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platforms are a more natural method of feeding. Food continues to be supplied for as long as
required, up to 6 months or longer. Purists argue that the unnatural foods increase dependency
and “wild weaning” time. This may be true, but in our experiences, the birds that have stayed
around the longest are without doubt the most ecologically successful birds. In our experience, a
soft‐release gives these birds the time, space, and resources to figure things out for themselves
while remaining safe and fed.

Sources­of Products­Mentioned
Kaytee products: 521 Clay St, PO Box 230, Chilton, WI 53014, (800) KAYTEE‐1, https://www.
kaytee.com.
Lafeber products: Lafeber Company, Cornell, IL 61319, (800) 842–6445, www.lafeber.com.
Tropican: Hagen Avicultural Research Institute (HARI), https://hari.ca.

Appendix­39.1­ Outdoor­Enclosures­for Parrots

A.1­ General­Information
Ideally, parrots need to have a series of enclosures with increasing heights, perching availability,
and space. This allows gradually increasing group size while permitting them to adapt physically
to an expanding environment and to flock social dynamics. Include multiple feeding platforms to
alleviate territorial aggression. Provide plenty of perching pathways leading both to and from feed-
ing platforms for access and escape. If wing‐clipped birds are included in a flight aviary (perfectly
acceptable provided they have some flight/controlled fall ability), then provide a floor substrate
that will cushion a fall and extra perching for them to move around with ease. It is advisable to
introduce young birds to one another as soon as possible. As they get older, they become less
inclined to accept new birds into the flock and bullying begins.
BBR uses two sizes of outdoor quarantine/acclimatization cages: 6 × 6 ft. (1.8 × 1.8 m) with a 7 ft.
(2.1 m) height for one or two larger birds, and 6 × 10 × 7 ft. (1.8 × 3 × 2.1 m) high for multiple pre‐
fledge chicks, especially of the smaller species. These cages are moveable steel‐framed boxes with
wire floors. They rest on thick gravel beds and have large handles welded onto the sides so they
can be moved periodically for cleaning and flexibility of introduction and isolation. For larger
groups of just‐fledged birds, a predator‐proof enclosure 15 × 10 × 7 ft. (4.6 × 3 × 2.1 m) high is used,
having a cement floor with a row of cement blocks connecting the floor to metal mesh/hardware
cloth walls.
First‐stage fledgling enclosures are 20 × 10 × 10 ft. (6.1 × 3 × 3 m) for a maximum of 12 birds. Pre‐
flights are 20 × 20 × 10 ft. (6.1 × 6.1 × 3 m). At this stage, BBR doesn’t worry about wire or cement
floors as the enclosures are close to the facility and in areas of low plant density. However, if the
enclosures are in the bush, they need secure floors and the whole structure needs to have double‐
layered wire walls to protect birds at night.
Field pre‐release cages are 15 × 10 × 10 ft. (4.6 × 3 × 3 m), constructed in sections with a steel box‐
frame, double‐wire walls, home‐made steel connectors, and a wire floor (Figure 39.7). Transported
flat‐packed on a trailer, they can be easily relocated and assembled onsite using self‐tapping metal
screws (roofing screws with rubber washers). The release door is a dropdown hatch that doubles as
a temporary food platform. Make sure the hatch starts at the roof: the birds are slow to figure out
regular doors as they always gravitate to the highest point.