Privacy perch

[ac12]

I have my male gouldian community cage / juv grow up cage set up with a perch set up with dividers, to make a privacy perch. This is so the juvs can get some peace from the adults, if they want privacy.

During the day, they hardly use it, but when the night light comes on, all the gouldians (adults and juvs) start jockying for the stalls. They do not want to share stalls, so some nights one or two are sleeping on the non divided perches.

That perch has all the dividers that will practially fit, so I would have to put dividers up on another perch, to have a stall for each bird. Or just take down the dividers.

[isabird]

This sounds interesting do you have a picture?

[cindy]

I've seen these used, great little invention to avoid that bed time bickering over who gets what spot on top of the seed hopper, in the plant...etc.

[debbie276]

That's very interesting. All my goulds get as close to each other as they can at night, all in a row. There's many a night that all but one or two perches are empty cause they jam up close to each other. I'd love to see pictures of your set up if you have any.

[ac12]

This link has a picture of a well constructed privacy perch, they call it a "stress perch."
http://www.fabulousfinch.com/breeding-g ... inches.htm

Mine is just the flat side of a plastic milk carton...cheap and crude.
I will try and take a pix of my setup in the next few days.

[dfcauley]

I have considered making one of these ever since I first saw it, but wasn't sure if the birds would really use it. This is something still in my future to add to my aviary.

[ac12]

Here is the privacy perch in my grow up cage.
The plastic milk carton container dividers are a bit under 4 inches apart.

[nixity]

Very ingenious, Gary!!
Interestingly, my Juveniles huddle together at night for the most part with a few loners here and there - but my adults for the most part do not cuddle together.

Maybe because my adult flights are separated by sex and the boys don't want to cuddle with other boys ;)

Except my two gay OHs :\ lol

[lovemyfinch]

May sound strange, but I usually pair up my birds by whom they are cuddling with. I just noticed recently that the young hen I got from Liz, will now be paired in the future with my handsome OH. They will both push others away to make room for their best friend

[ac12]

I put the dividers on the perch thinking that the juvs would want/need some privacy during their molt into adult feathers, but in watching them I'm not sure that they need it. Generally it is VERY calm, just a few short bickering. So I am thinking of taking down most of the dividers so they don't squable over the limited number of "stalls" at lights out.

The GB siblings that I just put in the cage are more willing to share their stalls with each other than the YBs, who were in the cage, and want their own private stalls.

I have a 60w lamp over the last 3 "stalls" so any molting bird that wants/needs warmth can go there for heat.

It is interesting that they perch close together on the undivided perch during the day, but at night they want their own "private bedroom."

[L in Ontario]

Very good interpretation Gary, of the "stress perch". Economical is the name of the game!

[ac12]

I used cereal boxes but the uncoated cardboard would WARP. So I switched to the plastic milk cartons. Harder to cut, but resistant to moisture.

[L in Ontario]

That makes sense!

[terrig]

Hi everyone:)
I also have the plastic sleep centers from Abba, Cost is $1.75 each stall. I am so far behind that I have about 50 products here that still are not on the website. I am trying to go as fast as I can! If you need things, you can just add the sleep centers in the note field and I can manually add them in for you. I will try to put them on next though!
Thanks for the recommendation Judith:))