To bed, or not to bed; that is the question?

[sflint23]

Since it’s a little quiet on the boards,

What is everyone’s take on birdie beds? I heard they can be a little dangerous by birds chewing or eating material and I heard it can also cause lovebirds to become territorial by viewing it as their nesting box, I’m sure there are benefits as well, but what do you all think?



Oooo, plus I found a breeder at long last through AvianBiotech which is quite exciting. Although I’m going to wait until late October at the very least to make double-sure not to get a lovie on impulse.

[shylevon]

A birdie bed that is not made with birdie safety in mind can be a deadly thing.

I bought a Happy Hut from my local pet store and my birdie chewed through the inner lining, or wall, and crawled between the inner and outer layers. By the time I got home from work the little guy was soaking wet with sweat from trying to free himself. He would not have survived much longer. I had to cut the Hut apart to get him out.

From that day forth, I make my own huts and I quilt the layers all together so even a chewy bird cannot crawl between them. If it ain't safe, it ain't getting into my birdie's cages.

Birds can become territorial of huts and many people avoid this behavior by removing the hut during the day and returning it at night. Birdies like a warm secure snoozy spot, and huts can be a great comfort to them.

[Elle]

Because I work nights and sleep through the morning ( not for long, just got promoted and my shift changes to days :happy: ) I don't offer a happy hut. I would not be able to remove it early enough to make a difference and would have to place it back into the cage before 6 pm because I have to leave for work.

Instead, my birdie has a cuddle buddy. She really likes it. She cuddles to it in the evenings or during nap time. She folded the sides and the top so she can really snuggle it and be warm. There has been no teritory issues so far and no obsessions with it yet. It doesn't encourage nesting behavior because she cannot hide it it. she can only snuggle to it, or climb on top of it when she wants attention. It is also a save corner for her since she is protected by, technicaly, one since, in reallity due to the way it is folded, 3 sides and the top.

[Janie]

I ordered one of Shy's Happy Huts, i.e., cozies last year.....for Oliver. Unfortunately, having never used one and being the fraidy bird that he is, he was scared of it and freaked when I put it in his cage. My new boys are a whole 'nother story! :D They love it! I put it in at bed time and take it out in the morning and I do check it carefully, daily, to be sure they haven't chewed on the fabric. I ordered two more from Auntie Shy! :) Hers are much nicer than what I've seen in the pet stores.

When I first adopted Oliver, I was told that offering him (we assume he's a male cause he's never laid an egg and is around 9 to 10 years old) a happy hut might make him territorial and that for a hen, it REALLY might make them territorial. So, even though my new lovies are DNA'd males, I do remove the cozie first thing in the morning and they show no aggression when I'm taking it out or putting it in. :) And.....they haven't pooped IN it or ON it a single time! Good little birdies that that are! :D

Oh yeah, Oliver does have a birdy buddy and does cozy up to that at night. :)

[Booda's Butt]

I have also been thinking about getting Cali a cuddle buddie, but I'm not sure If i like the ones sold at petstores - they seem so furry, i'd imagine it wouldn't be very easy to clean.

Booda used to have a tent, and he loved it, was the cutest thing to watch him back in and out of it to play hide and seek. he'd lay on his back in it with his head hanging off the bottom to play dead and he'd make this farting noise to top it off. but yes, eventually he did just shred it to pieces like he does with all his other belongings...

I'm in the process of making my own "birdie sleeper/cuddlers", i'm basically stealing the idea off one from Chopper's Toys:

http://www.chopperstoys.com/CatalogSleepers.html

it's the "perch ponchos" one - what do you guys think of that design?

also - Does Shy have an online store or catalog or something for me to also look/shop from?

[LauraO]

I have 9 lovie cages with 8 pairs and they all get cozies at night, but I remove them in the morning. My experience has been that my hens get very nesty if they are allowed to have their cozies all day and night. Since my lovies have their own room and play outside their cages during the day, I only remove four cozies and shut the other cage doors. This really helps with territory issues, which happen but not as much if everyone spent a lot of time in their cages or had their cozies all day.

It can be tricky getting the cozies in and out, but right now there's only one hen who I have to watch (Spike :eek: ). Of course, I'm insane and think it's a fun game to put the, what I call housers, in and out of the cage. I've even been known to stick my finger right in the houser knowing I would get bit :rolleyes:. My favorite is Babiest Bubber because she loves her houser the most and while she doesn't like humans much and hates hands, she's the sweetest lovie ever.

I've also had two very serious problems with the cozies being chewed up. Both incidences were with one pair as both Beeper and Babiest Bubber each got trapped in their cozies after they were chewed. Beeper somehow got his neck and foot trapped and started chewing on his foot/chest to get free. Babiest Bubber got her neck caught in a peice from the inside of the cozy she had chewed. I actually had to cut the cozie up just to get her free. Both these incidences were very serious and another reason why they don't get their cozies when we're not here to monitor them, because even though they have their own room I can here their chirps and it's very obvious when something is wrong.

[linda040899]

Does Shy have an online store or catalog or something for me to also look/shop from?
If you go to Photo Gallery, Shy has an online album that shows pictures of the cozies she makes. She does a very nice job and a lot of the members here have what she makes. Please contact her privately if you want to order anything.

[mjm8321]

it's the "perch ponchos" one - what do you guys think of that design?

The design looks good to me and I'd like to cuddle up in a great big one of those. ;)


Does Shy have an online store or catalog or something for me to also look/shop from?

I have one of Shy's pavillions and they are great. I'd highly recommend anything that she makes....not only being a great stoyteller, she's also great at sewing. I almost said she's a great sewer, but that just didn't sound right. :rofl:

[BarbieH]

I almost said she's a great sewer, but that just didn't sound right.

:lol It *sounds* okay, but it sure reads funny. :lol :lol :lol

[Paulette]

Seamstress you guys.:)

[Z28Taxman]

Seamstress you guys.:)

But that's not as funny as sewer! :lol


Ditto has a happy hut and I leave it in all the time. Fortunately he's never chewed it but I do examine it all the time to make sure. Now humping it is a different story. :rolleyes: He only goes in it at night after the lights go off though.

In his old small cage he'd stand on top of it and make it swing and have a grand 'ol time. But then he'd chew the straps that hang it from the cage and get mad when it fell. He hasn't done that in the new cage though. Too much other stuff to get into in there. :cool:

[shylevon]

Shy's seams are a little stressed. Seamstress runs rampant in my house, especially around the backside. Back where the feathers are pretty sparce, as you all remember.

Ok, back to the sewer for me.

[jknezek]

one other type of "bed" you can make is what I use for my ekkie and am considering for my lovebirds. It's literally a piece of soft, bird safe wood (for example untreated pine) that is covered with a vinyl piece and hangs on stainless steel chains. The board is open to all sides so it doesn't look like a nest, but it allows the little ones a place to get off their feet at night. I tend to cover mine with a rug for my ekkie, something i wouldn't do for lovebirds because they chew too much. for a lovebird I might consider covering it with just the vinyl or maybe adding in felt or something else that would be difficult to get stuck in.