The Bird Tree - Home away from home for your birds
Aug 29 '01
The Bottom Line A bird tree gives your birds a great place to hang outside their cage. The birds will love you for it!
How to give your birds a active lifestyle? I think the best way to do this is to allow them more time each
day out of their cage. The big problem with time out of the cage is finding something to keep the birds
happy and contained to the area you would like them to stay in. I have found that building your birds a bird
tree solves this problem perfectly. A bird tree will become your birds favorite spot and also keep the birds
where you want them.
A bird tree is a large tree branch with smaller branches tied to it to simulate the branches on a tree. It is
hung with a variety of toys and is secured in a large pot with rocks to hold it steady. It gives the bird a place
to sit, preen, play and sleep. You will find that if your bird is not in his cage he will be hanging out on his
tree. Here is how to put a bird tree together.
The most important part of a bird tree is the branches. Never use branches from trees that have been
growing along side of the road and have been exposed to exhaust fumes. Be careful of branches from
nurseries or orchards as they have most likely been treated with pesticides. Good kinds of branches are Oak,
chestnut, poplar, willow, hazelnut and fruit trees. Wash the branches well with hot water and let them
thoroughly dry.
You will need:
A round tub about 20-30 inches across. The wider the tub the better. It should be wide enough to cover the
ground beneath the branches.
A Christmas tree stand to hold the main branch
A large branch about 6 feet or longer
Smaller branches of varying sizes
20 or so rocks about fist sized
Potting soil
Bird Sand
Florists wire
Undyed rope
First of all screw the large branch into the Christmas tree stand tightly. Place the stand in the middle of the
plastic tub. Put the rocks into the tub so that they hold the tree stand in place upright. Then add the potting
soil to the tub and finally the bird sand to cover the top of the soil. The dirt should be packed in tightly to
hold the tree straight.
Attach the smaller branches with the florist wire so that they do not extend outside of the plastic tub. It is
easiest to attach them to the places that are forked on the larger branch. Holding the new branch in the fork
of the original branch wrap all three pieces with the wire. You may have to cut the smaller branches in order
to get them to fit the way you would like them too. Wrap the wire with the hemp rope to protect the birds
from any sharp edges.
You can attach toys to the branches or hang treats such as spray millet for the birds. You could include a
small feeding platform if you are really handy. Whatever amusements you add for your birds make sure they
are safe and secure.
Set the tree up a bit of a distance from the birds cage so they can get some flying time in flying back and forth from cage to tree. If you have a window set the tree by the window. The birds will to sit and daydream about that great big flying space out yonder.
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