Requirements for the Environment and Necessary Equipment for Parrot

Making an aviary is cheaper than buying a ready-made cage and the birds will be much better off. With a roll of aviary sealing, you can create a great aviary for the birds in a corner of the living room, thus giving them more square meters to move around. You can find tips in books or on the internet. The pet store can also help you order ready-made aviary elements or bird netting, if you choose to build the aviary yourself.

The aviary or cage is primarily used to protect the bird when it is unattended. It is important that the parrots have the opportunity to fly around freely outside the aviary or cage every day. The shortest wall of the aviary or cage should be at least twice as long as the wingspan of the birds. If the birds have to stay in the aviary or cage for several hours a day, they should have enough space to fly between the perches. The aviary or cage should also be high, as parrots like to climb.

Ensure good lighting conditions. If the birds do not have natural access to daylight, it is a good idea to purchase fluorescent tubes or light bulbs with UV light specially designed for birds.

During the summer months, it is good if the parrots also get an aviary out in the garden or on the balcony. It is then important that you buy netting of a quality that the bird cannot make holes in. Make sure that the parrots are not in direct sunlight, overheating is fatal. On the other hand, most parrots can tolerate some cold, provided they get used to the temperature gradually. Some parrot species can also be outdoors in the winter, but then they must always have access to a room with a temperature of at least 10 degrees.

Furnishing of aviary and cage

As a base material, you can e.g. use paper (e.g. gray paper on a roll), dust-free chips or shell sand. If you use shell sand, it must be ground up before use. Avoid using paper with a lot of printing ink and wax, it can be harmful to health if the bird eats it. You should obtain information about what is the best substrate for your species.

Parrots need perches. Natural branches that the birds like to gnaw on are the best, alternatively you can use round sticks that are bought by the meter in hardware stores and pet stores. Plastic perches are not recommended. The seat posts should be of different thickness. This strengthens the muscles in the legs and prevents pressure injuries on the feet.

Many birds like to bathe, and moisture in the plumage is important in daily feather care. For smaller species, there are bathtubs adapted to bird cages. For larger parrots, you can try inserting a low, heavy tub in the bottom of the aviary or cage. It is important that the bath water is changed often, as the birds like to drink from it. Regardless of whether the birds bathe or not, they should be showered with a shower bottle, preferably daily. Use only clean water, soap can damage the plumage.

In the wild, parrots spend a lot of time looking for food, and they can spend several hours occupying themselves with things they find interesting. To prevent the birds from getting bored and unhappy, it is important to give them the opportunity to do such things in captivity as well. You should therefore give the Parrots access to plenty of branches, twigs and various things in non-toxic, suitably hard material that they can play with and destroy. There are also good parrot toys to buy where the bird e.g. must work to get hold of hidden goodies.

Cleaning

The aviary or cage must be washed with clean water and soap, which is rinsed off well. You should also wash seat posts and other furnishings often. Dirty sticks lead to irritation and inflammation on the birds’ feet. How often the aviary or cage should be washed depends on the species and number of birds, but it should be washed at least once per week. Food and drink cups should be cleaned every day.