to hut or not to hut?

[mnkeastman]

My girl will be ready to ship soon and I have put the finishing touches on her cage and such but I did not add a hut or a tent type item because I thought it would start her thinking like a breeding parrot. I thought she would use the rope perch I put higher in the cage for a sleep spot but as I see pictures I have seen that several parrots who are pet only like she will be have them. Like tubes, tents, huts, open nest things and so on. I can't decide whether I should get her one or not. I don't want her to not have something she would love and all of that but I don't want to encourage mating type behavior by hanging one in there.

Feelings on this? I guess I am just paranoid but want to set her up for success.

Thanks

 

[MissyMe83]

Well you wouldn't have to worry about the nesting thing right off the bat...perhaps a year or so in, but I got Tate a hut and he never used it. Not once. He showed no interest in it at all, and since it was big and took up good toy space I removed it.
Not sure how you would feel about it, but if you wanted to try one out I'd send you mine. I could throw it in the washer I'm sure and send it your way.... It's essentially brand spanking new. Up to you... : )

 

[mnkeastman]

Well you wouldn't have to worry about the nesting thing right off the bat...perhaps a year or so in, but I got Tate a hut and he never used it. Not once. He showed no interest in it at all, and since it was big and took up good toy space I removed it.
Not sure how you would feel about it, but if you wanted to try one out I'd send you mine. I could throw it in the washer I'm sure and send it your way.... It's essentially brand spanking new. Up to you... : )

that is such a sweet offer . I guess I will see what everyone else says about the breeding thing and let ya know but thanks .

I wouldn't want her to love it then have to take it later cause of the breeding issue and then her be upset about it or not be able to sleep. Ugh! so hard to decide!

 

[MissyMe83]

Sure thing! Just figure if someone could use it....

 

[roxynoodle]

When my Blue Crown was a baby she loved sleeping in her tent. Then when she was about a year old, she didn't want it anymore. She let me know by pooping all over it and throwing things she ripped off her toys on it. She always did that when I gave her something she didn't like, lol! So I took it out and she slept on her perch next to her cotton rope toy from then on.

I got one for Rowdy at the same time I got the one for Bri (right before she came home from the breeders). Rowdy never liked it and ripped it to shreds.

But, I think a lot of babies like them, at least for awhile. Rowdy was already about 1.5 years old when I gave it to her.

 

[lene1949]

Shrek had one, when I got him, but it was awfully smelly and yukky, so I threw it out... He never seemed to miss it.

Birds and their feet are built to sleep on branches, and most only go into hollows at breeding time.

 

[mnkeastman]

well I guess I don't need one then. Thanks for the responses and the kind offer. I think I will leave it out for now

 

[Soarer]

I have a Avian Haven Hut for my Pionus in the main cage and also a triangular hut in her old night cage. I have recently moved and she does not need a sleeping cage so I put the triangulr hut into her main cage along with the Haven Hut and she only uses the Haven Hut. She loves it.

 

[amysaviary]

I don't use tents or huts for any of my pet birds or babies. My breeders get a nest box but no hut or tent. The happy huts r NOT safe! I have seen many posts on forums and FB also online about birds getting trapped or caught in them. Some just got hurt some even died! I know someone that had 2 birds died because of them, she thought the first time was a 1 time thing and would never happen again, sorry to say it did! Please don't use them, birds don't need them, in the wild they sleep on a branch. Only if breeding do they use a nest to sleep in. If u never give her 1 she will never miss it!

 

[lexx510]

A word of caution: a member here recently posted that her bird died as a result of strangling herself on a lose thread inside of a happy hut. They also encourage nesting behavior and increase the risk of egg binding issues.