Do you use fresh natural branches?

[Featheredsamurai]

Anyone else do this?

I put hosed down eucalyptus branches in Rosie's cage. In the wild cockatoos(and some other Australian species) chew and eat eucalyptus. Usually I stick in a small to medium branch but this time decided to try something new. I put two large branches into her cage, one even doubles as a perch. All the left over stuff I threw on top her cage so when she climbs up she can play with them.

I love doing this, and seeing Rosie actually shredding something is awesome. She doesn't really play with toys, I feel pretty lucky that the one thing she does consistently play with is free and available right outside.

Here's her cage before, it only had one dried up branch I put in last week that has already been mostly destroyed. it was the last branch I could reach, all the new branches where hacked off with a 10 foot pole that had a saw on the end of it(for pruning trees).

 

[coral3]

Fantastic, looks like so much fun for her!

 

[Ash]

Rosie looks so happy! : D

I give my fids fresh natural branches and they love it! : D
My fids would prefer those branches over there toys anytime

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Rosie looks so happy! : D

I give my fids fresh natural branches and they love it! : D
My fids would prefer those branches over there toys anytime

Awesome How do you prepare yours? My trees aren't treated with anything and so far I've found rinsing them is the best I can do without effecting their freshness. For perches people say to strip the bark and sanitize it, but that takes out all the fun of having natural branches to debark and prune.

 

[Ash]

I pretty much do the same. Our trees aren't treated as well. I also try to get the most healthy looking branches XD
But they just LOVE those branches, love pulling it apart and I would think it would be better for their feet(my own opinion). I don't like stripping off all the bark and everything. It feels unnatural xD

 

[Remy]

I've done it with tangerine branches from my yard. I think it's a great idea!

 

[MeganMango]

We baked our branches at 150 degrees for 3 hours to kill any bugs/parasites, but we might just be over-reacting. I didnt strip them, but I took the leaves off.

 

[MonicaMc]

Used to do that! Moved back in February and now live between a warehouse (i.e. a lot of semi trucks!) and a busy "side" street (mornings and evenings there's a lot of traffic!)... so I haven't even bothered...

My mitred conure doesn't like fresh branches but the small birds love them! I live in a desert, and so if it's not pine, the majority of the trees in this area were planted by humans... so it's kind of hard to go out in the hills and find safe trees when the hills are covered by sage brush and pine trees... do need to find a new source of fresh branches!

 

[Agapornis]

I recently cut some manzanita branches for my soon-to-be GCC (getting him this saturday!) They are all drying out now, and im going to wash them down with hydrogen peroxide and water before I give them to him.

Manzanita is a VERY hard wood, i hope not too hard for his little beak!

Lorinda

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I recently cut some manzanita branches for my soon-to-be GCC (getting him this saturday!) They are all drying out now, and im going to wash them down with hydrogen peroxide and water before I give them to him.

Manzanita is a VERY hard wood, i hope not too hard for his little beak!

Lorinda

Is it thick or little branches? I've read that with manzanita it tends to splinter but if they are little branches he should have a blast What part of CA are you from? In most suburbs and city's there are a lot of fruit trees with safe branches you can use as well. Make sure not to use eucalyptus as it's poisonous to no native species.

 

[Inverse]

I got a fresh branch covered in leaves and literally had to stuff it into her cage.
She absolutely loved climbing on it and roosting in it.
She sooked when I took it out. Must get another.

 

[sarafigal]

All my birds love natural branches. I use pieces too large to bake, so I just try to make sure the wood is fresh and without any mold growing. They (Amazon, Conure, and Budgies) all clearly prefer running around on the natural branches that I run through the cages at different angles. I wish we were in a zone that provided eucalyptus! I love the look of the leafy bower, and I imagine my birds would enjoy it, too.

 

[Galah]

I'd love to use natural branches, but I'm not sure of which tree to take. I dont know what may be harmful to my parrot when he decides to eat the leaves or bark.