I want a small tree for my lovie

[Pips mom]

My Lovie Pip just loves to chew on things! and he goes around looking for plants. He has found one, but unfortunately it is a fake plant, but he don't care----he still chews on it! What I would like to do is to get some type of small tree to put in the house for him to perch on and to chew on, and would like some advice on what to get that is bird safe, thanks!

[Susan27]

There is a thread that lists toxic and non-toxic plants:
http://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/forumdisplay.php?f=78

This is a good place to start your search.

[Flapjack]

Bamboo- for sure! I had a gorgeous bamboo plant, that is until Jack decided it belonged to him. He loves to play hide and seek, peek-a-boo, eat the leaves, shred and tuck the leaves, bite the stalks, etc. Mine happens to grow pretty fast, so it doesn't look all that bad. I was glad to give it up to him since it makes him so happy.

[Pips mom]

Thanks! I am thinking bamboo it is! seeing as it is so loved by your lovebird. Pip would probably really like this! Plus I would like him to stop chewing up my fake plant! lol

[shylevon]

Willow is a great tree for chewing, and possibly the safest. They grow wild around most sloughs, and take to rooting very well. Just find one, cut off a branch that you like, take it home and wash it off real good (in case it has been sprayed by anything), plop it into a bucket of water till it sprouts rootlings, then plant it in a large pot. Short of that, the birdies will still chew it up even if it is just a big branch stuck in some dirt.

[Pips mom]

Thanks for the info-----I found out today from someone that a plant or tree planted in dirt is bad-----that birds cannot be exposed to the dirt??? I had never heard of this, and was thinking if I kept the dirt part covered it should fine, right? What is in the dirt? has anyone heard of this?

[Flapjack]

Soil is fine, as long as it's organic. No pesticides or fertlizers.

[Ilovelovies]

I agree with Flapjack, I would think dirt that has no fertilizers or pesticides in it would be fine. I think sometimes people forget that birds in nature are exposed to dirt everyday.

~Sharon

[Flapjack]

Funny- I just recently posted a question about this very thing. It was about the same bamboo plant in fact. I had it in water & rocks originally. When Jack took it over, I was worried about bacteria that may be on the rocks from the standing water. People told me to look for organic soil. I was also worried about the little slivers from potting soil I get when planting getting into Jack's crop. Please ask the dealer about that when you're deciding what to get.
I think Bamboo will always be Flapjack's favorite, but I think I'll also get the willow that was suggested as well, for the other side of the room.

[Pips mom]

Ok, will do. Also I am thinking that Pip is really only interested in the plant part with leaves, so I highly doubt he would ever even go near the dirt part, plus I may just keep the dirt part covered with a small towel or something just to be sure.

[LauraO]

My lovies also love herb plants and we used to have a Thyme plant that my lovies loved and would chew up. You might also try growing some wheatgrass which is a big hit.

[Keltoth]

The reason that allowing your bird to eat dirt from potted plants is bad is because even if there are no chemicals from fertilization or whatever, damp soil is a breeding ground for mold, bacteria, and other things that can kill your bird in short order if your bird is allowed to ingest the dirt in which they reside.

Luckily, I have different types of birch trees in my yard. When I want to give my lovies a wooded treat, I simply go out and trim off a large branch and let it stand in the hot summer sun, rotating it every so often over a couple hours. After inspecting it for insect life and making sure it has no obvious bugs, I take it in, wire it to one of the large cages so it stands upright, and then let the fids out for extended out-of-cage time. Given how quickly they can strip a branch of foliage - a branch that would be bigger than any indoor tree I could use - I shudder to think of what they would do to any poor indoor, living tree I could give them.

It works for me and my birds - but I live in arid Utah, when insect life is nowhere NEAR as plentiful as it was when I lived in South Carolina. If you live somewhere where there are all kinds of small, mite-sized insect life outdoors, bringing a branch into your house might not be something you'd want to do.

- Eric

[shylevon]

If your bird is low on minerals, they will begin to eat the dirt. Dirt contains many minerals, but it does not digest well and can impact the crop and digestive tract just like any type of grit. If you have exposed soil in your home, ensure you have adequate mineral blocks that the birds can get to, or they will begin feasting where you don't want them to. This is the main concern with potted plants in dirt.

You could probably find a cheap grate to put over the soil. Try an old roasting pan from a second hand store and cut the wires away to surround the trunk of the tree. If you can't find that, cover the top of the soil with clean gravel so the dirt is not exposed.