Pet Forum / Birds / Birds / December 2007

Our budgie birdroom is not elaborate.  I have 4 budgies at this time
in a room that is about 8 x 10.  We have 3 cages set up; a large one
they all sleep in at night; a medium one that they like to play in,
with lots of mirrors and perches; and a small one I call the old age
home for my oldest, more reserved English budgie who sometimes needs
to get away from the "kids".  That small cage is on the table in the
center of the room. My birds are free-flighted also.

There are 2 doorways in the room (without actual doors)...one leads to
the front living room and the other to the kitchen.  I leave the
kitchen doorway open most of the time  because my birds rarely leave
the bird room, yet the oldest one can fly onto my shoulder when I'm in
the kitchen or come join us at dinnertime.  However, I do have a lacy
curtain across the larger doorway, using a spring rod to hang it.  In
the kitchen doorway I also have a spring rod with a heavier curtain
that I keep open during the day, but close at night or if the birds
absolutely have to be contained.

We built a perch tree using a tall 4 x 4 anchored in a heavy pot.
There are 6 different sized perches at different levels, which we
insert into drilled out holes in the pole, with toys and mirror
perches attached.   We also have 4 window perches on the one window.

We don't have a fountain, but have 2 large baths hanging on the
outside of the cages.  We have a budgie playground but they rarely use
it. They prefer to run around on the table, sit on the window perches
or perch tree, or play on the manzanita perch I have anchored to the
top of the large cage.  They rarely sit on the swings.

I'm not sure about your bead wall.  My birds would fly through that
without giving it a second thought. If you really need to keep them in
that room, you'll need something long enough  to  cover the entire
doorway. Mine have snuck under the lace curtain a time or two, and the
other English who ends up on the floor quite often has somehow gotten
under the heavier curtain too.  

Sounds like a fun project.  Good luck!

Any style of drapping material could be easily hung and provide a workable
barrier for your budgies.

I have made playgyms out of dowels. You can also bring in multi-branched
branches which have been anchored into cheap planters. If you use branches,
take the following steps:

-- Wash thoroughly with soap and water. The idea is to remove any
accumulations of dirt and pesticide residues. Use a green scrubby pad like
3-M makes. A good pressure washer will also be effective. I've even taken
large branches to the car wash for this first step.

-- Rinse well with clean water. Rinse several times. Allow to dry.

-- Use sandpaper or scrapers to remove all loose bark and scale.

-- Rinse with clean water. Allow to dry.

-- Spray the branch until dripping wet with a 10% solution of household
bleach. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

-- Thoroughly rinse with clean water. Allow to dry. There will not be any
problem with residual bleach.

Here's a picture of one branch 'gym' that I use. It is from one of my fruit
trees.
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=81yhzza&s=1