Cage setup

[Sinbad311]

Hi,

Have my new jenday since yesterday. In his cage there is 4 perchs (2 wooden which I got with cage, 2 concrete which I bought) there is also some toys in there but he doesnt seem too bothered. But i'm not sure if they are in the right place inside the cage.

Any recommendations as to where all of these should be placed?

Thanks

[Ashling]

Get him some natural perches if possible. Make sure the wood used is not toxic for birds though. The varied sizes of sticks make sure the birds feet aren't in the same position all the time- they exercise the feet and give them dexterity. They're also great to chew on! Bake branches in the oven to kill off insects and mites. Make sure you don't use the cement perches as the main perch because they are good for wearing down nails, not supporting sensative feet. Don't place perches directly above food and water bowls- so he doesn't soil them. Toys can be hung wherever they won't obscure the birds view or access to a perch, depending on what you want really! Hope that helps :D

[SDavid]

Just want to add....remember to change perches every few months keeping in mind that you want to always vary the size and shape. This is for two reasons. One, wood perches get soiled and, two, to give the bird different width of grip to exercise the feet. Perches don't have to always be round -believe it or not, they can be square. I use wood and soft rope perches. The rope perch is to give their feet a rest from always standing on hard surfaces. Wooden perches of different sizes are commonly sold in pet stores-that's if you can't go out and cut some off of a tree somewhere.

Perch placement from the birds point of view is not that much of an issue. Just keep in mind what was mentioned above about soiling food. And, you want to make sure your bird has enough room on his perch to move around. I mean, head room, room to rotate, etc.