OUR HOME
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We have these perches to sit on. They are made of a flowerpot plate to keep the stuff in place.
It is fixed to the plate with a countersunk screw. Remember that the size of the screw must be big enough to stand the forces without breaking the plate; we use stainless steel countersunk M6. Then we mount something that look like a nut in the wooden stand, but instead of the hexagon outside, it has a thread like a wooden screw. In Sweden they can be found at Bauhaus. A more simple solution is to use a wooden screw; the drawback is that it is harder to dismount if you plan to bring the plate with you.
When we won't come the "big ones" use this to move us around.
Are we the only ones having problem with the harness you can buy in the pet shop? They are ungainly for smaller birds (Youschi is one of them) and even if the bird accepts the harness, it is always fun to nibble on it resulting in a frayed harness. Above is a homemade harness that is more slender and durable, the price is around 100 SEK. It consists of a chain from a hardware store and some parts from the well assorted angling shop. The chain is made of tough steel and its links small to resist when the bird bites. The other parts are of stainless steel and the size of the locks is the biggest possible, if you compare with the 20mm coin you can see that it is the size used for deep-sea fishing or maybe the large salmons. Have in mind that there are several different models on the market of the locking mechanism; the one we use has a hook that makes the unlocking a bit more complicated. Make sure that the end of the wire is bent inwards so that it won’t hurt the bird. The two keyrings are just big enough to let the chain pass trough two times creating an eight, the smaller around the neck and the bigger with the lock on the back around the chest. The design is not heavy; still we have only used a chain for the first part of the leash where the birds normally bite. In the other end we have a spring hook for quick and secure fastening of the leash. Remember to never let the bird sit unattended when having a harness on! If you are lucky it will only escape, in the worst scenario it will be badly hurt. Have also in mind that even if the lock opens, the bird can still not escape until the loop of the chain around its small neck is removed.
You can buy specially designed perches with suction cups to fasten them on the wall tiles. Another solution is the shower curtain rod. It is located a bit too high up though, the solution is to get another one located lower. Our solution is much simpler. Normally you have a rod for the shower handle. Lower the holder for the shower handle and attach a branch. Have in mind to keep the branch short, if too long, there is a risk that the leverage from the bird sitting at the end will break the plastic handle.
In the uneven fight about destroying and polluting doors this upside down plastic rain gutter makes wonder. It protects against damage and prevents the droppings from gliding down the door. It is easily mounted in two holes on the top of the door. It also prevents foot injuries caused by crushing when you can't close the door when it's in place. The construction is simple, it consists of two screwed pins and four nuts apart from the rain gutter and the branch.
If you don’t know it, we can tell you that parrots leave a lot behind. We don’t like to clean the floor so we have placed plastic boards on strategic places. The picture shows the boards around the cage. Notice also the small ladder hanging on the left, it helps the birds to climb up to the cage, you can also use a rope.
We use standard plastic boards for office chairs bought at IKEA. Cut a notch on both sides with a knife and then snap them in to the right size.
Behind the cage hangs a masonite board painted in the same colour as the wall.
When we re-covered our sofa, we also made loose covers in the same fabric. Between the cloths lies a terry towel that absorbs the liquid if a disaster happens.
Fia likes to trash the walls were she can reach; our telephone line is in a really bad shape. This plate on the door prohibits her from reaching the wall.
Gobi likes to sit on the washing machine; the problem was that the power cable was in reach. A plastic tube for electrical cabling solved the problem.
When more than ten flower pots have went to the floor after Filuren landed in them, something must be done. A Plank attached to the window table by four angle-irons holding above and under, made wonders. The angle irons are standard pieces bought at the hardware store and have their angle slightly adjusted.
New inner doors or other areas unprotected and easy to reach are something the birds like to chew on. What can you do to protect them? We found that the do it yourself store Bauhaus sell extruded plastic or aluminium profiles that does the job. Depending on the birds' beak, plastic or aluminium is needed. There is also steel...
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