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Post by biteybird on Jan 31, 2015 1:23:45 GMT -5
I think Bonnie is trying to build, but doesn't know how. She has just turned 1 and has been grabbing plastic icypole sticks and trying to put them in different places in her cage (but they keep falling). She also likes dragging bits of rope and shoelaces through her happy hut. I collected some twigs and put them in the bottom of her cage, but she won't go near them. I think in another thread Julianna talked about her Oscar's building skills using cable ties. Julianna, did you start him off on them by tying some onto the cage bars or did you leave them in a heap and let him figure it out on his own? Do other 'parronts' use different things for their FIDS? Thanks!  |
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Post by aaron on Jan 31, 2015 12:58:41 GMT -5
Cupcake used to build with lollipop sticks and clothespins, but she never really seemed to understand how to do it either. Nothing ever held together. And then she got really hormonal and obsessive about it, so we took the building materials away and she was normal again. Maybe it was just the season. We never tried cable ties though.
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Post by msdani1981 on Jan 31, 2015 15:56:27 GMT -5
Chewy has never shown any interest in building. LOL
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Post by cnyguy on Jan 31, 2015 21:07:45 GMT -5
I attached a few cable ties to Ralph's cage and he pretty quickly started weaving them among the cage bars, without any instructions from me. My job is to remove them immediately after he finishes arranging them the way he wanted them.  He likes arranging and rearranging his sticks too (and demanding that I pull them apart so he can start over). After seeing how some other QPs liked to build, I bought some thin hardwood dowels, cut them to 6" to 9" lengths and put them in Ralph's cage, and he just took it from there. You can try showing Bonnie how to build-- that often works well to show parrots how to play with parrot toys and it could work as well for teaching construction techniques. |
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Post by msdani1981 on Feb 1, 2015 4:39:02 GMT -5
I put some plastic straws in Chewy's cage today, and he ran and hid in his Happy Hut...he eventually came out, but is completely ignoring them. LOL
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Post by julianna on Feb 2, 2015 14:25:24 GMT -5
Cripes... I just finished typing everything on how to help your bird build... and Oscar hit something on computer and poof... it disappeared. So here I go again.
First I built a little platform from wooden dowels ... about 4" X 5" ... glued them together... then I placed more wooden dowels on the outside of the cage around the back area... as this is where Oscar will shove the tie wraps and with less spacing, he can work them better. I then put the platform in the back left corner of his cage around 1/3 from the top. With longer dowels, I shoved them under the platform to help hold it in place better.
Once the platform is in place, I let Oscar get used to it a little, and then he started getting the tie wraps from the bottom of the cage and hauling them up. Many fell back down, so again I would help only a little. Take a few tie wraps... show him how you weave them between the bars and dowels... and then he will take off on his own. I made sure he climb up and down was easy by putting a bong on the inside of the cage.
Also... if you have trouble getting the platform to stay, put a perch or two under it... that will help.
I also would leave a bunch of tie wraps on the platform to make his job a little easier at first. Today, he has to come out of his house and crawl down to the coffee table to get them.... again on a boing. (unless of course he screams for mom to pass him one)... which I do... many times a day.
One last thing... once the house gets large enough for him to stay in there... I put some Kleenex under the tie wraps. This makes for an easier clean up the next day. You will easily find where he perches for the evening and put the Kleenex there. Next day .... change the Kleenex and poof.... nice and clean.
Good luck
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Post by biteybird on Feb 4, 2015 4:42:25 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice! Bonnie was picking up twigs today, so she's worked out they aren't a threat. When I have a chance I'm going to model and implement the cable ties. Fingers crossed!  |
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Post by lamar on Feb 6, 2015 18:35:53 GMT -5
kiwi spends most of his day, especially when it nears springtime weaving leather strips to his liking. I get them from kings cages, the strips are 4 ft long and a 1/4 wide, I buy the 25 ct pack for about 30 bucks with shipping. kiwi will make sort of a ball out of the strips by wrapping them around a wooden perch. He growls while he is working. And he does not like it when I come and take his work apart to clean his cage and toys.
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Post by aaron on Feb 7, 2015 11:10:43 GMT -5
Leather strips are a cool idea!
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He likes arranging and rearranging his sticks too (and demanding that I pull them apart so he can start over). After seeing how some other QPs liked to build, I bought some thin hardwood dowels, cut them to 6" to 9" lengths and put them in Ralph's cage, and he just took it from there. 
