Commentary on Bird Tents, Nest and Snuggle Toys

Sleeping tents & other snuggle toys are not a good idea for adult birds. In the wild, birds do not use nests to sleep in & they would only be snuggling with a mate. Nests are only used during breeding season. Providing anything that resembles a nest will at some point trigger hormonal & breeding behavior. In the case of female birds - especially small species like parakeets, lovebirds & cockatiels - sleeping tents/nests/etc. can stimulate egg laying & can lead to the bird becoming a chronic egg layer, eventually endangering the bird's health.

Sleeping tents & such can be great for baby birds, but should be discarded as soon as the bird has grown out of the baby stage. A wild baby parrot would not survive if it was allowed to hide in a nest once it is old enough to be on its own. Leaving a tent in the cage for too long can cause a bird to want to breed at too young of an age. Again, the risk is greater for female birds because it can trigger early egg laying.

Triggering hormonal/breeding behavior in a pet birds can result in unwanted egg laying, aggression, or a constant state of heightened hormones - something that is often linked to feather destructive behavior. In the wild, environmental changes are key in birds going in & out of breeding condition. In captivity, we tend to provide a stable environment year round & therefore need to be aware of possible stimulants that we accidentally provide.

(name withheld by request)

Bird in Weight Training Program

My mom took this picture of Jolly when she was a baby. It is one of my favorite pictures! Jolly loved to lay on her back in her food dish so she could better play with her foot toys! This one shows her lifting weights to tone up those thighs!!