Not happy with Java Tree

[GoDiego]

I ordered from an online parrot shop here in Spain a Large tabletop Java Tree for Diego. I received it this morning and was so excited but when I opened it became very disappointed .

 

It really is not suitable for a parrot Diego's size let alone for a Macaw or Cockatoo which it is advertised for. I'm thinking they have sent me a small tree instead of a large one. The tree has 2 branches but one of the branches Diego cannot use as it's directly under the top one and it's not higher enough for him to perch on.

 

I've been in contact with the online store and have sent photos with measurements to see what they say.

 

My question to everyone is:

 

Does anyone else have a Java Tree? And if yes, what is the diameter of the branches? The branches on this tree only measure 2cm, very small I think for a large parrot. Plus the total height of the tree is only 59cm, on their website it says approx 70.

 

Here are some photos of the top part of the tree and measurements, is it just me or does it seem unsuitable? I just see it as a perch rather than a playstand that he can enjoy playing on. Maybe I was expecting too much :confused:

 

 

 

[Birdnut]

Not sure about how the size of the branches would work for Diego, but this certainly looks like nothing more than a really nice perch. I don't blame you for being disappointed.

 

I don't have a java tree stand. I do have a couple of sandblasted manzanita floor stands. One was purchased at a pet store, and the other I purchased online. The price for the two was similar. But the one I got online is much poorer quality. I know that this type of item is a no-two-alike thing. But it left me wondering if the online stores sell the stands that would never sell if they were in a store where people could see them before buying.

[Luvparrots]

If you are unhappy with the java tree, return it and give the dimensions you would like. If they do not have the proper size, ask for your money back. Surely they must have a return policy of sorts.

[GoDiego]

If you are unhappy with the java tree, return it and give the dimensions you would like. If they do not have the proper size, ask for your money back. Surely they must have a return policy of sorts.

 

Return policies here in Spain are not great and the customer is not well covered. If we returned it because we felt it was not suitable, they deem this as us not liking the product and therefore have to pay for the return delivery plus the delivery to us which was free as the order was over 50 euros. The total amount of delivery will work out nearly the same price as the tree was in the first place. I've contacted the shop and sent photos saying that the dimensions are not what they stated on their forum and that they seem to be more for a small or medium tree. Also when we unwrapped the base it was covered in scratches where it looks like the tree was rested on the base without any bubble wrap in the shop. Hopefully with the base being scratched we can return it as faulty so we do not have to pay for delivery. Just waiting for them to reply to my email, but this is Spain and when you have paid for something replies slow down and it's always "mañana, mañana"

 

I don't blame you for being disappointed.

 

I am disappointed, more for Diego more than anything else. I was so excited about having a nice play area for him as he is getting fed up on the metal playgym above his cage. I've tried to make it interesting for him, but you can see he does not like it that much and there is nowhere else really for him to perch on. We're going to have a go at making a natural habitrail style playgym for him. A friend of mine will have some eucolyptus tree branches soon that we can use, so we will have to get all creative with them as I have lost confidence in buying another tree online. Unfortunately the pet shops around here do not seem to stock Java trees.

[Dave007]

Lots of birds take to those stands. Lots of birds don't. Almost all birds will adjust to the size of the perches on a stand just like they do in the wild. Anyway, it'll take quite a while to find out if your bird will take to it. It wasn't the size of the branches that kept him away. The branches could have been the exact size you wanted and there's the chance he'd ignore that one too. It's the item itself that attracts or doesn't attract the bird. More than likely, it could be the general shape of the stand. This goes on with lots of other perching items no matter what the price was.

[GoDiego]

I've not tried Diego with the tree so unsure if he likes it or not. Did not want him sitting and pooping on it, if I was going to send it back. I think I was more annoyed about paying for a large tree and pretty sure they have sent me a smaller one. This is why I wanted to see if anyone else had one and what the approx branch sizes were so I could compare. So far I have sent the photos and they have gone very quiet all of a sudden and have had no reply as yet. I will give them a call on Monday to see what they say.

[Dave007]

If you can get your money back and if you or someone you know is handy with a hammer and screws and nails, you can make your own stand. This one consists of dead branches from my backyard. All different sized pieces of wood. I soaked the branches, took the bark off, let the wood dry and just hammered and screwed all of them together. I made the base from wood, put some edge wall siding around it, painted it white, covered it with clear polyurethene and that was it.

 

[GoDiego]

That looks fab Dave! This was the sort of size I was hoping for. A friend of mine has some large Eucalyptus trees that she will be cutting back within the week. I've commandeered the branches that come off and my husband and I are going to have a go at it ourselves. When you let the wood dry, was this outside or inside? I've read mixed advice about drying the wood as some people say it can be prone to dirt and bacteria if left outside. Just hope that I can return the Java tree or it will be a very expensive lesson learnt.

[Dave007]

It probably would be best to dry the branches inside simply because it's warmer in the house so drying will be relatively fast. You see, once the wood is stripped of the bark, the underneath wood dries quicker. Only the bark retains moisture. If you wanted to do it outside, that's all right too. I've made different stands like this and dryed the wood inside and outside the house because of the heat from the sun. Also, when bark is taken off of any branch, the underneath wood is extremely hard no matter what tree branch you take. Just make sure that the branches are dead. Usually, those branches can be found on the ground near trees. By that time, they're very hard. Just soak the branches until you can simply peel off the bark, take a brush or a sponge or a brillo pad, some dishwashing soap or other liquid soap and scrub off the wood afterward. After being stripped, very little bacteria will develop .You can use all different size branches like the ones in the picture. Birds really aren't fussy. It doesn't have to be a designer model like what's sold in stores.

You asked about price before--it costs about the time you spend hammering and screwing it together and whether you need to buy some screws and nails. The design is anything you feel like making. After being stripped, the branches are very resistant to germs and bacteria. All you need to do periodically is take a damp cloth and wipe the dust off and at other times you can take a little mixture of vinegar and water to wash off any droppings that are on it and you need to clean out the tray periodically but understand that you'd have to do all of this anyway on store bought stands. Anything can be put on the tray--newspaper, wax paper etc etc. The base is easy to make if you have some scraps of flat wood laying around. If not, you can buy a 3 ft x 3 ft piece of flat wood for about $4 at any lumber yard or a store like Home Depot.

Maybe, when you get better at doing it you may wanna try something like this. It's higher and bigger than the other one. It's not fancy, doesn't really look as nice as the store bought ones but my birds never complained and they love it.

 

Edited August 21, 2010 by Dave007

[Lex]

what type of wood can be used? apple tree ok? what about oak tree? seeing as we have one.

[Dave007]

95% of the time I use oak trees. Apple trees are fine--same rules----branch should be dead, bark should be peeled off, branch should be lightly scrubbed after peeling, branch should be allowed to dry. A large long branch can be used as long as you take a saw and cut the branch down to the size and lengths you like. Different thicknesses of branches can be used and assembly is the same--nails, screws, hammer, screwdriver, electric or manual.

[Lex]

thanks Dave. Shame as we had the top cut out of the tree a few months ago always the way..

[Shades Of Grey]

Sorry to hear you didn't get your money's worth for your java tree I bet they will give you the excuse that there are natural variations in the trees and not every gym will be exactly the same. I hope you get it all sorted out.

 

Thanks so much dave for your gym pictures. I have a PVC gym that Tui wants to no part of. I showed your pictures to my husband in the hopes that he will try his hand at making a gym like yours. Finding the dead wood is the challenge here in the city as they tend to clean up any branches. Here is a great site of bird safe trees in case anyone is interested

 

http://www.mdvaden.com/bird_page.shtml

[Guest]

GREAT link, ShadesOfGrey. The paragraph explanations below the lists is particularly helpful.