While your bird is out of his cage, there should be several places that he can fly to and occupy. These might include chair backs, window-ledges, table-tops etc. But your bird should also have at least one stand on which he can play with toys and eat some food while he is out. Stands come in a range of sizes, so get one with several different perches which can also hold food pots and which has plenty of room for fitting toys onto it. In addition to these large stands, you can also obtain small, portable table-top stands. You can carry these around with you from one room to another. As greys like to use a perch rather than having to stand on a flat surface, these are ideal. Most greys take to these stands very easily.
If you can provide your bird with an outdoor aviary, this is of great value to him. The aviary can be used as a day-flight, so you just put your bird out during the daytime when the weather is fine and bring him back in before dusk. The aviary can be used even in winter on fine mild days. Birds which have access to the outdoor world have much better feather condition than indoor birds, so allowing your bird to experience some wind and even some rain from time to time will improve his feather condition.
Building a day-flight or aviary
To encourage flight the aviary should be at least 2.4m (8ft) long; the height should be at least 1.8m (6ft). If you build the back higher, you can have a sloping roof and this allows water to drain off. The aviary should be made from 2.5cm (1 in) square 14 gauge best quality welded mesh. The 'gauge' is the thickness of the wire. You can use a wooden or metal frame. If a wooden frame is preferred, use 5cm (2in) or 7.5cm (3in) square timbers and hang the mesh on the inside as this gives some protection against the bird chewing the wood. Part of the aviary should be sheltered from rain and direct sun, so use some opaque rigid plastic sheeting for part of the roof. The aviary floor can be made of concrete or gravel or left as natural grass. Furnish the aviary with plenty of perches, rope swings and toys and have swing-feeders fitted as well for your bird's feed.
If you can provide your bird with an outdoor aviary, this is of great value to him. The aviary can be used as a day-flight, so you just put your bird out during the daytime when the weather is fine and bring him back in before dusk. The aviary can be used even in winter on fine mild days. Birds which have access to the outdoor world have much better feather condition than indoor birds, so allowing your bird to experience some wind and even some rain from time to time will improve his feather condition.
Building a day-flight or aviary
To encourage flight the aviary should be at least 2.4m (8ft) long; the height should be at least 1.8m (6ft). If you build the back higher, you can have a sloping roof and this allows water to drain off. The aviary should be made from 2.5cm (1 in) square 14 gauge best quality welded mesh. The 'gauge' is the thickness of the wire. You can use a wooden or metal frame. If a wooden frame is preferred, use 5cm (2in) or 7.5cm (3in) square timbers and hang the mesh on the inside as this gives some protection against the bird chewing the wood. Part of the aviary should be sheltered from rain and direct sun, so use some opaque rigid plastic sheeting for part of the roof. The aviary floor can be made of concrete or gravel or left as natural grass. Furnish the aviary with plenty of perches, rope swings and toys and have swing-feeders fitted as well for your bird's feed.
An aviary, preferably placed against a solid wall adds an extra dimension to your bird's life.
You can use this as a day-flight even in winter on fine mild days.
You can use this as a day-flight even in winter on fine mild days.
An aviary allows your bird to express its more
natural behaviours including the urge to explore.
natural behaviours including the urge to explore.
