Outdoor questions

[munch]

1- How did you bring your feathered friend outdoors for some sun?

 

2- Do you feel weird or "cruel" about it? I keep thinking that's its cruel to show a bird the beautiful wide sky and lovely tree bracnhes for perching with their fantastic wings and saying "no, you can't have that." Like dangling the carrot but never letting them get it...I "know" a lot of your personalities and you would never do something cruel to you precious, beloved birds- so, please, argue this point!

 

Michelle

[thenabrd]

i use a smaller cage for our birds. this will be the 1st year to have 2 birds, so i will tell you about our conure's experience. she has her "mobile home" cage that we take her outside in, in nice weather. her "mobile home" includes the best in food, water and a couple of toys. she LOVES it! she gets to be with her flock (us and the dog), see and talk to the other birdies (although no other bird speaks athena but her), enjoy the sunshine and shade, enjoy the sounds of the outdoors. she really misses it when fall comes and its too cold to take her out. she shows no sign of "missing" the freedom of the wild birds. she was captive bred and has never known life in the wild. as we do stuff outside, we move her around with us so her views change. sometimes she's on a table under the umbrella, sometimes on a stump under the trees (then she thinks she's really in the trees). we do let her "sun" for short periods but usually not in the "heat" of the day, so that way she's getting her vitamin d. she sees things before us like jets way up in the sky and lets us know with her very dinosaurish sound of wonder and awe. i can't wait for our latest member of the flock to start experiencing these things!

[bigbird519]

I too have an outdoor cage for mojo. he loves the sun, the sounds of the other birds, and of course he stairs intently at the plains as they fly by.

 

and to argue the point.... only cause you asked us to....

to deprive the bird of the sun and all of its health benefits would be far grey-ter than to deprive them of going outside all together. Mojo is so well bonded to me that he could care less about flying around and being free. after all the grey is a flock animal. so do i find it cruel to put them out in a cage.... no. if it were cruel to be in a cage outdoors then i don't believe that we would own cages for indoors either.

[Ray P]

The bond that you share with your bird is the same inside or outside your home and the cage is there to protecting them from predators.

We have a lot of hawks flying around. That`s what you get when you live in the country.

[munch]

Hmm, ok, another question- What size is are your outdoor cages/mobile cages?

 

Bigbird519- And not to be taken as offensive but looking to be convinced of a point and if I can engage you in a friendly debate- you can get the health benfits through proper indoor lighting (not as good as the real thing granted). As for indoors- born indoors and never seeing anything beyond ceiling and walls, I don't feel cruel about keeping her indoors- she doesn't know there's a sky.

 

I would love to take Took outside this summer, I do think that she be mesmorized at the sounds and sights-- what if she likes the outdoors better? i would feel terrible for keeping her (even though logically she is captive born and raised and would never be able to live wild)

[Luvparrots]

I take my parrots outside in their wire travel (large size) cages. Sully my ekkie, loves his travel cage more than his everyday cage to be honest, he climbs in it all the time. Ana Grey knows she gets to go outside if she gets in her travel cage, she enjoys the outside also. In the late spring and summer I spray my parrots when they are outside they seem to enjoy the sunlight and sun drying out. On the note that they were born indoors, well so was I and I would hate it if I never got to go outside in the sunlight. Everyone enjoys change to a degree why would our parrots/animals be any different as long as the experience is introduced in the right way. I got Louie my zon in the fall so I am looking forward to seeing how he reacts to the sunlight, he does love to sit on his perch in the window so I think he will like it a lot!!!!

[Dave007]

Some people bring them outside in a cage. Some have outdoor aviaries to put in backyards. Some people make their own. The birds are outside on perches the owners have put in and the birds just perch on them. Greys that live in flocks are perching birds that don't fly around too much when they're outdoors in the trees. But pet greys have established a bonding with their owners and those owners are providing protection against natural elements, namely predatory birds. Greys and other parrots are always on the lookout for predatory animals. Greys have to be taught to live indoors but when that happens bonding with the owner happens so a bird feels secure. The person provides security. Staying with a bird outside provides a safety net because the bird knows that it's with the flock (owner) it's only known. As far as being cruel, I don't feel that it's occuring and the reason for that is how the bird reacts with the owner after being brought in. The bird is happier, more playful, more friendly, more active. That doesn't sound like a bird who feels like cruelity was applied. The bird is getting the best of 2 worlds--indoors and outdoors.

((hypothetical )--Dangling a carrot? Many birds don't like carrots and other things that are normally attractive and many birds never bother eating when they're out. When I put my greys in my outdoor aviary, about the only activity that goes on is amongst themselves. I've never seen any of my birds straining to get loose and the reason for that is I've provided protection for them. So cruelty is basically in the eyes of the beholder. No one can read a bird's mind. No one knows what he/she is thinking but to me, all of the positive things that go on after the bird is back in the house shows me that they probably didn't feel cruelty.

[Ray P]

I don`t think any one here wants to argue a point that you have strong feelings about. If you feel guilty about takeing your bird out side than keep them in and get some uv lighting for your birds for in the house. If they can see out a window than they can see trees sky and all the same stuff that they can see when they are outside. It`s up to you to decide.

We don`t want to make you feel guilty. My birds enjoy being outside for fresh air and they also like to travle with us and have been all over the country with us.

[Dave007]

Homemade-----10ft square

 

 

Edited March 17, 2011 by Dave007

[judygram]

Taking your fids outside for some sunshine is beneficial for them so do not feel guilty because you think they would want to be free if you take them outside, they have been kept inside all the time and know no different, they will enjoy the fresh air.

I too have to be careful of mine being in the outdoors for we have hawks that are constantly on the lookout for their next meal.

[thenabrd]

i forgot to mention even though we live in town, we have several hawks in our area. i've watched them take birds out from the trees, so i know they could get my birds off my shoulder easily. our birds are also fully flighted and not trained to a harness, but with the hawks, that wouldn't matter anyway.

 

cage sizes are big enough that they can move around comfortably, flap their wings a bit if they want or stretch out, hold a food and water dish and a couple of small toys just in case they get tired of what's going on out there! they're tiel type cages. don't knock it until you've tried it, they really do love it.

 

kallie will have to be introduced to this at her pace since she's never been outside, so we'll start with the porch (enclosed, windows on the front, screens on the sides) first. athena, she's the old pro at this. trust me, athena makes it quite obvious that she doesn't like being left inside when we're outside, we can hear her clear to the back of our yard, lol!!! besides, i just love to hear athena being her dinosaur self when she sees something that intrigues or amazes her, it's a sound i can't begin to copy, but it's very dinosaur!!