Pepper getting a hideout

[captwest]

Are you familar with a roost box, simular to the tent deal but made of wood , it has top and sides with no floor, perches in side give the bird a safe place to roost and of course dropping fall thru, i've seen them used with conure type birds at some of the parrot sanctuarys i've visited, usually with alarge flock in an avairy.

[lotus15]

These were given to birds by owners who have done so for years and never had a problem..well that's until the happy hut showed some wear and tear. Birds getting threads caught around their necks or foot and being found dead by their owners. Some were more lucky and the owners were around when they got caught and were able to be set free from the thread.

I could be wrong, but this sounds like more of a common sense issue than an issue inherent with happy huts. As you said - people give these to their birds for years until the happy hut showed some wear and tear. Wouldn't it be somewhat common sense, with anything in a bird's cage - to keep a good eye on toys/happy huts for general wear and tear, and replace/remove/repair the said object if any threads became loose that could remotely pose a danger to the said bird in question?

I dunno, I've read quite a bit about such horror stories too, and each one goes along the lines of "[insert toy/object here] had some loose threads and my bird got caught in it." I just can't help thinking that checking over the toys on a regular basis would prevent such a problem from occurring in the first place. I sincerely doubt a thread would appear overnight that would be able to wrap around the bird's neck or foot :/

I know one person who was very diligent about inspecting the happy hut-- DAILY. Then one day her sun conure decided that he would chew it up (she'd never seen him chewing on it before... maybe LIGHTLY but not for more than a few seconds, and with no visible damage). He chewed a hole in it, got his head stuck, and hung himself by the time she was home from work. I'll never forget the photos. Incredibly traumatizing. I would never offer a happy hut in cage.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I know one person who was very diligent about inspecting the happy hut-- DAILY. [...] He chewed a hole in it, got his head stuck, and hung himself by the time she was home from work. I'll never forget the photos.

Do you know this person personally, or was this distributed online? I have to say I'm a bit skeptical. I can't imagine a distraught owner taking the photos to start with! And there are plenty of stories about things out there that just aren't so...

Some birds (GCCs are one such) like to sleep lying on their backs. An open roost cover doesn't meet this need and a full up nest box seems like overkill and really inviting them to get territorial over it, I'm told an open tent is less likely to trigger unwanted behavior. If there's a safer option I'd love to hear about it, but Scooter's hut is a rather silky material that doesn't seem inviting to chew and doesn't snag. So far it has nary a loose thread. I keep an eye on it and he sleeps in it all the time. We all agree sleep is important for birds... where do you draw the lines when it comes to safety vs. meeting a basic need?

[michellet]

My Missy has happy hut, and she loves it!! It was in her cage before i even brought her home from the breeder. I agree that there may be risks...but there are also risks (greater IMO) from the rope toys hanging in her cage. Those toys are designed (and used by Missy) to chew, climb on, preen and destroy...so there is a much greater likelyhood of her creating loose threads or loops that could be a danger. Her happy hut has only ever been used to sleep and snuggle in, or for her to get herself some "time out" from too much going on around her....I've never observed her chewing or climbing on it... she just dives straight in and snuggles up and/or goes to sleep. I highly recommend them But i totally understand why people have concerns...as previously mentioned by others, it's a matter of knowing your own bird and their habits, and your own diligence in checking toys etc for wear.

[Natacha]

These were given to birds by owners who have done so for years and never had a problem..well that's until the happy hut showed some wear and tear. Birds getting threads caught around their necks or foot and being found dead by their owners. Some were more lucky and the owners were around when they got caught and were able to be set free from the thread.

I could be wrong, but this sounds like more of a common sense issue than an issue inherent with happy huts. As you said - people give these to their birds for years until the happy hut showed some wear and tear. Wouldn't it be somewhat common sense, with anything in a bird's cage - to keep a good eye on toys/happy huts for general wear and tear, and replace/remove/repair the said object if any threads became loose that could remotely pose a danger to the said bird in question?

I dunno, I've read quite a bit about such horror stories too, and each one goes along the lines of "[insert toy/object here] had some loose threads and my bird got caught in it." I just can't help thinking that checking over the toys on a regular basis would prevent such a problem from occurring in the first place. I sincerely doubt a thread would appear overnight that would be able to wrap around the bird's neck or foot :/

You can do whatever you want.
I know that I personally won't take the risk. There have been waaaay too many reports on fatalities linked to happy huts for me to give one to any of my birds. And these accidents also happen with parrot owners that do verify their birds toys. And trust me, I've seen birds ignore a toy for days/months and then all of a sudden destroy it and the amount of destruction that can happen during the time you are away at work is always surprising.

Not worth the risk but to each their own.

[Natacha]

where do you draw the lines when it comes to safety vs. meeting a basic need?

But in this case where does a tent made of material not found in the wild provide anything to meet a basic need?

My birds don't have any such thing and trust me, as long as they have a nice comfortable perch high in their cage they are able to sleep just fine.

[TheNzJessie]

where do you draw the lines when it comes to safety vs. meeting a basic need?

But in this case where does a tent made of material not found in the wild provide anything to meet a basic need?

My birds don't have any such thing and trust me, as long as they have a nice comfortable perch high in their cage they are able to sleep just fine.

a lot of species dont just use confined covered places to breed and raise young in. a lot of species use cavities to sleep in. if we have one of those species shouldn't we provide them with something that gives them that sheltered confined place to sleep in?

[Shani]

You can do whatever you want.
I know that I personally won't take the risk. There have been waaaay too many reports on fatalities linked to happy huts for me to give one to any of my birds. And these accidents also happen with parrot owners that do verify their birds toys. And trust me, I've seen birds ignore a toy for days/months and then all of a sudden destroy it and the amount of destruction that can happen during the time you are away at work is always surprising.

Not worth the risk but to each their own.

I'm not really sure where you've gotten the impression that I use one or want one (I have a cockatiel after all), but yes, it's certainly food for thought that such accidents can occur with diligent owners that do check toys regularly. That said though, I truly I think it's only reasonable to concede that many more accidents occur with owners that don't check their toys for wear and tear, vs owners that do.

The point I was trying to make (perhaps unsuccessfully) is that the amount of accidents caused by toys in general would almost definitely be reduced by a considerable amount if owners checked the toys they offer to their birds regularly. This also applies to happy huts. Those same owners that don't check their toys tend to place all the blame on the toy/object in question, and seem to try and absolve themselves of all responsibility.

There are a lot of people on here that do use them, and I don't personally see a major problem, provided they understand the risks that can arise from using them and check them properly. After hearing what you and Lotus have said, if I ever had a bird that was known for liking them (eg: a conure), I would take the happy hut out of the cage when I was going to work, to eliminate the risk of anything happening when I was out of the house. If anything happened when I was in the house, I am 100% confident I would be there in time to prevent anything serious from occurring (and if anything occurred despite me checking it regularly for loose threads, and only offering it to said parrot for sleeping, then yeah I'd be in full agreement with you on this).

Hopefully that clears up my position a little for you. I'm trying to put a little more emphasis on the 'personal responsibility' side of things, that's all.

[Natacha]

where do you draw the lines when it comes to safety vs. meeting a basic need?

But in this case where does a tent made of material not found in the wild provide anything to meet a basic need?

My birds don't have any such thing and trust me, as long as they have a nice comfortable perch high in their cage they are able to sleep just fine.

a lot of species dont just use confined covered places to breed and raise young in. a lot of species use cavities to sleep in. if we have one of those species shouldn't we provide them with something that gives them that sheltered confined place to sleep in?

If that be the case, something made from a material that does not fray would be my choice.
The fact is, this is not necessary as many parrots have got around that in captivity and can sleep perfectly well without the hut. So in this case, I hardly see it as a basic need since they are NOT deprived of sleep. Again, people can do what they want, but in this case, the "alternative" made by man kind in the way of happy huts does NOT provide me with a sense of security when it comes to MY birds.

[Natacha]

I'm not really sure where you've gotten the impression that I use one or want one (I have a cockatiel after all), but yes, it's certainly food for thought that such accidents can occur with diligent owners that do check toys regularly. That said though, I truly I think it's only reasonable to concede that many more accidents occur with owners that don't check their toys for wear and tear, vs owners that do.

The point I was trying to make (perhaps unsuccessfully) is that the amount of accidents caused by toys in general would almost definitely be reduced by a considerable amount if owners checked the toys they offer to their birds regularly. This also applies to happy huts. Those same owners that don't check their toys tend to place all the blame on the toy/object in question, and seem to try and absolve themselves of all responsibility.

There are a lot of people on here that do use them, and I don't personally see a major problem, provided they understand the risks that can arise from using them and check them properly. After hearing what you and Lotus have said, if I ever had a bird that was known for liking them (eg: a conure), I would take the happy hut out of the cage when I was going to work, to eliminate the risk of anything happening when I was out of the house. If anything happened when I was in the house, I am 100% confident I would be there in time to prevent anything serious from occurring (and if anything occurred despite me checking it regularly for loose threads, and only offering it to said parrot for sleeping, then yeah I'd be in full agreement with you on this).

Hopefully that clears up my position a little for you. I'm trying to put a little more emphasis on the 'personal responsibility' side of things, that's all.

I'm sorry if it came across something entirely directed at you, I just wanted to point that even owners that are overly careful when it comes time to checking their birds toys have had these type of accidents happen.

For years I've been on forums and I've heard of countless accidents/deaths related to happy huts. That alone has always convinced me not to bother with one.