Busier the better?

[Harley2013]

Is it true what I've read that the busier the better play gyms for birds? The more ladders, perches, hanging toys, and more to climb on with bright colors attract and encourage budgies to play? I found a big acrylic play gym. I am at such a cross roads. I know some like to chew wood, some don't, Ive heard plastic isn't good on their feet, can cause issues, but wood dowels not much better, natural wood is better, ugh!!!!!!! Too many choices too much info I've read , too many conflicts, ahhHhhhhh!

[delray]

I would say don't put too many, it may overcrowd the cage.

Maybe try it out for a while, and if he doesn't like it, then you tried and I would take it out. Good luck.

[Harley2013]

I'm not going to put it in the cage though. I was going to get the play gym for when he is out of the cage. The budgie cage is only 18x16x21? So that is the bare minimum for a budgie. I thought out of cage during the day and on the playgym, inside cage at night, because I'm limited for space for larger cage. Thought I may be able to get away with it. So I also was thinking the busier the better? I do not want Franklim to get blared, but yet dont want to put a lot of money into something he doesn't use either.

[Sheather]

Stick a bunch of natural twiggy branches on top of Franklin's cage and ziptie them, then clip on a ladder or two and a ton of toys - connected rings and bells and mirrors and ropes and springs. Better than any pre-made playgym, which provides very little long-term enrichment.

[cindy]

you try a harder wood gym like the Java Gyms.... the wood is tougher and the branches come in different widths which is great for foot exercise. http://www.aecageco.com/Products/A-E-Java-Wood/

You can get creative and hang and attach different toys, changing them out to keep them challenged.

[Harley2013]

I could, and the Java ones are very nice but also very pricey. unfortunately the cage he has is one of those house shaped cages. Although the dimensions are 18x16x21? The roof of the cage is pitched. I guess he could still climb on it but not very fun to climb on a slanted roof. This cage was originally purchased for Harley, our red factor. So it's just been in storage waiting for a resident. Lol! I would like to find an affordable, yet stylish gym, my idea is to keep his cage in a quiet room for sleeping, and when we are home, " try" and " hopefully" train him to stay on the gym in the living room so he can hang out with us during the day outside his cage. Is this possible?

[cindy]

I use the Java branches (forked) on top of a flat cage.... they work well and can be attached with the bolt and screw to the sides of the cage

[Sheather]

You cannot keep a flighted bird on a gym because a gym grows very boring very quickly and the animal will quickly be driven to explore the entire space it is allowed - which really you should let it do. Budgies are very playful, smart birds that require free-flight to be their healthiest.

It is your choice whether to cut the bird's wings or not, however it is my strongheld belief that long-term clipping of a bird's wings, as in doing so indefinitely rather than one time as a training aid or similar, is an inhumane and selfish practice.

You again aren't likely to find a more fun gym than a few natural sticks with a few toys stuck on. Commercial gyms are over-priced and very under-stimulating.

[Harley2013]

I understand your opinion. I have only had Franklin 2 weeks this Friday, and we are still actively in training. So at this point in the game, clipped wings makes sense for now.

[KarenB]

I have a "tree" for my macaw, which she rarely plays on, despite all the toys and gizmos hanging from it. If you put her on it, she will just fly to you from across the room. Only when we leave the room will she remain on the tree. Sometimes I will watch her from around the corner, playing on it. But she will quickly become bored and then fly over to the Linnie cage and harass them or try and pull one of their toys up through the top of the cage bars. She's a brat.

[Nipper06]

I wouldn't worry too much about the perches on a play gym since your bird won't be on it all the time. But, as far as perches go in general, the most important thing is to have a variety of perch types and perch widths available to your bird, to prevent feet problems. And natural perches are good in general because they tend to have variable widths. I rescued 2 keets once that had no choice but to sit on those horrible "sandpaper" perches all day - and both birds had feet injuries and infections when I rescued them!

I agree with other comments that you should let your keet's wings grow in so it can fly eventually. But if you let your keet spend some time on a play gym while it is flightless, it may choose to spend a lot of time there later, even after it can fly again. I adopted a new tame fully-flighted keet recently. After he flies a few laps around the house, he always returns to the top of his cage and hangs out there because he was used to it before I got him and I keep some of his favorite toys up there. So even a fully-flighted bird may choose to hang out in a favorite place, like a play gym, if you get him used to it.



I put my new keet's cage in between my 2 Bourke Parakeet's cages. He can fly wherever he wants but his favorite place in the whole house is on top of his own cage when he is out. He loves that one toy on top of his cage.



He likes to go in my sunroom sometimes but he still eventually ends up hanging out on his own cage.

[MiaCarter]

I think it depends on the bird.
I've had some birds who were glued to one spot (be it a play center/perch or my shoulder); others who never visited the same spot twice it seems.

My cockatiel has the entire bird room to explore, but he tends to stick in one spot.
Occasionally, he'll hang out on top of his own cage. But 99% of his time is spent in this spot:


My budgies are the same way. They can have the entire room, but they stick to the toys -- so usually inside their cage or in the play center. (Or playing with perceived toys, like miscellaneous treasures found on my desk! LOL They're paper clip nuts! They love collecting paperclips. They just carry them around. It's hilarious. I spend all this money on toys and they just want paper clips.)

I don't clip anyone's wings. Ever. I have cats, so if there was ever a situation where they came into direct contact, the birds would really need their wings!

I just got this cool little play center thingie:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001K5 ... UTF8&psc=1

It's going to be great for the budgies, as it has a few spots to affix toys.
(Though oddly, it's 3x more expensive now. I spent $11-something on it, and with shipping, it came to $20. Now it's $31.99 with free shipping)

My Hunter would prefer something like this, as he doesn't "play". Isn't this lovely? Pricey, though.
http://www.amazon.com/Cage-Java-Table-S ... 8NK6A4Q4K0

I'd like to buy this for my budgies. They will LOVE this thing!
http://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Platime-Ac ... TNKERJZ55J