Happy Huts Revisited-Your Thoughts, Please!

[CrazyforCockatiels]

Our new baby (two months) Nanday has been with us for a week and he's already become part of the family. He's adjusting really well, eating, sleeping, playing....
We purchased a Happy Hut the day after bringing Sunny home and he immediately took to it. The day after his first night in the hut, he spent quite a bit of time inside the hut, snuggling and napping. I think it was a security issue as well as his being a bit stressed and tired in the new home. Now, the only time he climbs into his Happy Hut is when we move his cage into the sleeping room. He climbs right in and settles down.
In my A Happy Hut thread, which began with a photo of Sunny in his Hut and is now four pages long, a member warned about the dangers of Happy Huts to conures in particular. I did a search and found a site: Parrots Senegals Amazons Lovebirds at Parrot Parrot, which explained the possible dangers of Happy Huts. I am now conflicted. Right now, I will be extra vigilant and examine the Happy Hut daily for signs of chewing. I am also thinking of making my own Happy Hut with a different material if I can find material that is cozy without the dangers of loose fibers.
I'd like other members' opinions on the dangers of Happy Huts. What would you do? Thanks! Laura

[jriley]

Wow, some scary stories! Our Quaker really tore up her Happy Hut when she was using it this winter (she abandoned it after using it about a month). We found tons of fuzz in the bottom of the cage, but it never occurred to me that she might ingest some of it. I always thought birds were pretty selective about what they actually would swallow. She's the first bird I've given a Happy Hut to. Our sun conure years ago had a Birdy Buddy (sort of an upright taco-shaped furry thing that ties to the cage) and he never so much as beaked it, he just would back up to it and snuggle into it.

We gave our Quaker's Happy Hut to our new sun conure, who so far has ignored it. Now I wonder if I should take it from her? I'd be interested in hearing what experiences others have had.

Part of me wonders if this is one of those cases like we see with human children where somebody somewhere finds a bizarre way to be harmed by a pretty much harmless object. I heard this country song the other day about how we were all raised by smoking, drinking mothers, had no car seats, rode bikes without helmets, and yet we're all okay. Not to say anything of those things are okay or that nobody was hurt back then, but rather to say that just about any toy we give our birds has some potential for danger depending on what the bird does with it. If you make a Happy Hut out of non-fuzzy material, will a cuddly bird still want to cuddle with it?

Julie

[Ponyfeathers]

jriley: How long have you had your happy hut in with your sun conure?
My Sun, Seiko, took about 2 weeks before he would even get near it. Now he loves it! I've only found one tiny fuzz peice, but i think that was from his nails, and hes had it for about a month now (well, a month after he started using it, that is)

[Kooky's Mom]

My two Cinnamon GCCs absolutely love their happy hut. When I first got it I checked it daily for signs of chewing but after 3 weeks I quit and only check it weekly now. One of my Suns and my Nanday (cage mates) have one but they never go in it they sleep on top of it. My other Sun and my Jenday don't like them but they love their cozy corners. None of them have every chewed on any of the fuzzy stuff.

[CrazyforCockatiels]

Julie~ You are right; there are always isolated incidents. So far, Sunny has only slept in the Hut and pays attention to toys that stimulate him like a ferris wheel with balls and bells and a shape sorter. I would think that perhaps a bored bird would be more likely to chew or shred a Hut? But then again your quaker shredded her Hut but perhaps it was a nesting instinct, especially in winter? (I know your birds couldn't possibly be bored!)

Ponyfeathers~ Yours is just one more positive Happy Hut experience!

Kooky's Mom~ Another positive Happy Hut experience...

[jriley]

I think you're right, the Quaker started shredding the Happy Hut when we had our male Amazon who was trying to seduce her. She laid several eggs during that time period, though not in the Hut.

Seems to me that you can do things to make it safer, such as monitoring daily to see if any chewing activity has taken place (our Quaker is a major chewer anyway, our other birds really aren't). I wonder if the hanging ties could be replaced with leather lacing so there's no risk of tangled toes?

Julie

[2horse]

I am sure that almost anything can be a danger to a bird, but if you keep an eye of what they are chewing I don't believe it is a problem. I would probably use happy huts if I could get it in South Africa. A conure does need a place to hide and / or sleep. A cardboard box is an option till they renovate too much and then you just need another one.

[CrazyforCockatiels]

Julie~ I like the idea of replacing the hanging ties with leather lacing. Bravo! Will do. Interesting that your Quaker shredded her hut during the courtship with the Amazon. Also interesting that an Amazon would attempt to seduce a Quaker or is this the norm?

2horse~ If you'd like me to pick up a Happy Hut and send it to you, all I'd ask is the amount of the Hut and postage.

[Tinna]

Originally Posted by CrazyforCockatiels

Our new baby (two months) Nanday has been with us for a week and he's already become part of the family. He's adjusting really well, eating, sleeping, playing....
We purchased a Happy Hut the day after bringing Sunny home and he immediately took to it. The day after his first night in the hut, he spent quite a bit of time inside the hut, snuggling and napping. I think it was a security issue as well as his being a bit stressed and tired in the new home. Now, the only time he climbs into his Happy Hut is when we move his cage into the sleeping room. He climbs right in and settles down.
In my A Happy Hut thread, which began with a photo of Sunny in his Hut and is now four pages long, a member warned about the dangers of Happy Huts to conures in particular. I did a search and found a site: Parrots Senegals Amazons Lovebirds at Parrot Parrot, which explained the possible dangers of Happy Huts. I am now conflicted. Right now, I will be extra vigilant and examine the Happy Hut daily for signs of chewing. I am also thinking of making my own Happy Hut with a different material if I can find material that is cozy without the dangers of loose fibers.
I'd like other members' opinions on the dangers of Happy Huts. What would you do? Thanks! Laura

Glad you took a look, I just wish I'd been smarter and known about it ahead of time

[2horse]

Originally Posted by CrazyforCockatiels

Julie~ I like the idea of replacing the hanging ties with leather lacing. Bravo! Will do. Interesting that your Quaker shredded her hut during the courtship with the Amazon. Also interesting that an Amazon would attempt to seduce a Quaker or is this the norm?

2horse~ If you'd like me to pick up a Happy Hut and send it to you, all I'd ask is the amount of the Hut and postage.

Thanks for the offer but postage to South Africa is probably way more than the hut is worth. I have repeated asked at the local petshop and they may bring in a container by ship.