play room?

[MetroidGirl]

so i'm getting my house ready for my new green cheek, and i was wondering......

i had a compleatly empty room that we dont ever use. it has room to put about 4-5 "trees" in there that she could fly around from. would this be a good idea, to let her have a couple hours a day where she could just fly around in a great big room, or will it bring on unwanted behaviors? i dont want to clip her wings cuz i've heard that flying is good exercise (duh...) and i want her to be able to get away from my cat if something ever happend( i highly doubt my cat would do anything at all, but just incase)
it would be her own private room, but i dont want to spoil her too bad.... what do ya'll think?

 

[zarafia]

I think that having a bird room is a wonderful idea. Especially if you intend to let your bird have full flight. I would reccomend that you make sure that you have blinds on whatever windows in that room so that there is a visual barrier in front of the window. You dont want her crashing into a window.
Remember to baby proof the room and use non-toxic plants and materials for the play trees.

 

[MetroidGirl]

the reason we dont use it is because its a room with no windows, and no fan. the trees i'm using are those big fake wooden things that are carved to look like trees with no leaves or whatever. the room is about 15X18, so its pretty big. she should be able to fly as much as she likes. this wont make her wild though, will it?

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Auggie gets to fly around all over my place. Engaging in natural behaviors does not make an animal more "wild," in fact if anything it can do the opposite.

 

[MetroidGirl]

okay good. i just know that like for dogs, if you play tug of war with them it makes them more agressive, and stuff like that, so i was just making sure i wasnt going to bring on any unwanted behaviors. but i plan on spending an hour a day with her in there at least ( which is very doable, i have nothing else to do but homework EVER) and letting her fly around and play with me.

 

[birdcrazy]

if it doesn't have windows try to use those daylight light bulbs and you might have a smaller cage clsoe to a window for her to spend some time in during the day. Sunlight is really important and they enjoy the stimulation. Make sure the trees are bird safe. Other than that it sounds great!!! SHe's going to be one lucky little birdy.

 

[MetroidGirl]

her actual cage is in a room with a window, this room is just her play room. and i bought a lamp. lol and i got a table stand perch for her so she can watch tv with us. she's going to be a brat!

 

[MetroidGirl]

so arcee doesnt like to fly. she can, none of her wings are cut. is there anything i can do to encourage her to fly while she's in her play room?

 

[TexDot33]

Now that Ham's primaries are cut we have taken to 3 or 4 sessions of "flappies" that we do. Hamlet perches on our fingers and we gently swing her back and forth in such a way that she flaps her wings to simulate flying. We do this just until she is slightly winded, we can see her start to breathe a little harder. This will help her keep her wing strength up until her primaries grow back in. This is something that you can try with Arcee, and see if that will pique her interest in flying ... who knows, maybe she's just used to being carried around ...

 

[MetroidGirl]

tried it, and now she's flying from my arm to the tree. i guess she just had to be reminded?

 

[TexDot33]

Sometimes that's all it takes, remind them that they have wings for a reason. The other thing that I think needs to be said here is that "flappies" shouldn't be done all the time, don't want Arcee (or any other fid for that matter) to think of your hand as an unsteady perch. I actually tell Hamlet when we are going to do them and she strikes a body posture that tells me she's ready to do them. So, she actually knows what is going on ...

 

[Auggie's Dad]

It makes sense for it to take a while for a bird to fly in a new indoor environment. Birds don't fly indoors.... the type of flying they do around our homes is different then what they're used to in nature. Its like putting a long distance marathon runner in a gym and saying "run to the other end". Ceilings, walls, furniture, etc etc, all things that say "no fly zone", so they have to learn fly within these smaller areas.

 

[MetroidGirl]

i didnt even think of that, but that makes sense. another thing, whenever she gets on the carpet in there, she rubs her beak in it and fluffs up like crazy.....anyone know why

i would put a question mark at the end of that sentence, and this in brakets, but this morning my cat spilled water all over my keyboard.....UGH so now i cant do anything that involves the shift key.