Finally Made My Bird Tree - Part 2!

[fiuza78]

Hello all!

When I saw Emily's thread (http://www.talkbudgies.com/showthread.php?t=26365)
about her tree I got really interested in building my own, but I had no idea how... I was thinking about how did her grandfather sticked the branches together, what did she use for a stand, etc... I don't have many tools, so I would probably have to buy some.

Today I was walking to a friends house and I just went by this big tree with several small branches chopped down. They usually do it when the branches are about to enter people's appartments.

There were so many perfect branches that would make a bird tree right away! I picked up one, bought a flower bucket, some rocks, some toys and decoration artifacts. In half a day I assembled my tree, piece of cake!!! :D

Here are some pics:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/fiuza78/SQPOg6wR-NI/AAAAAAAAAHA/HY4aUJj6mqc/s720/CIMG1618_800x600.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/fiuza78/SQPOgxs_fNI/AAAAAAAAAHI/Y4PzCb2KYr8/s576/CIMG1623_800x600.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/fiuza78/SQPOg-aKMBI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/Lju9S0yU4rQ/s720/CIMG1627_800x600.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/fiuza78/SQPOhPm6FvI/AAAAAAAAAHY/4I6_0vyDrHA/s720/CIMG1628_800x600.JPG

http://lh4.ggpht.com/fiuza78/SQPPsEREl3I/AAAAAAAAAHg/XQrpbtfTA60/s720/CIMG1619_800x600.JPG

I hope my flock will be much happier now!!

The stand costed $20, it has whells at the bottom, so I can move it around easily. The rocks costed $5, the ropes $2, the chain $20 , the swings $12 each, the mirror $6 and the decoration thing $1 each. Not that bad! :) :budgie:

I still have work to be done: attach something to the ceiling, bring the cage to this room, but I need first to buy a stand for it, and protect the window with the same thing I saw on Emily's room.

Thank you Emily and your Grandfather for inspiring me! :)

[ronsig]

That is very nice!!!
I am impressed that your birds moved to the budgie tree right away:) My birds are afraid of anything new. They take their time to try new things....

Sigrid

[Budgieloveee]

Wow! That's a really great tree :)
And your budgies seem to love it already! That's awesome! :D
:budge:

[Pippin's mom]

Well done!:D That is a very nice play tree. In the second pic your Budgies look like little ornaments.:) it took several days before my guys would play on their tree..our Linnie Baylee was the first to try it out. They love it now though and use it for hours every day!:)

[Violetblue]

Very awesome!

What kind of wood is it?

Mine chew like crazy so I use apple wood from the tree next door (empty lot and it's growing like a weed)

[fiuza78]

Very awesome!

What kind of wood is it?

Mine chew like crazy so I use apple wood from the tree next door (empty lot and it's growing like a weed)

This is a branch from a Java plum tree.

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/8122/mvc636fps0.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syzgium_cumini

http://images.google.com.br/images?hl=pt-BR&q=Java%20plum&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

[fiuza78]

That is very nice!!!
I am impressed that your birds moved to the budgie tree right away:) My birds are afraid of anything new. They take their time to try new things....

Sigrid

Actually I gave a little help took them to the tree!

[birdybuddy1]

Wow! nice job, Francisco! :D :thumbsup:

It looks very nice, and natural. I love the branches you used! :D Thanks for your compliments, and I'm glad my tree inspired you to make this wonderful tree! :) but you really don't have to give me so much credit. :o :)

Good for you, your birds look overjoyed, and like they're already at home! :D

[absolutangel]

Very nice job, I keep thinking I ought to get on and make one for my birds. It's just finding a safe clean source of branches.

[fiuza78]

Very nice job, I keep thinking I ought to get on and make one for my birds. It's just finding a safe clean source of branches.

Go for it! It's easier than it looks!

[SpickyDavies]

looks brillant :)!
i'd love to make one, but finding braces it a nightmare!!

[delduque]

Nice tree man. I can see that u are very inspired.:)

Did you checked the branch for termites and fungi.
They can compromise the quality and resistance of the wood.

congrats!!!

[fiuza78]

Nice tree man. I can see that u are very inspired.:)

Did you checked the branch for termites and fungi.
They can compromise the quality and resistance of the wood.

congrats!!!

Hello delduque,

I'm not a tree expert, but it looks ok. No green or wet spots. It looks pretty dry and tought. But I'm really not sure. Can you come by and take a look at it?

(delduque is an old friend of mine and he lives 2 miles from my place.)

[Violetblue]

Here's a well researched site on toxic and safe woods.

It mentions Plum in toxic, but not that particular genus or species, or common name.

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

[Tiger]

That tree looks a lot like lilli pilli which is OK for budgies.

Looking at what you've done - it looks like a variation on what we're doing right now. We have the basic, fairly solid but small play gym but we go out and cut branches/twigs from other native trees and tie them to the play gym. Fresh flowers, we put in the play gym 'vase'. We do find we need to turn over the dry branches every few days because the budgies chew them to bits. They especially love the stems with the little bobble gumnutty things on them, callistemon and honey myrtle have lots of these. They chew the bobble things off but I can't find them on the ground, they must be eating it.

Someone posted a couple of months ago with their play gym; they had a "tyre swing" on it, budgie-sized, which was a modified dog chew toy. Well we finally found one but haven't tied it to the play gym yet. We sat it on the base, but today Buddy has discovered how to move it - I keep finding it knocked to the floor.

[fiuza78]

Here's a well researched site on toxic and safe woods.

It mentions Plum in toxic, but not that particular genus or species, or common name.

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

Thanks for the link. I'll read it!

[softie]

What a terrific job you have done with the playtree! It looks great! :D I will have to find some type of playgym material to build Peanut a playhouse, whether it'd be branches or PVC :o

[atvchick95]

what a nice tree

my concern is the silver chain thing - is that "costume" jewelry( A.K.A. Fake /plastic)

Costume jewelry is toxic to birds , and I'd be careful buying anything specially plastic from dollar stores/ family dollars well any store really but specially at those types of stores.

I thought I bought a very safe Plant Holder (you put a potted plant in it and hang it up) to make a bird toy from

My birds loved it, it had the same plastic coating that mesh wire has and every one on here says mesh wire is safe

well it killed one of my baby budgies at first i thought it was the wall i caught her chewing on, But I had several chewing on the wall, and she's the only one who died, she is the only one who chewed on the toy

This is what i'm talking about

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/RednecksDoItBest/My%20Birds/Toys%20Home%20Made%20And%20Store%20Bought/ToyImadewithRoxycheckingitout.jpg

[fiuza78]

what a nice tree

my concern is the silver chain thing - is that "costume" jewelry( A.K.A. Fake /plastic)

Costume jewelry is toxic to birds , and I'd be careful buying anything specially plastic from dollar stores/ family dollars well any store really but specially at those types of stores.


I know what you mean. I bought this chain on a pet store. It was on the dog's collar section. I guess it's stainless steel.

[Violetblue]

ATVchick!
Love that idea!!!

The reason I posted the link was that my birds chew on the wood itself. They are just nuts over it!

I think a tree like that is great!

[atvchick95]

I know what you mean. I bought this chain on a pet store. It was on the dog's collar section. I guess it's stainless steel.

ok I couldn't tell what it was exactly so thought I'd ask :)

[atvchick95]

ATVchick!
Love that idea!!!

The reason I posted the link was that my birds chew on the wood itself. They are just nuts over it!

I think a tree like that is great!


yeah i thought it was a great idea too until I found the baby budgie dead.

Next time I'll make sure it's Stainless steel and no rubber coating but i thought since every one uses the mesh wire and it was made of the same coating it was fine - Boy was I wrong.

[fiuza78]

ok I couldn't tell what it was exactly so thought I'd ask

Thanks for asking. If I've seen it on a dollar store, I'd probably had bought it. We need to pay attention on the quality of the material.

yeah i thought it was a great idea too until I found the baby budgie dead.

Next time I'll make sure it's Stainless steel and no rubber coating but i thought since every one uses the mesh wire and it was made of the same coating it was fine - Boy was I wrong.

How baby was he? Baby birds sometimes die for no apparent reason. Maybe there is no problem with the material you used. You don't need to eat toxical material to get poisoned. Just my touching it your skin absorbs a small amount of that thing.
Some people that have allergies can't even touch some substances.

Your baby budgie could have choke with something, or it was just a sudden death. I guess he didn't died poisoned by that wire.

[Robin's Nest]

Now, that is just fabulous! You did an excellent job! :D

[delduque]

Dear Friend,

I want to go to your place and check your tree.
Maybe you could help me to make a budgie tree for my little friends that are sitting on my shoulder right now and doing a lot of poops in my back! :eek:

I think the concerns about safety of materials are very important.
Many stores sell cheap stuff from China and other places often full of toxic components even to us.

Anyway, your tree looks awesome and it's much better than the cage.

[Taz the devil]

Just love the cool trees, now you all have my creative juices flowing to come up with something really coooooool to!:clap::driving:

[Tiger]

I'm thinking - if you look around where you live and identify the plants in your area, then check out how safe they are, then anything you use, you should know the history of (if it's been sprayed, if it's a good plant for budgies etc).

We get foam fruit boxes, you could poke sticks into that then cover up the foam box by wrapping it in something like thick fabric or a sack so the budgies don't try to eat the foam box. That way you can change the sticks as they get chewed down.

[Pitchii☆]

wow that looks great - good job!! :thumbsup:
I wish I could make something like that, but I'm not sure how hubby would feel about it taking over the living room !! I'll work on it ;) ;)

[fiuza78]

Thanks everyone for the compliments!

[Lovebudgie]

You are sooo clever!! Lucky budgies!!

[clifff123]

Play tree looks awesome and sure looks like they love it. Great job.

[AubieBird]

Great job with your budgie tree, Frank! I know they'll really like it. You and Emily are a great inspiration and I hope to make a tree for my budgies using some of your ideas.