having Lilianna in the bedroom has allowed me to use the open cage top now by opening it first thing in the morning. When I had her in the living room I couldn't open it while I was cleaning because she would get scared so I never used it just got her out after I finished and held her or put her on her play stand. She now likes going to sleep in her cage knowing I'm right there and that I will open it up first thing for her to sit out for a few minutes while I do cleaning around the house then she spends the rest of the time on me or her playstand. She sleeps either on her green pedi perch near her soccer ball toy or at the top of her rope perch in the front of her cage. She only uses the natural perch to get from her food to her water bowl and when I give her a spray bath. I've tried the sleep huts with my tiels and they just hissed at them and never used them so I didn't think to try one with her. I'm going to get her a harness and start trying to train her to wear one so I can take her with me when I leave the house on errands.

 

[MonicaMc]

Sorry, but if she has access to those walnut shells, then I don't recommend using them. They might be ok if there are several inches between the cage grate and the shells, but you are not using a grate. (I don't even see that the cage will allow a grate!)


Please, use newspaper instead!

Winged Wisdom Magazine. Bird Cage Liners: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

 

[Ladybug]

Sorry, but if she has access to those walnut shells, then I don't recommend using them. They might be ok if there are several inches between the cage grate and the shells, but you are not using a grate. (I don't even see that the cage will allow a grate!)


Please, use newspaper instead!

Winged Wisdom Magazine. Bird Cage Liners: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The cage came with a grate that goes where I have the pan and the pan rested underneath on the top of the stand but I don't use a grate after getting my first tiel and taking her to the vet. The vet made a good point about if she has a night fright she could break her leg on the grating in her panic so it's best just not to use a grate. I tried using newspaper but my tiels kept shredding it and eating it and I figured that was not good for them and it made more of a mess. When I got Lilianna the breeder recommended the walnut shell since I wasn't using any bedding and just scrubbing the pan everyday. I didn't think it was a bad bedding since it was natural and the breeder said she has used it for years. I will go back to using nothing on the bottom of the cage and just scrubbing each day.

 

[MonicaMc]

I know about the tiels shredding the newspaper! LOL

I actually had an incident *BECAUSE* I wasn't using a grate! One of my tiels got her wing caught between the tray and the cage. If the grate was in, that wouldn't have happened!


Can't win either way!


As much as I hate grates, I am currently using them with my tiels. I don't like them chewing on the paper, either! One of my conures doesn't chew on the paper, the other one has, but only because she watched the bird next to her chewing on their cage papers! That bird, an ARN, I could use a grate to prevent her from chewing on the papers, but she will thrash around her cage when frightened. I'd rather not use the grate, at least not until she settles down... so it's changing papers daily and cleaning the tray as needed.



Between walnut shells and paper, I'd rather have my birds chew on paper than the walnut shells! You might want to try the papers with Lilianna and see if she chews on the papers or not.