Guide to Happy Lovebirds (Part 3)

[Indy]

Guide to Happy Lovebirds
Part 3
by Indy


(Continued from Part 2)


Electrical Safety

I did a mental calculation and believe all of the above does not tax an average wall outlet. The power-strips have circuit breakers (which I doubt will ever be tripped, but it's nice to know) provided you buy power-strips that are not the cheapest ones. (Read the box and make sure they have surge protectors.)

This gaggle of power-strips with timers and cords plugged in is a formidable mess. Then an idea hit me, when I saw a plastic box with wheels that attach and a hinged lid, just big enough to put all the power-strips and their attached timers into! After organizing the power-strips inside the plastic box, I shut it and the plastic "deformed" to allow the power cords to come out of the top between the lid and box. I was able to snap the box shut.

Now I've got a neat plastic box on rotating wheels, filled with all the "mess" of power devices, and as a bonus, the surface of the closed box holds for the stereo base, speakers and iPod!!


Organic Millet "Upside Down Forest"

My first concern about 9 months ago when I thought of this idea, was whether the Lovebirds would overeat. I learned through various sources (and subsequent observation over the past 9 months since implementing this idea) that unlike goldfish, Lovebirds are self-regulating in their diet. They never overeat and conserve resources.

Lovebirds also like the climb.

These two factors have made what I call their "upside down forest" of organic millet spray a success.

I take a bunch of plump millet spray stalks, between 12 and 24 millet sprays (depending on the size of the sprays) and use a generous amount of plastic packing tape to tape the stems together into a point. It's important for the ends to be tied into a point, so that the bunch can be quickly inserted through the ceiling cage bars. (The Lovebirds, although they love me to talk to them close to the cage, are deathly afraid of my hands reaching into the cage, so I must act fast.)

I bold back the cage cover, and quickly push the bunch into the cage through the door, trying to cradle the top of the open door to prevent them from flying out. The taped-together point of the bunch of millet spray is aimed upwards before I start to insert the bunch into the cage.

I then reach my arm into the cage through the smaller door, and thrust the point of the millet spray bunch through the cage bars at the point where I want the bunch to hang.

Using my free arm, I pull the point up until only the millet spray itself (not the taped stems) is exposed.

The bunch now hangs from the cage ceiling to the cage floor, like an "upside down Christmas tree." I take a large steel office paper clip (those giant clips that hold 50 sheets of paper together) and clip the taped-together stems of the millet spray to the cage bar. Then I pull the cage cover over the top of the taped stems. (It looks like there's a stick under the cover on the top of the cage, a circus tent shape.)

The love babies are in awe at this spectacle in the middle of their cage! They examine it for a while, approach and start eating from it, and then start climbing all over it after a few days.

It takes a few weeks for them to finish eating it, before I change it! True, at first, they eat it in a week or less, because of the novelty of it. After a while, they dine selectively on it, going between their seed, any other foods and the millet spray.

Mindy is the real climber, scaling the millet pray "forest" with ease as Indy watches in awe. Occasionally she gives him the courage to leap onto the bunch and climb around on it.

The bunch of millet spray has indirect benefits. It partitions the cage so that if you place carefully selected perches around the cage of different types that sharpen nails, and of different widths, the Lovebirds will dance around in a circle to the music, as if the cage were a merry-go-round. Also, this "forest" of millet spray is in near proximity to every point in the cage, so wherever they are perching, they can have a snack, take a little nibble now and then.


Kitty Litter to the Rescue

After studying the effects of various dissectants (most commonly objects such as cotton baggies filled with silicates that create archival storage conditions by removing moisture from the air around stored items like rare books) something occurred to me. Humidity is the vehicle for transmission of fungus, bacteria and viruses. Suppose I used kitty litter (which uses state of the art dissectant materials to absorb odors and moisture) in the tray under the cage? Suppose I fill the tray to just 1/2 inch below the cage bars on the floor, so the Lovebirds beaks cannot touch the kitty litter?

I did it, and no more odors! I could leave the cage for weeks without changing the tray! But some unintended benefit occurred. As millet blossoms and seed accumulated on top of the kitty litter, the cage started smelling good after a week or two of changing the kitty litter. It smelled like a fragrant forest, reminding me of the smell of the Redwood forest north of San Francisco. I also noticed that as the millet spray nodules and seed got to the level of the cage floor bars, the love babies began to forage like ground foraging birds in the wild. They selectively picked only the choice seeds and millet spray pieces, avoiding droppings. They also ate from the bottom of the millet spray "forest" that dangled near the cage floor.

I kept thinking how this is amazing, the cage is mimicking a natural ecosystem to an extent. Over the past 9 months, changing the bottom of the cage every 4-6 weeks (yes, you read right, and I dare say this will raise a few eyebrows by purists who will doubt whether this is really good or not), the Lovebirds are glowing with health. I've studied the cage carefully and there are no signs of parasites, fungal growth or other nastiness that may have occurred without about 10 pounds of high-tech dissectant (1 inch thick) covering the bottom of the tray, pulling all odors and moisture into it like a vacuum cleaner. Until I ever see evidence otherwise, and seeing their enjoyment at vicariously foraging periodically throughout the day (especially the latter afternoons), doing a little "dance" to the music as they selectively pick here and there, I'll keep doing this.

Changing the cage is the most stressful and traumatic event in their lives. Once when I changed the cage tray, Indy kept flying in panic into the sides to where he seemed to dislocate a wing. As he said there on his perch with the wing dangling and him jerking around, I was in tears thinking he would have to be put down, wondering what would happen to Mindy? A Lovebird bereaved of its mate is as good as dead, some say. Somehow, as if through a miracle, Indy got the wing relocated. That happened 10 months ago, the darkest day of my life, and I realized I had to compromise on frequent tray changes.

That is when it occurred to me, that kitty litter uses similar technology to dissectant in archival storage. That's powerful stuff, allowing ancient books to last virtually forever, and controlling humidity to prevent mold and fungus growth. I thought, you know, everything will dry up at the cage bottom as if it were archivally stored. Nothing will grow. And it turned out, after 9 months of observation, I was likely right. The Lovebirds are thriving and the cage smells fresh with undertones reminding me of a natural forest. It still amazes me to consider how simple yet effective is kitty litter. There's probably all sorts of applications, maybe like in planters or areas of the yard prone to dampness, perhaps in crawl spaces where moisture breeds fungus, but most definitely in bird cage trays! And it's a cheap solution.

I use the Arm & Hammer brand with baking soda. It never occurred to me until just now that for added protection, I could sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda over the kitty litter after changing the tray.


Photos Forthcoming

As time allows, I will try taking some photos of Indy and Mindy and their current home, and post them to this topic.

Remember, this information is based on my experiences. If you have ideas for improving what I'm doing or something you do that I haven't mentioned please share. Thank you!

Indy and Mindy send their love to you all!


(To be continued; see final Part 4)

[Indy]

Photo of Indy and Mindy in their fully covered cage (after the custom sized cotton cover is washed periodically).

Notice the large bunch of 12-20 millet sprays bundled together, and dangling from the top of their cage in the middle. (The bunch was much wider but they have eaten the outer millet sprays.)

Also notice the night light in the upper-left corner of the photo, and the plastic sheets surrounding the bath to prevent water splash outside the cage.

A heating pad (light blue) is draped over the cage, upper-right of photo, over the area of their heated perch where they sleep at night.

Remember to click on each photo to enlarge it and see incredible crisp detail and color.

[birdlover912]

I've really enjoyed reading this post! I had an idea that you could try that could make your cage cleaning job easier.

Apple-Jack wasn't handled much, if at all in his previous home. Needless to say, he was scared of almost everything, including the cage tray. So everyday (yes, I am one of those purists, lol) I would come up to his cage and talk to him for awhile. After he calmed down--which sometimes took a minute or two--I would slowly pull out the cage tray, talking to him the whole time. If he started getting scared, I stopped moving it until he wasn't scared anymore. After doing this for a week or two, I could start pulling out the tray a little faster without him being afraid.

I was a bit disturbed when you recommended cat litter for bedding. I have cats, and I just read an article that some clumping cat litters have actual cancer causing agents in them. Also, most cat litters are very dusty, and birds have extremely fragile lungs. Scented litters aren't any good either--the strong scent is likely to damage lungs. I wouldn't risk using cat litter! Since birds are so good at hiding their illnesses, you can usually tell when they are sick first by checking their fecal matter. With the litter, you can't see acutal poops.

I read about the following idea on a forum sometime back, and I finally started using it. Since I don't like wasting newspaper or paper towels for them just to get soiled at the bottom of a cage tray, I decided to try something else. I went to my local craft store and bought a bunch of polyester fleece (commonly known as polar fleece) that was in big enough pieces to fit the cage tray. I cut them to size, and placed them in the tray with the grate over it. Now all I have to do is wash the fabric when it is dirty! I have 2 liners for each cage now, and so far cage cleaning has been really slick.

[Indy]

Indy and Mindy are similar to Apple-Jack, afraid of even their own shadows sometimes. I mean, Mindy will actually become afraid of a food dish if she accidentally causes it to move. Of course, they're afraid of moving floor trays, and hands reaching into the cage to change the bath and food. They're gotten used to it only to the extent they bunch-up in the opposite corner while I reach in, and cry like babies while I change their water and food. (They used to fly into the sides of the cage in panic, but I found that doing everything in extremely SLOW MOTION prevents this panic.)

I should have elaborated on the quality of the kitty litter. I use Arm and Hammer brand. Many cat owners are very concerned for the health of their cats, with similar concerns you expressed. The cheap kitty litter is as you describe, but I believe the Arm and Hammer brand is decent.

There's another factor here. Seeds and millet spray accumulate over the bed of kitty litter fairly fast, creating a natural barrier. (You can see this in the photo if you click on it to enlarge.) The kitty litter draws the moisture out of the organic seed and millet spray on the cage floor, keeping it dry and free of fungus for prolonged periods. This allows the Lovebirds to "forage" on the cage floor (like ground feeding birds in the wild like the forage). Lovebirds are indeed foraging birds and love to ground feed if given the opportunity. It adds excitement to their lives. I can see the intense excitement and intrigue in their eyes and body movements as they forage on the cage floor for about a half hour to an hour each day. It enhances their routine, which is important for Lovebirds to avoid distraction and boredom. Unfortunately, one would never want to allow build-up on the cage floor without some really high-tech means of keeping it dry as a bone. Humidity can cause fungus and bacteria to build up.

Keep in mind that the phrase "kitty litter" invokes very low-tech images of ground up rock and particles used in many products years ago (and still used in cheap kitty litter today). Whereas much of the new kitty litter is designed with the health of the creatures (cats mainly) in mind.

Of course you don't want to pour more kitty litter than necessary. It needs to be 1/2 inch below the cage floor bars, to prevent the Lovebirds from getting it with their beaks. As seed and millet spray pile up to the level of the bars, the Lovebirds can feed on that, but never get any kitty litter in their mouths!

Your suggestion is an excellent one. I will investigate your suggestion and see if it is adaptable or could improve my cleaning.

By the way, I empty the tray right at the cage into a large plastic yard bag (the giant black plastic yard bags you get from Costco cheaply). I also tape a yard bag open below the cage before pulling out the tray, to keep seed that has piled higher than the cage floor from falling to the floor. I also use a powerful vacuum with hepa filter (the Hoover Wind Tunnel) to clean seed that seems to make its way to the carpet around the cage.

[eeldridge0914]

I have never seen so much millet offered to birds!!! From what I have heard, it is suppose to be used as a treat, only offering a little bit every once in a while? I could be wrong though. I was told birds can get addicted to it (like smoking) and become overweight.

[Indy]

I must first emphasize, that Indy and Mindy are unique birds. Birds, like people, have different needs. (For example, you know how frustrating it is when some people can be thin as a rail and "pig out" on ice cream and traditionally "fat" foods?)

Having said that, I too heard what you said. Then I bought organic millet spray in the 5, then 25 pound, boxes. At the time, I was afraid with the ill winds blowing in from the coming recession, there would be a shortage and I needed to "stock up."

When the idea for this huge bunch of millet spray came to me, I asked my sister (who has had parrots for many years) if giving them so much access to millet spray would encourage (a) gluttony, and (b) perhaps death by over-eating, or (c) obesity?

My sister replied that I need not worry about (a) or (b), but she was not sure about (c).

This was about 9 months ago.

At first, the "upside down Christmas tree" hanging in Indy and Mindy's cage seemed like an experiment that needed to be aborted. Indy and Mindy indeed "pigged out" and consumed the bunch in less than a week! However, the following week, they consumed far less, as if the novelty had worn off (or they were busy digesting?). So I figured, "one more week to see if they repeat the cycle, if they 'binge and purge'?"

After the third week, they continued eating moderately and went back to their normal diet.

For 9 months, Indy and Mindy have considered this upside down hanging millet spray of between 12 and 20 plump millet stalks, just like their other food. They eat in moderation. Even better, it avoids my constantly having to cater to their finicky appetites when it comes to seeds, fruits and other foods. Whenever they get bored with their seed, they go to the millet spray, and after a day or so, return to the seed.

Look at the photos, "the proof is in the pudding."

Indy and Mindy are in great shape. Due to all the things I described, they are highly active, and appear "athletic" and lean but very well fed. They are not overweight. Just look at them in the photos in the few topics I've posted. Do they look fat? They're gorgeous.

I researched millet spray and it's a natural food for wild birds. Perhaps one of the unique aspects of Indy and Mindy, which may not factor in to some other species of Lovebirds, is they are first generation "wild" according to the store. The young lady at the store where I adopted Indy and Mindy at the age of approximately 3 months, said the breeder had brought them in from Australia, and she "thinks" their mother originated in Africa as a wild Lovebird. Unlike Lovebirds bred over generations, Indy and Mindy are wild, and I find it quite remarkable they have gotten used to me enough to even allow me to reach into their cage to change food and water.

As wild birds, therefore, Indy and Mindy may regulate better than domestic Lovebirds who may lose some of that self-regulating capability. That's just my personal theory. The reason I share that theory is because what is good for the goose, isn't necessarily good for the gander, as the old saying goes. Indy and Mindy thrive with a forest of plentiful millet spray constantly at their disposal, but would your Lovebird do the same, or overeat and get "fat"? I can't say. If you're bold enough to experiment, the benefits are

• there is always a snacking source so you don't have to change seed as often for finicky eaters;
• you can go away for a few days (with sufficient water treated with "Sparkle" and "Sweet Water" to keep it from growing colonies of fungus and bacteria) and they won't run out of food or knock all the seed out of their feeder through sheer boredom;
• they get good exercise by climbing all over the millet spray (provided you attach it securely to the top as I described in my article, using a large office paper clip);
• the millet spray breaks the otherwise monotony of the cage void, like a "partition", so make the cage seem more "mysterious" and larger than life. Lovebirds will enjoy perching at various corners of the cage throughout the day, and develop a sort of schedule. It's sort of like a retired person who sits on the front porch a few hours in the afternoon, sits at the breakfast table enjoying the view an hour in the morning, sits at the computer at certain times, etc., a force of habit and routine one imposes to break the monotony.

Buying millet spray in bulk is very economical, I have found. The 5 and 25 pound boxes are economical.